Going Beyond a Basic Home Inspection – WETT, Mold and Air Inspections

Anybody who’s planning to buy — or even sell — a home, knows the value of hiring a good home inspection service. A home inspection will alert you to problems, both large and small, that could affect the value of the home you’re about to buy, or sell.

But possibly the most valuable benefit of a thorough home inspection is the peace of mind you get in knowing that your new home is going to be a safe and healthy structure to shelter you and the people you love for years to come.

Beyond the Basics

A home inspection is your first, most basic step to checking out the condition of your new home, and as valuable as the information you’ll get about the home will be in your decision-making process, it can only take you so far. That’s why it’s important to consider having some specialty inspections done as well, so that you’ll know everything there is to know, and there won’t be any surprises waiting for you further down the road.

Here are a few that you should consider …

WETT Inspection

WETT is an acronym for Wood Energy Technology Training, and home inspectors who offer this service must be trained and certified by Wood Energy Technology Transfer, Inc., a non-profit association which promotes the safe and effective use of wood-burning and biomass-burning systems throughout Canada.

A WETT inspection is performed by a WETT certified technician and will tell you whether the wood-burning appliance in question is installed correctly and is in compliance with building and fire code requirements. Many insurance companies require that any home with a wood-burning system pass a WETT inspection before they’ll insure the home.

Having a WETT inspection allows a seller to assure a potential buyer that the wood-burning stove, fireplace, etc., is certified and safe, but if the seller hasn’t done this already, you as the buyer should do it before finalizing the sale, for your own peace of mind.

If problems are found, it puts you in a good negotiating position to either have the seller make repairs, or lower the selling price in accordance with the costs involved in making those repairs.

Mold Inspection

Homes with mold problems make people sick — sometimes very sick. Sometimes it emits an odor, but that’s not always the case. It can be lurking between walls, under floorboards, inside a ceiling, in the basement or in the attic. Some molds — the worst kinds — contain mycotoxins, which can cause rashes, seizures, unusual bleeding, respiratory problems, and severe fatigue in some people. Other types of mold are less dangerous, but still undesirable.

Mold likes moist conditions, and these can exist where pipes have leaked or burst in the past, and even in brand-new homes that are so tightly sealed that they can trap moisture.

Having your about-to-be new home — or even a home you’re already living in — inspected for mold can either put your mind at ease or allow you to take action. For example, you can get a quote for mold removal and deduct the cost from the home’s purchase price, even if you’ve already signed a purchase agreement. That’s especially true if the current homeowner failed to disclose the problem.

Air Samples

Indoor air quality is an important part of a truly healthy home, and having a home’s air quality tested is just another way to dig a little deeper into the home you’re about to buy to ensure that it’s going to provide a safe and healthy environment for you and your family.

Harmful chemicals or indoor pollution can aggravate allergies, worsen conditions like asthma and respiratory illnesses, and even cause headaches and worse. It’s like any other unseen problem. Once you know it exists (via air samples that are lab tested), you can take steps to correct or eliminate it.

Sewer Testing

The last thing you need to deal with after moving into a new home is a sewer problem! A sewer cam scope can detect clogs and damage within pipes, and sewer auguring can break up tree roots or whatever else might be causing the clog.

Ozone Shock Treatment

While it sounds a little “sci-fi”, ozone shock treatment is an effective way to rid a home of odors, germs and mold. Once the house is thoroughly cleaned, you and your family will have to leave while the treatment — administered by a high-powered ozone generator — is being administered, a process that can take 24-48 hours to complete.

For ozone shock treatment to be effective, you’ll need to have a professional perform the procedure with a professional-grade ozone generator that will quickly raise and sustain high levels of ozone within the home for a period of time. The over-hyped ozone generators you see on the internet will not be able to get the job done.

Whether you’re about to buy a new home, or you have concerns about the home you’re already in, contact us at FXC Inspections in Red Deer, Sylvan Lake, Calgary or Edmonton, Alberta, for a professional home inspection or any of the inspections outlined above.