Carolina HomeInspect LLC

08/14/2024

Providing Foundation / Addition Certification Services of Manufactured Homes. If you are a Realtor, Lender, Buyer, or Seller in need of a HUD Foundation Certification, call now.

04/09/2024

This is not a confidence builder on a new home...

03/25/2024

Back in the day wood slats were used as subfloor. Sometimes that was the only floor in a home and wasn't finished. This would have been during a time when floor insulation wasn't used, so as wall-to-wall carpet became available, it was common to have carpet installed. Fast forward and then new owners rip up the carpet to discover what they think are hardwood floors and have them finished. The problem is they are directly exposed to the humid air of the crawlspace which causes problems with the finish. Old boards that have been exposed to moisture for years aren't as strong as they once were and are prone to break if weight is applied to any one board and not spread across them uniformly. It's amazing how many times I have seen this over the years.

03/12/2024

Deck looks great from the top!

04/21/2023

It seems that we replace one dangerous material with another... Recent events in Ohio bring it to light, but how long have they known?

The report raises concerns about chemicals in PVC leaching into the drinking water and says communities should use stainless steel or copper.

10/20/2022

TRUE STORY: Why a good inspection is critical. Do you really want to save $300-600 and have to spend thousands later? We received a call for a foundation inspection on a home built in 1971. The client has owned it for 1 year and noticed some settling cracks that have expanded. He did have the home inspected when he purchased it. We arrive onsite and found heavy water stains on the moisture barrier (plastic sheeting) under the home. In places, you could see where there were at least 4 inches of standing water at times. No matter how big the cracks were 1 year ago, the combination of the two would indicate repairs were needed. But it doesn't stop there. I also noticed a drain pipe from the corner of the home into the nearby trees. Assuming it was for a washer machine, I recommended he find the end of it and keep it clear. He then stated that his bathroom never drains well and they use a lot of drain cleaner but it doesn't seem to work. During a full home inspection, I always try to locate the end of these pipes if possible. Because of this new information I figured I'd take a quick look. It was easy to find as it was only about 4 feet in the trees (covered with brush) but standing water was visible. We grabbed a shovel and uncovered the end. The client then went into the home and proceeded to turn on each sink and shower, including the kitchen sink. All of them drain in the yard! Did I mention the smell? It was quite bad. I then grabbed a probe and found the septic tank. Based on the tank location I believe the drain fields are in the tree line. Trees that weren't there back in 1971 when the house was built. The only reason someone would have all the "gray" water in the home removed from the septic and plumbed into an above-ground drain, is because the drain fields were not working. And this above-ground drain is not permissible.
Now the cost to repair or replace these drain fields can be thousands of dollars. The water in the crawlspace could also be a few thousand to correct. If these findings, which should have been visible one year ago, had been provided before he bought the home, he could have negotiated or bought another home. Now he has a home that will cost thousands to repair. Inspectors miss things, I hate to admit it. But they shouldn't miss things like this.
We discussed the fact that in just 30 minutes we had already found more than what was disclosed in his initial inspection and decided to schedule a full inspection.
Don't think that if your buying a 5-year-old home or a new home that everything will be okay. We have found serious issues with those too. Sometimes the inspector finds very little but sometimes the inspector finds issues that can save thousands.

11/15/2021

Plumbing failure!

09/30/2021

Summer has faded into Fall

09/23/2021

A beautiful day in South Carolina!

08/04/2021

Hot, hot, hot!