Are you going to buy a brand new/re-sale home/property? Or you are initiating ID (interior decoration) works? Or your family is facing health issues due to your home? Then this article is a must-read for you.
Your home, perhaps the most expensive property you possessed or going to be. Moreover, you are going to spend approx more than 75% of your and family’s life, inside of your home (maybe in a different property, in a different time-frame of life cycle).
Some interesting actual research findings
As society has begun focusing more on health issues, all buildings (including residential as well) have had to re-think and re-design the ID concepts along with HVAC design (natural & mechanical). EPA (i.e. Environmental Protection Agency) and independent studies have shown that indoor air is 5 times, and sometimes even 100 times, higher in airborne dust, pollen, and mold spores.
Needless to mention, this has had an effect on human health. As mentioned above, this ‘sick building syndrome’ could be a cluster of complex irritative symptoms like irritation of the eyes, blocked nose and throat, headaches, dizziness, lethargy, fatigue irritation, wheezing, sinusitis, congestion, skin rash, sensory discomfort from odours, nausea, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) etc. but also recurrent and prolonged viral attack, being experienced recently.
Do you know?
Some construction materials, including insulation, are also dangerous to people’s health. In addition, ventilation, or air movement, in homes and rooms can lead to the spread of toxic mold. A single colony of mold may exist in a damp, cool place in a house, such as between walls. The mold’s spores enter the air and spread throughout the house. People can become sick from breathing in the spores.
Bacteria and molds require water to grow and multiply. Bacteria are a source for the transmission of diseases, therefore putting occupants’ health at risk by water intrusion into the indoor environment Common health hazards includes: Upper respiratory (nasal and throat) symptoms, Asthma symptoms in sensitized persons with asthma, Cough, Wheeze, Allergies, Skin Diseases. Visible & invisible (visible by scanner device) water Leakage/seepage/dampness etc. are the contributors.
Nowadays, no home is found where Plywood, Particleboards, and MDF boards are not in use. The adhesives used in these boards are a point of concern. Generally use urea formaldehyde and phenol formaldehyde, both are carcinogenic in very high concentrations. As a result, many manufacturers are turning to low formaldehyde-emitting glue systems, denoted by an “E” rating. Plywood produced to “E0″ has effectively zero formaldehyde emissions.”
Now, the next important question/concern is what type of Air Filter is there in your AC? MERV or HEPA? And if it is MARV then what is its rating?
How you can use your home AC into Air Purifier? Even you can screen not only PM 10 & 2.5 but also Coronavirus?
We need to use not only low/zero VoC (volatile organic compound) paint but also other materials, primers, adhesives, coatings etc. How to source GreenPro or any other Eco-label certified paints, coatings (including primers) for the interior walls and ceilings …….and also Rugs & Fabrics …….and furnishing materials?
What’s the solution?
We spend up to 90% of our time inside buildings. During that time, we breathe over 11,000 litres of air per day. It’s time to find out exactly what is in the air we breathe.
In India, we have soaring rates of asthma, allergies and respiratory conditions. It is estimated that up to 50% of all illnesses are either aggravated by the home or can be attributed to the home environment.
Hence, even if the property looks great, the only way to be sure everything checks out is to hire a professional home inspector and confirm that your home is not affected by BRI (buildings related illnesses), poor IAQ (indoor air quality) or SBS (sick building syndrome).
Hence, don’t skip this essential step. Home inspectors assess a property’s main systems and check that the structure is sturdy, safe and to code. They can also alert you about repairs or deficiencies.
What Home Inspection can teach you?
Home inspections can teach you so much about your new/existing home, include,-
- Structural arrangements, crack or other damages, where you can do required modification in masonry, core-cuts, drilling etc.
- Various home services like Electrical, Plumbing, Fire, Ventilation & AC, Automation, Access control, Communication system etc., and their related accidental hazards and precautionary measures.
- What are the points-to-ponder while ID (interior decoration) works, save money and your family’s health.
- How to maintain your property and which repairs need to be carried out now or in the near future.
- Inspectors can also help uncover a property’s mysteries or even find nasty surprises you’ll want to know about – and possibly renegotiate on – before the sellers hand over the keys.
- Inspectors can discover DIY projects gone wrong (which may be tried by local Mistiri :))
- A home inspection may uncover unwanted roommates e.g. rodents, cockroaches, spiders, lizards, termites, ants etc. An inspector takes a close look for signs of trouble and can help provide peace of mind.
What is a professional home inspection and what does it cover?
The home inspection coverage is of a W-I-D-E variety. The whole of your home’s interior, exterior, systems, and components can be under the magnifying glass of the inspection services.
Most of these Home Inspection services conduct NDT (non-destructive tests) of the property, in some cases based on customer requirement tests that require core-cutting etc. are also performed.
Off late ‘Thermal Imaging Inspection’ using an infrared camera can provide inspectors with information on home energy loss, heat gain/loss through the exterior walls and roof, moisture leaks, and improper electrical system conditions that are typically not visible to the naked eye. Thermal imaging is not considered part of a General Home Inspection because it exceeds the scope of inspection Standards of Practice.
However, based on different needs, the ‘Baskets of services’ are,-
Basic Services
Visual examination of the home’s major structure, systems and components including the roof, exterior, basement or stilt, foundation and structure, heating and cooling, plumbing, electrical, fireplace, insulation and ventilation, doors, windows, and interior of a residential property. Home inspectors look for system and major component defects and deficiencies, improper building practices, those items that require extensive repairs, items that are general maintenance issues, and some fire and safety issues. A general home inspection is not designed to identify building code violations, although some deficiencies identified may also be code violations.
Advance Services
Needless to mention that due to the advancement of technologies, like other fields, Home Inspection also upgraded a lot. Today Home Inspectors are equipped with appropriate Inspection Locating/Identifying, Testing, Measuring and Diagnostic Equipment, which otherwise not possible only by visual inspection.
Few of these are,-
- Moisture Meter
- Digital Manometer
- Laser Thermometer
- Infrared Thermal Imaging Camera
- Ultrasonic Plumbing Leak Detector
- Digital Hygrometer
- Borescope
- Electrical Circuit Analysis Tester
- Combustible Gas Detector etc.
Specialty Services
It’s about IAQ (i.e. indoor air quality) and other tests which include,-
- Humidity and Temperature
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
- Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (MVOCs)
- Carbon Dioxide
- Formaldehyde
- TDS & pH of water
Popular Service
One salient feature that Home Inspectors perform in India is checking the Carpet Area as per RERA (real estate regulatory authority) as per of the apartment. This is important because that is the most expensive unit of the apartment, since the home buyer pays the builder per square foot of apartment.
Book your Home Inspection
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We will understand your requirement(s) and based on that apprise our nominal fees.
Post to that we will visit your place and conduct Home Inspection.
Subsequently, Inspection Report will be shared along with the best possible suggestions.
It’s a great chance to learn about your new house/home
Homeowners should accompany the inspector during the process, rather than wait for a written report.
Most people know little about the inner workings of the house they’re buying/living, so it’s also like getting an instruction manual to your house.
We’ll show homeowners where and how to turn off the water in an emergency, show them the electrical panel and teach them how the air exchange system works and when to use it. When on-site, homeowners absorb all the information and, by the time we’ve finished the inspection, they really do understand what’s going on so they can put the inspection report into context.
Home Inspection: Win-Win for all the Stake Holders
A professional home inspection provides all parties with a clear understanding of the physical condition of the home in order to make a well-informed decision – Home Buyers / Owners, Home Sellers, Builders / Developers, Real Estate Agents / Brokers, Interior Designers. It also benefits Home Loan Lenders, Home Insurance Companies, Central Government / State Governments, City Building Departments, etc.
Compiled & Written by: Avijit Datta [9874697360]
Disclaimer: All indicative images and few other references taken from the internet and websites.
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