Once, an inspector told my friend that the A/C needs to be replace. He called it to be repair and the fan was broke. He got it fixed and another inspector came and said it was perfectly find and smiled. He believe the first inspector was dishonest and that is a violation.
My research was done on barns. Barns are a hard thing to inspect because of all of the hazards that can be found in a barn. The best thing is try and help educate the new owner on how to make and keep the barn safe for the client and barn
Code of Ethics Essay:
Having been in the renovation business for about 10 years I have formed many friendships with people that are in need of work. Referring the companies or people that I have a relationship for a fee would be outside the InterNachi code of ethics.
The InterNACHI member shall not offer or provide any disclosed or undisclosed financial compensation directly or indirectly to any real estate agent, real estate broker, or real estate company for referrals or for inclusion on lists of preferred and/or affiliated inspectors or inspection companies.
A hypothetical violation of the code of ethics would be if I ran a mailing campaign, offering realtors coupons redeemable after I had received a certain number of referrals from them. An acceptable approach would be to send coupons discounting the first home inspection they schedule.
The article that I chose to research for this essay is “Cause of Death’s in the U.S.”. It was very enlightening to see that the EPA estimates that 21,000 people die every year due to lung cancer from radon gas. This was the 13th highest cause of death that was estimated in this article.
Code of ethics essay:
The InterNACHI member shall not communicate any information about an inspection to anyone except the client without the prior written consent of the client, except where it may affect the safety of others or violates a law or statute.
During an inspection the inspector finds issues with the brick foundation. Knowing this will be a serious issue for the buyers he calls the realtor and tells her about the problem.Hypothetical Scenario
While conducting a pre-sale inspection for your client, the seller, you are instructed by your client not to inspect the roof but reflect that the roof is in good condition in your report. Your client even offers you an extra $200.00 for your assistance in this matter. For an additional $300, he requests a rough copy of the inspection report, so that he can inspect and make “minor” changes prior to you submitting the final report.
Code of ethics
During an inspection of a crawl space floor joist, I noticed some rot near the rear door sill plate. The owner aske me to not disclose this in my report, and there would be some extra money when the house was sold. I explained that this was not ethical and I didn’t feel it was in anyone’s best interest to do this. I also explained that how would ever trust me again if I was called out on future properties of his, to conduct an inspection the he would be purchasing. He agreed and all went well.
Having the right insurance is very important to you, your family and your home inspection business. Without the right coverage you could be risking your business and your family’s future. One of the most important coverage’s that an insurance policy provides is to defend you if a lawsuit is brought against you. Many times this defense can be more costly than the claim and if you do not have insurance for this claim you would have to hire an attorney yourself. This could be very costly and easily bankrupt you and your business.
To get the right coverage can be complicated. You have to know what is covered and what is not covered by the policy. You need to check out the company’s financial strength, can they pay all their claims. Most small business owners find it is better for them to retain a local insurance agent to help them find the best coverage for their business. Insurance agents are specialist in identifying risk you may be subject to and they can shop the markets for the best coverage at the best price for you. It is important to find an insurance agent you are comfortable with, one that is interested in your success. Then you have to make sure they understand your business, don’t assume they know your business, tell them what you do, where you do it, who you do it with and even what you want to do. All these things can make a difference on the coverage you need. Your agent will know what is best for you and they will be there as your business grows.
Richard Owen
Research: Chinese Drywall
I have selected the topic of contaminated Chinese Drywall and its importation and use in the United States. The toxic coal residue known as “fly ash” is used in the manufacturing process. This toxic substance, in humid environments, can off-gas hydrogen sulfate, carbon disulfide, and carbonyl sulfide which can contaminate the air supply. This makes it particularly dangerous to the south east, were most incidents have been reported. The only remedy available is to replace the contaminated drywall, or suffer possible health effects and/or deterioration of metal building materials due to corrosion by the sulfur compound. While lab analysis can confirm and identify the presence of contaminated drywall, other clues to its contamination can include the strong smell of sulfur, exposed corroded metals, as well as through research of any visible drywall manufacturing labels.
Back flow prevention
There are two types of back flow issues. The first is back pressure. This is where the pressure against the water pressure in a hose is stronger. Allowing containments to enter the potable water system. The second is back siphonage. This is where there could be a break down stream causing water to suck back through the water systems toward the higher pressure.
The client (seller) has informed me; he knows his roof leaks when it rains hard. He requests that I do my inspection on a dry day so the leak would not show up during my inspection. As this is a violation both of law and code of ethics I would bring discredit to both myself and our organization should I be so inclined.
Transite siding is a mixture of concrete and chrysotile asbestos; most inspectors would call it concrete siding. Siding made from this material may cause respiratory problems, which may not show up until 20 to 40 years later. Since this material when broken up releases the asbestos fiber care should be taken when you are doing your inspection. Only a licensed asbestos inspector can take samples of this material and send to a lab and only if that inspector is wearing the proper PPE.
Code of Ethics Essay:
Basic Waterproofing for Basements
When waterproofing basement the first thing that is needed to do is assessed the situation. Water should not be pooling near the foundation and there should be an adequate slope 10 to 15 feet away from the building with the downspouts extending 4 to 6 feet to prevent any pooling and significant flow of water away from the building.
Once water has been diverted away from the building then repair all cracks and holes with the proper mortar. After all repairs have been done apply a waterproof sealant sealing the walls and floors. At this point you are safe to paint without any fears of water vapors getting trapped between the paint and walls.
This is a sample essay for the course. I was inspecting a home and noticed that the home was in need of paint. Being a former painter, I offer to give them a bid on repainting their house. This would be a violation.
I read about bump keys in the library. They are keys cut to pick tumbler locks. They can be very effective and hard to detect the use of. Many locks are vulnerable but Schlage and Baldwin make locks that are resistant to bumping. A completely bump proof lock is hard to come by. You can have a lock smith replace your lock pins for added resistance but it still won’t be completely bump proof. Insurance may not cover losses from theft if a bump key was used for entry. Inspectors should warn their clients to make sure their locks are secure and adding an alarm system would add to the security of the home.
Approximately 11% of a households energy budget is lighting. If incandescent light bulbs are used, approximately 90% of the energy is producing heat not light. Switching to LED or CFL light bulbs will save the homeowner money. These bulbs last longer and utilize the energy better.
I am a new Internachi member and have been hoping to join for some time now. I am writing my ethical essay for my online course.
One ethical situation I could foresee happening would be the conflict of interest when a friend asks you to inspect the house they are wanting to sell. He tells you he knows there are a few issues with the home, but needs to sell because offers are coming in.
Although this presents a moral dilemma, the right thing to do is to respectfully decline the offer, and state there can be no conflict of interest between client and inspector.
This is my code of ethics essay. This would be an example of something that may happen that would violate the code of ethics.
Let’s say I’m doing a home inspection and this home inspection is for my best friend and I notice an outlet that is not installed properly and live wires are hanging out of it. I don’t put in my report and let my friend know I can fix that for him after he buys the house.
I am posting this as a course requirement.
I am and have been a contractor for the past 10 years and have been in construction for 29 years. My scenario is if I was to perform a home inspection for a customer through a real estate agent and a crack in the foundation which is currently leaking ground water needs repaired, I would type in my report for the owner to contract a certified foundation repair company to perform the repair. I have my own business performing urethane crack injections on foundation walls and real estate agent knows this. The agent may ask me to perform the repair so the sale will go through. I would reply they must use another contractor due to a conflict of interest in my code of ethics.