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Servicing: LAKE, MENDOCINO, NAPA & SONOMA COUNTIES ONE HOME INSPECTOR IS NOT THE SAME AS ANOTHER
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY!    707.245.7545 (cell/text) or 707.987.9970 (office) BYRON DUERKSEN, ACI, CMI MBA - CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT ASHI CERTIFIED INSPECTOR * NACHI CERTIFIED MASTER INSPECTOR HUD/FHA 203(k) CONSULTANT AND INSPECTOR * CERTIFIED THERMOGRAPHER * MOLD INSPECTOR   Housecheck is Locally Owned and Operated Offering you your highest expectations for any home inspection. 
Welcome to Housecheck Inspection Services. My name is Byron and I am the Owner and a Professional Home Inspector, having performed thousands of inspections. The dictionary defines a "professional" as "skilled, proficient, knowledgeable, prepared, talented, competent, and experienced," in other words, a master of his craft. Fifteen years ago I took my ITA home inspection training, passed a proctored exam and received my first home inspector certification. Subsequently, I attained three Master Inspector certifications from three different home inspection organizations, plus the ACI which required passing the National Home Inspector Examination which is essential for licensing home inspectors in states that require licensing. The State of California DOES NOT certify or license home inspector. ONE HOME INSPECTOR IS NOT THE SAME AS ANOTHER The home inspection industry is unregulated in California. Don't let anyone mislead you by claiming to be State Certified or a State Licensed and Bonded home inspector because there is no such thing. In fact, the State has no requirements for training, education, insurance or conduct of home inspectors. A professional inspector must be trained, educated, tested and certified by a reputable national organization whose sole purpose is to provide that training and education. ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) is the oldest, most prestigious association in United States and Canada, "the gold standard of home inspectors." ASHI has the most stringent standards for certification and has long been acknowledged as having the top echelon of certified inspectors. InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) is the largest, most prolific home inspection organization worldwide. If a state license number appears on an inspector's website, it has absolutely nothing to do with home inspecting. If a state license number appears on an inspector's website, it has absolutely nothing to do with home inspecting. Beware of contractors masquerading as home inspectors in order to get repair and remodeling work. That is an unlawful practice and relies on your ignorance of the lawand relies on your ignorance of the law, The California Trade Practice Act (Chapter 338) enacted in 1996 which "prohibits unethical home inspection practices, including repairing properties that they have inspected in the previous 12 months." If all you know about an inspector is his fee, then you really know nothing. There is no substitute for experience and a comprehensive quality report. It's the difference between your peace of mind and nagging doubts. WHEN YOU WANT THE BEST, THE CHOICE IS CLEAR
* Board Certified Master Inspector (NACHI) - international certification COMPLIMENTARY VALUE ADDED SERVICES 1. By utilizing my infrared camera, I can detect costly leaks and potentially dangerous electrical hot spots. 2. I submit model and serial numbers on appliances to RecallChek from whom you'll get a separate report. 3. Included with that you will have a 90 day warranty from Residential Warranty Services on structural and mechanical components. 4. I will mail you a plastic covered, bound Hard Copy for easy reference as well as email the PDF. 5. And, finally I will send you a valuable 225 page e-book titled The Safe Home which answers many questions for home owners. "THE HOME INSPECTION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION"
My first priority is to provide you, the client, with an honest and complete evaluation of the property you are about to purchase. Every inch of the property is inspected -- all structural, electrical, air conditioning, heating and plumbing are examined. I crawl under the house. I climb into the attic. I walk on the roof. I will notify you of any item that has a current or potential issue. I abide by a strict Code of Ethics, exceed the Standards of Practice, and utilize the latest inspection tools, technology and reporting software to provide you with the clearest, most detailed report. ALWAYS ASK TO SEE A SAMPLE REPORT BEFORE YOU DECIDE The absolute proof of a good inspector is the quality of the Inspection Report which should speak for itself. The report should leave nothing to your imagination, should leave nothing out and should not require your real estate agent or anyone else to interpret it. A Home Inspector must be able to effectively communicate verbally and in writing. The report is a direct reflection of the inspector's knowledge and expertise. Look at any sample report. Can you understand it? It should not resemble a contractor's checklist.
Why settle for an inferior report of a mere 12 - 20 pages, lacking in details and pictures, OR a report with page after page of check boxes or 2 letter acronyms for you to decipher? That's a report you can't make sense of, resulting in more questions than answers. My inspection reports stand out from all others. I will provide you with a 65 to 90 page comprehensive, room by room, system by system inspection report with more information and more pictures in an indexed, easy to read format - in plain English. No secret decoder ring required. And plenty of pictures to show you exactly what I'm talking about. You will receive a PDF as well as a plastic covered hard copy for easy reference. A HOME INSPECTION IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE INSPECTOR I have professional relationships with the many Realtors who require the highest standard in customer service, high compliance inspections and integrity in inspection reporting, and we work together to fulfill the needs of the most discerning clients. I follow nationally recognized protocols in inspecting and reporting. A CHEAP INSPECTION MAY BE THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING YOU'LL EVER BUY Don't compromise on this, the most important part of your real estate transaction. The few dollars you think you could save now may cost you thousands of dollars down the road because of missed or overlooked defects, some of which can injure or even kill you. You couldn't put a price of your family's health and safety and yet your future health and safety depends on a professional quality home inspection. Your home inspection costs very little but it will tell you a whole lot. It's worth much more than you could pay. My fees are reasonable and affordable, and depend on the perceived amount of time it will take to inspect the property and to produce a fully documented report. UNINSURED HOME INSPECTORS COST BUYERS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS In Hidden Valley Lake I did two re-inspections based on another inspector's reports. One report showed roofing shingles that were a totally different color than those on the house that was being reported. The roof pictured in the report was obviously from another house. When confronted, the first inspector shrugged it off. He had no insurance and the retired owner had to use part of his nest egg to get a new roof. In another re-inspection, the first report had a picture of the crawl space showing nothing unusual, yet when the buyers took possession they had plumbing problems. The crawl space pictures in her report did not match the reality which revealed raw sewage under the house that had accumulated for months, broken water lines and tree roots intruding into the pipes. In each case, the first home inspector refused to cooperate, had no insurance, and in one case resorted to name calling and threats. It's sad, it's shocking and most of all it's avoidable. If an inspector has no insurance specifically for home inspecting, you are at risk for potential undisclosed issues. You have a lot of home inspectors from which to choose and you also have a lot to lose. HERE ARE A FEW RECENT UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS As a professional home inspector, I work on for the client with whom I have a contractual agreement. My testimonials are all from my clients. Although I receive accolades from Realtors which I appreciate, I do not publish them as testimonials. Websites containing testimonials predominately from real estate agents suggest that the inspector is working for the real estate agent instead, which raises some serious questions about a conflict of interest. Thank you very much for your excellent inspection and taking so much time to discuss your findings with us in person last week. It was a pleasure to meet you and I hope we have a chance to meet again. We will absolutely refer you to our friends and family. Andrew and Nikki Barada - Napa Home Inspection Thank you for your inspection. Rest assured when someone asks me if I know a home inspector I will refer them directly to Housecheck. It was refreshing to meet you and observe your work. After receiving a very detailed report, I felt confident I purchased the right house. Brett Speakman - Vallejo Home Inspection Your efficiency and obvious high level of competence was a pleasure to witness. Your thorough report is very helpful in acquainting myself with the many parts of this house. It serves as a valued reference as I get more acquainted with the house. Sincerely, Virginia Fink - Little River Home Inspection THERMAL IMAGING There are times when a visual inspection is just not enough, like seeing the tip of an iceberg. In those cases, I use my infrared thermal imaging camera. Infrared allows us to see what our eyes cannot.
Infrared thermography cameras produce images of invisible infrared or "heat" radiation and provide precise non-contact temperature measurement capabilities. If objects emit infrared energy at different levels, and we can see the difference in a camera, then we can find and solve problems much quicker and at a lesser cost. Here are some issues that I have uncovered even in freshly painted houses. • Faulty wiring, breakers and fuses ROOF LEAKS SPELL DISASTER For each 1" of rainfall on a roof, there are 600 gallons of roof run-off water for every 1000 square feet of the roof surface. Most homes have well over 2000 square feet or more roof surface area. Lake County, Mendocino County and Sonoma County to name a few of the immediate surrounding areas have an average annual rainfall of 24 to over 75 inches of rain. In Northern California, this is typically concentrated in a period of 5 to 6 months.
This provides a tremendous amount of moisture to seep through a hole in the shingles or around poor or old rusted flashings. A leaking roof can and often does mean rotting sheathing and rafters. Larger amounts soak the attic insulation, then the ceilings and even into the walls. Interior moisture in ceilings and walls generally creates mold which for many is a serious health issue. It is a huge amount of water seeping under your house if not properly controlled. The end result is foundation cracking, shifting and rotting wood structure or mold. SMOKE DETECTORS CAN BE DEADLY It can happen in a split second without any warning. The deck suddenly collapses to the ground, injuring and sometimes killing the people who were on it. Deck collapses may be caused by decades old rotting wood and corroding fasteners. Many deck collapses, however, are newer decks, improperly constructed. Many capable contractors do not know how to build a deck properly. About 45,000 people a year are injured or killed in deck collapses. I carefully inspect the construction of each and every deck. These collapses all occurred in the Bay Area.
A deck may look good, even beautiful, but if it isn't built correctly, it is a huge safety risk. YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE GROUND WATER ISSUES I inspected a large house in Lakeport with many amenities but the grounds were wet and there was some standing water. There had been no seasonal rain yet, so it was very suspicious. Nevertheless, I had to call it out as an issue that needed to be addressed. My client backed off the purchase which disappointed the realtor. A lot of sellers view the moisture intrusion issues as only an inconvenience and do not declare the issue when they put their house up for sale. But, this is serious, invites termites, mold, compromises the foundation and worse. A few months later, the front page of the newspaper shows a home right above the property I inspected.
PROPANE DANGERS In most areas propane gas is used as natural gas is not available. The majority of propane gas users are not aware that propane has different properties than natural gas. The following may scare you and it should. Leaking natural gas vapors rapidly dissipate in the atmosphere and float away from their source. Though this is dangerous, natural gas is much safer than propane. Propane gas is heavier than air and as a result it drops to the lowest level around the appliance or source of the leak and remains there permanently unless moving air blows it away. Water heaters, furnaces, and propane gas tanks when located in an enclosed area such as an under-house crawl space or basement pose a definite danger because a propane leak will collect or pocket and will explode when the appliance ignites or in some instances even when a light switch is flipped. Checking for gas leaks on every appliance is an important part of my inspections.  Propane Leak in Water Heater Causes House Fire
PRE-LISTING INSPECTIONS If you are about to put your home on the market, a pre-listing inspection will put you ahead of the competition. It will alert you to any immediate issues discovered before potential buyers tour your home. Then, any issues or repairs can be resolved ahead of time without rushing, which will help the home show better and give you time for repair choices. This alone can save you a considerable amount of money. Without a pre-listing inspection, defects can cause unreasonable price adjustment demands from the buyer or even kill the sale and escrow may drag on instead of closing quickly and smoothly. You will have a beautiful and informative Inspection Report to show the buyers. The following is an email I received recently after a pre-listing inspection. Byron: My house sold to the first persons that looked at it. They were impressed with your detailed report and I forwarded the Email on to the Agent and told them you would be willing to discuss anything on the report that concerned them. It is an All Cash 30 day escrow - no contingencies or reports requested only the septic clearance. Should close on 5/18. I'm glad it went quickly but it still is a shock. - Martha Lukens (Kelseyville Homeowner and Realtor) I want to thank you for the thorough, detailed inspection report, which included photographs, that you prepared for the sale of my home. I am especially pleased of the fact that you took time to answer any questions asked by my daughter who represented me. We were very grateful that you could accommodate us on a Sunday since Linda had to get back to work in Santa Cruz by Monday morning. You certainly took the stress from our lives by understanding the pressure we are facing to get the house sold because of my health. - Sincerely, Sharon Leah Thorne (Clearlake Home Inspection) PRIVACY POLICY We collect no personal information or data, other than what is required for our insurance and the inspection report. Click here to view the Standards of Practice Proud Member in Good Standing
Email: housecheck@mchsi.com Affiliate Member of North Bay Area Association of Realtors Housecheck Inspection Services, P. O. Box 1833, Middletown, CA 95461 Google+
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