When To Schedule Your Blower Door Test

Blower door testing is a newer requirement for most states. Here in Michigan is has been code since 2016. If you are reading this blog this is probably the first time you are having to schedule a blower door test. A common question I get is “When should I schedule the Blower Door Test?”

In most cases the answer is pretty simple, the closer to finished your home is the better it will perform. You at least want to have all the penetrations through the envelope sealed. This means can lights installed, attic hatch installed and gasketed, dryer hooked up, plumbing fixtures installed and water in the traps, etc. This doesn’t mean that you cant pass before these things are done, but it does make it harder. All that being said a good rule of thumb is to schedule the blower door test a few days before you plan on getting your final inspection (some local inspectors are requiring proof of a blower door test before they will schedule the final so make sure you plan ahead…)

If you are ready to schedule your test feel free to click here or call/text Ink Inspections at 616.848.9401 We can usually fit you in within a few days and offer same day results.

Danny Geurink

Certified Master Inspector

BPI Certified BA, IDL

Post Purchase Inspection

You did it… you purchased a home without an inspection. What now you may be asking yourself? Well its time to figure out what you purchased. Although waiving inspections is never recommended I know it happens. Low supply of homes and tons of buyers make for a very competitive market. A recent article I read mentions a few markets where about 30% of accepted offers waived the inspection contingency. Here in Grand Rapids it sounds like that number is higher, especially for homes under $350,000.

Even though it may seem a bit backwards since you own the home you still want to get an inspection. There are a few main reasons why an inspection is still highly recommended.

1- Education. A home inspection is a great opportunity for you to learn about houses in general and specifically about your home. During a home inspection you will learn where your water, gas and electric shutoffs are, how to operate them, as well as general maintenance tips and can ask any house related question.

2- Information. You just spent a lot of money on your house if there are big issues that you did not know about you are going to want to find them ASAP and have them taken care of. One example would be extensive mold in the attic. This is something that can go unnoticed unless someone physically climbs up into the attic.

3- Prevention. A lot of times there are small-moderate issues that if not addressed can turn into big issues down the road. A leaky toilet for example can be easily fixed in most cases with a new wax ring. If it goes unnoticed however it can cause damage to the bathroom flooring and floor structure that can become a huge headache down the road.

4. Planning. One of the benefits of an inspection is that it will make you aware of any appliances or systems that are older and may need to be replaces in the near future. Knowing you have about 5 years left on your roof gives you time to start saving up now and avoid a huge surprise down the road.

The downside of this process is that anything found during the inspection will be yours to take care of, that being said it is still best to figure out the current condition of your home, make any necessary repairs and plan for the future. I would love to have the opportunity to inspect your home, feel free to reach out for more details or to schedule online!

Click here to schedule an inspection online!

Danny Geurink, CMI

Your Local Grand Rapids Home Inspector

Gutters and Grading... The Two Usual Suspects

When you perform home inspections every day you start to see some patterns. Over the last five years of home inspections here in the Grand Rapids areas there are two issues I see on almost every home I inspect; missing gutters and neutral or negative grading. These items may not seem like a big deal but if they go unchecked long-term they can cause big issues and cost you thousands of dollars.

The state of Michigan surprisingly does not (as of 2021) require gutters on new homes, so this is not just an issue on older homes. Gutters help collect the water from the roof and direct it away from the home and its foundation. It is worth noting that just because a home has gutters that does not mean they are working correctly. Many of the home I inspect with gutters are just draining the water next to the foundation. Over time this water can find its way into the basement causing water damage and mold issues or if the soil does not allow the water to drain this water will start putting pressure on the foundation and can cause cracking bowing and serious structural issues. So make sure your home has gutters and that the downspouts are directing this water away from your home!.

The second item is Grading. Grading is the slope of the dirt around your home. When homes are built here in Michigan they are normally excavated to put in the basement and foundation. After that work is done they are backfilled. Over the first few years the area around the house will normally settle a few inches and create a negative slope back towards the foundation. The problems this can cause are similar to those that not having gutters can cause. The solution is to get some top soil with a clay content to build up the area around the home so that it slopes away.

95% of the home I inspect have one or both of these issues. Having gutters installed can usually be done for under $1000 and grading can be done over a weekend or hired out to a landscaping professional.

Although these may not seem like big issues they are important to take care of now to avoid large issues in the future!

Danny Geurink, Certified Master Inspector

Your Grand Rapids Home Inspector

What is NOT Included In a Home Inspection

I get asked very often what things are included in a home inspection. This is a good question, however I have realized that the answer is often long and usually does not provide the information the buyer is looking for. I have figured out that most buyers really want to know what is NOT included.

Most home inspectors follow a Standards Of Practice or SOP for short. The SOP is the inspectors minimum requirements for a home inspection, some states have their own required minimum standards but here in Michigan it is up to each individual inspector. Even though most inspectors follow a similar SOP a good inspector is going to go above and beyond.

What is NOT included in a home inspection will vary by inspector/inspection company. Here is a list of items I am not trained/certified to inspect.

1- Level 2 Chimney/Fireplace Inspection.

This is something that should be done every time a house is purchased. It is an in depth inspection of the homes fireplaces and chimneys. Most inspectors will do a visual inspection of easily accessible parts of the chimney/fireplace but if the home you are purchasing has one or more of fireplaces we highly recommend hiring a company that is certified to do a level 2 inspection.

2- Pools, Spas, Hot Tubs and Saunas.

These are all above the scope of a normal inspection. I highly recommend hiring a licensed/trained professional to come out and inspect these systems as well as get trained on how to properly maintain them.

3- Washer/Dryer

I recommend verifying with the sellers in writing that the washer/dryer are in working condition and the ones present will be the ones staying. Here are a few reasons I do not inspect these:

• A lot of modern washers and dryers require clothes to sense and run a cycle.

• A lot of the issues show up when washing bulky or heavy items.

• In most cases possession is 60-90 days after the inspection so often times the condition of these changes during that period. Especially when the seller is washing everything they own before moving to their new home.

• Sometimes sellers will swap out the washer and dryer when moving out (although this is not allowed it happens fairly often.)

4- Asbestos/Lead

A lot of older homes built before 1978 will have one or more areas of the home with lead and or asbestos. If I see suspicious areas I will point them out and include them in the report as “Possible Asbestos/Lead containing material”. I cannot however say with certainty whether something is or is not asbestos or lead, that requires additional training/certifications as well as very expensive testing equipment. If you want to know for certain you will have to hire someone who specializes in this to test any suspicious areas.

5-Property Lines

Inspectors do not have the licensing to mark the property borders of your home. I can guess about as well as the next guy but if you want to know your properties borders I recommend hiring a Professional Surveyor to come out and survey and stake the property.

6- The Home’s Value/Price

I get asked a lot if the selling price of the home is a good deal. I am not licensed as an appraiser so unfortunately it is not something I can provide a professional opinion on. In most cases a realtor can look at comps and give you an estimate but the actual value is determined by a licensed appraiser.

There are some services which are not included in a normal inspection but that I am licensed or trained to perform. These services do have an additional cost but can provide very important information.

1. Sewer Lateral Video Inspection

2. Termite/Wood Destroying Insect for a VA Loan

3. Home Energy Score

4. Mold Air/Swab Testing

5. PFAS Testing

6. Radon Testing

When hiring a home inspector instead make sure you ask them what is not included. That way you know what to expect and you can hire and additional professional if needed to check out any of these items.

Danny Geurink, Certified Master Inspector

Your Grand Rapids Home Inspector

Signs of A Great Home Inspector

Not all home inspectors are created equal.

The state of Michigan does not currently have any licensing regulations for home inspectors other than the following language:

Required State License(s):

Certified home inspectors are those who have completed a course or study program; and then have a certificate of proof that the course has been completed. This certificate is not issued by the state, nor recognized by the state.

This means that YOU as the buyer have to do your due diligence to figure out who you want to hire to inspect your home. So what makes a great home inspector? Here are my thoughts:

Knowledge.

A great home inspector is required to have a lot of knowledge about all the homes different systems. Not only is general knowledge about functionality required but also specific knowledge about common problems, recalled systems, proper product installation, etc.

Experience.

This goes hand and hand with knowledge. Just going through an online training does not make you a great inspector. You need hands on experience. A great home inspector is continually learning, but in the first two years there is a huge learning curve for most home inspectors. Previous construction or building experience can also be very helpful as a home inspector.

Tools.

Inspectors used to have a flashlight, screwdriver, ladder and clipboard. You can still do the bare minimum with those tools but thanks to technology a great inspector will have a large arsenal of tools at their disposal. Here are some tools that you should expect a great inspector to have:

• Moisture meter(s)

• CO2 Detector

• Thermometer

• Thermal Camera

• Continuous Radon Monitor

• Mold Testing Equipment

• Digital Reporting Software

• Drone

• Crawlspace Bot

• Outlet/GFCI Tester

Communication.

A great inspector will know how to effectively and honestly communicate their findings. Finding the issues is very important, but it is almost as crucial to be able to clearly communicate them to the client along with the possible implications and costs of these defects. A great inspector will also be able to categorize these defects or findings in an easy to read report.

When choosing who to hire to inspect your home you should make sure they have a good balance of the items above. Since there is no state licensing in Michigan it is your job as a home buyer to find the inspector that you are going to trust to inspect your home!

Danny Geurink, Certified Master Inspector

Your Grand Rapids Home Inspector

The Importance of a Sewer Lateral Video Inspection

A transition from cast iron to clay where you can see roots were recently removed, but are already starting to grow back.

A sewer lateral is the sections of pipe that go from the house out to the cities sewer line or to the septic tanks on the property. It is not a system of the home that we normally spend a lot of time thinking about. When you do have to think about it it is normally not a pleasant experience. A week after moving into my first home my wife and I had the pleasure of experiencing a sewer backup. She went to her parents while I rented a sewer auger and spent a few hours learning how to clear roots from a sewer line and even more time removing carpet, cleaning and disinfecting the basement were the backup occurred (and myself post-cleanup). In my case it was simply some roots that had made there way in and blocked everything from flowing out properly, however in some cases it is not that simple.

Sewer line repairs/replacement can cost between $50-$200 per foot, along with landscaping repairs in the areas were digging is required. In most cases it is approximately 100-115 feet from your home to the city sewer line. This is not an expense most people are excited to shell out thousands of dollars for. The average repair costs in the US are between $2000-$5000 but a full sewer line replacement is normally $10,000+ Thankfully now days the technology makes it fairly easy to do a thorough inspection of the sewer lateral. A sewer video inspection will provide a video of the full inspection along with photos of any problem areas that are found. An inspector will run a specialized camera through the sewer pipes to verify the material they are made of, the condition of the pipes, any present defects and the approximate location of any defects if any are present.

Having your sewer line inspected is normally a couple hundred dollars and can usually be done at the same time as your home inspection. I recommend a sewer video scope on every home, because even new pipes can have defects or installation issues. I HIGHLY recommend a video inspection it the sewer lateral is older than 30 years! Although a lot of the defects found are usually on cast iron or clay sewer lines there is no way to tell for sure without inspecting the system. When defects are found and repairs are needed you can negotiate with the sellers for repairs/replacement or have the issue addressed before your basement is flooded with unwanted sewer water.

Danny Geurink, Certified Master Inspector

Your Grand Rapids Home Inspector

How Long Does A Home Inspection Take?

On one hand I have hear of inspectors that are in and out in 45 minutes, I have also heard of inspections taking 5+ hours. Almost every home inspector has a slightly unique process so although the following timeline is usually true for my inspections it may not be true for another inspector.

The short answer is that I am usually at the house for approximately 3-3.5 hours for your average house. If the house is significantly bigger, older or in rough shape that time will obviously increase.

Over the last few years, I have learned that one of the keys to being a great home inspector is a process. I inspect every house in the same order. It takes me about 2-2.5 hours to go through all my checklists and to inspect all the systems in the home. I normally ask the buyers and their agent to come for the last hour of the inspection. Once the buyers arrive, I am usually getting close to wrapping up, so it gives them 15-30 minutes to walk through the home again, take some measurements, etc. Once I am wrapped up, I do a full walkthrough with the buyers and their agent. The walkthrough serves a couple important purposes. First of all it allows me to show the buyer any findings that are significant. It also allows me to educate the buyers on the homes systems. Finally, it allows me to double check my work, every once in a while I will catch something I missed on the walkthrough with the client that I did not see originally. The final walkthrough takes about 25-45 minutes.

So, although the home inspection lasts about 3.5 hours total most of my clients are only there for the last hour of the inspection.

If you have a house in mind you can plug in the address to my online scheduler and it will give you an estimated time on how long the inspection will take for your specific home, as well as pricing and additional services available.

Danny Geurink, Certified Master Inspector

Your Grand Rapids Home Inspector

Inspections In A Competitive Market

Here in West Michigan and specifically the Greater Grand Rapids area it is hard to get an accepted offer, especially if you are a first time home buyer. It is common to hear of buyers that have lost out on 10+ homes the put an offer on and most of these homes are going for over asking price. There are several tactics that realtors will recommend in a market like the one we are experiencing now. Here are some of the most common that are related to the right to inspections:

Waiving your right to inspections… this is becoming more and more common, obviously I am biased, but waiving inspections can be a very costly mistake even on newer homes. There can be huge issues that an experienced home inspector can spot and point out and explain the possible ramifications. Sellers do love this option and will often accept the bid, however you may be purchasing a money pit, but only time will tell.

Pass or fail inspections… realtors will tell the seller that inspections will be pass or fail, which basically means you are not going to ask the sellers to fix anything or pay anything. You will simply decide to continue with the purchase or walk away after the inspections are done. This is one of my personal favorites because it makes your bid more attractive to the seller, allows you to properly inspect the home and you still have the choice to walk away.

Shortening the inspection window… normally you have 10 days once the purchase agreement is signed, some realtors are recommending shortening that to 5 days and even 3 days. This does make your offer more attractive but there are definitely some down sides. First of all these are literal days (unless business days are specified) so this can be challenging to find a good inspector that has that type of availability. It also does not allow time for further investigation. Inspectors are not specialists and a lot of times further investigation is needed by a specialist (foundation specialist, HVAC contractor, electrician, etc.) This can put you in a spot where you have to make a decision without this important information.

The Normal 10 day window… so this one is not a trick it is the normal procedure so it does not give you an advantage on your offer but it does make sure that you have time to hire the inspector you want, and a few days in case you need to have a trade contractor or specialist go out to the home and quote repairs or look into possible issues.

Although it may be frustrating to keep losing out on houses, I can guarantee you it will not come close to the amount of frustration you will experience if you get stuck with a money pit of a home. If you decide to use one of these tactics to better your chances I would recommend the pass or fail inspection, even though you lose your ability to negotiate you still have the time and ability to choose your inspector, have further investigations if needed, and you can walk away without losing your Earnest Money Deposit.

Danny Geurink, Certified Master Inspector

Your Grand Rapids Home Inspector

Inspection Expectations for First Time Homebuyers

If you are reading this post you are probably somewhere along the journey of purchasing your first home (congratulations by the way!) The journey is often an emotional roller coaster and can take its toll on you. Many times by the time people get to the inspection they are ready for the journey to be over. Here are a few things you should know about home inspections that will hopefully help you as you make one of the largest financial decisions in your life!

1- There is no such thing as a home without issues. Even brand new homes often have issues. Most inspectors will break down issues into 3 or 4 categories. I personally have 3 categories.

1. Minor Issues. These are issues that are usually cosmetic or maintenance items.

2. Moderate Issues. These are issues that should probably be done in the near future.

3. Major Issues. These are items that should be taken care of ASAP or are usually expensive items to fix (roof leak, major foundation issues, etc.)

2- So far you have probably been focusing on all the positives of the home. You are dreaming about where you will put your furniture, what color to paint the walls, which walls to knock out, cooking in your new kitchen, etc. The home inspection is about the negatives so you want to make sure you mentally prepare for that.

3- It is human nature to get emotionally attached to a house and downplay or ignore the inspection report. I recommend coming up with a list of red flags before the inspection as a reminder to yourself when you go through the report.

4- 99% of issues can be fixed, with enough money. It might be a good idea to come up with a budget on how much you are willing to spend to fix the issues in the home before the inspection. This can help you make the best decision on how to proceed once you have all the information.

5- Be prepared to be at least a little overwhelmed at the inspection. There is a lot of information and you will most likely not remember it all. Once you get the inspection report make sure you go through the whole thing at least once by yourself and again with your realtor.

6- Look at the inspection as an education opportunity. Even if you decide to back out of the deal make sure you read the inspection report, I guarantee it will help you as you look at other houses in the future!

I you find these tips helpful! If you are looking to schedule your inspection feel free to click here or if you have questions/comments I would love to hear from you!

Danny Geurink, Certified Master Inspector

Your Grand Rapids Home Inspector

Inspecting Newly Constructed Homes - Wise or Waste?

Iron ochre (iron bacteria) slowly filling up the drain tile and sump pit rendering the system useless and making the basement succeptable to water problems.

I’d like to start out by stating the obvious. I am biased. As a home inspector I am going to always recommend a home inspection. That being said every time I perform a home inspection on a new home i’m reminded that they are not exempt from problems and issues.

A common reason for skipping inspections is that the home “passed code inspections.” Most code inspectors have a large territory and are often understaffed. Although they hopefully will catch the obvious code violations there are a lot of things that can get missed.

In approximately the last year I have found the following issues in newly constructed homes that passed code:

1. Presence of iron ochre in sump pump.

2. Severely damaged shingles that were installed anyways instead of discarded.

3. Range hood that was never vented to the exterior.

4. Significant structural settling of footers/foundation.

5. Gas leak at exterior meter.

6. High radon levels.

7. Damaged breakers from a previous arc flash in the electrical panel.

8. Severe condensation on the interior of the furnace.

9. Structural damage to about 1/3 of the structural joists done by a careless sub-contractor.

Interior of furnace with sever condensation. If issues is not repaired it will damage the electronics and corrode the interior of the furnace.

And the list goes on… A lot of these issues were promptly fixed by the builder avoiding headaches down the road for my clients however a few of them caused the potential buyers to back out of the deal.

If you are going to spend $300,000.00 on your brand new home it is cheap insurance (less than half of your first months mortgage!) to hire a Certified Master Inspector to come in and make sure there are no long term nightmares hidden in the closet (or sump pit) of your dream home.

Danny Geurink, Certified Master Inspector

Your Grand Rapids Home Inspector