Many inspectors have construction background. They could easily repair most of the small items found deficient in a home inspection. However, repairing them for compensation is a violation of the code of ethics as it can be seen as a conflict of interest.
Hypotheticals ok so someone I know in real estate asked me to write a report that was bogus .So I did and then Internachi banned me ,lessened learned.
I was recently asked to perform an inspection on a manufactured home. I used the information here Tie Downs to get me started. This was just the first step, there is much more research that needed to be done to perform the inspection, however.
I came, I inspected, and I will be a CMI.
Hypothetical: I am performing an inspection for a client and the agent asks me to leave out a crucial part of the home out of the report. I tell her I have a code of ethics to follow and that I will be letting my client know everything I find about the home. My duty is to the client.
Hi everyone,
I am providing a hypothetical case of a conflict of Interest for my "InterNACHI Code of Ethics course".
Offering a $ 50.00 finders fee to any Realtor for providing any lead that yields a paid inspection, and promising a favorable evaluation as a result.As I researched the gallery on InterNACHI, I came across IR Cameras. I learned that IR means Infra-red. Also called Thermal imaging, IR cameras can detect heat in image form. Do you think it would be possible to map a whole building in Infrared?
Hi everyone,
I am posting a short Research article about Asbestos for my "Home Inspector Code of Ethics Course. This is what I have learned.
Traditionally, Asbestos was utilized as a Fiber/filament to strengthen and add Fire Resistance to many Industrial and Common Household building products, such as Insulation's of all types, Floortiles, Cement sheetgoods, Soundproofing, Roofing tiles and many other materials.
This use was curtailed in the early 1970's after it was discovered that exposure to repeated high levels as a inhaled particle was found to be a direct cause of Lung Cancer and a condition called, "Mesothelioma". Symptoms rarely appear until 20 to 30 years after exposure.Hello, I am posting a response to the Code of Ethics course.
While providing a Home Inspection a realtor asked if the house issues I was finding can be overlooked. It is not in the best interest of my client to entertain such a request, and therefore cannot comply with the realtor. This would be a violation of my duties to the client and is dishonest.
Hello Everyone, I am posting a response to the Code of Ethics Course.
A few years ago I was buying a house and I was present for the home inspection. The inspector found a problem with the flashing. He explained to me how it was an easy fix, at that point I asked him if he could come back and repair it for me. He was very professional and explained that it would be a conflict of interest. I now know from taking this course that it also was a violation of the Ethics Code.
In my area home inspectors are often picked by real estate agents by who kills or gives them the deal. Many home inspectors who gain jobs often get them due to side deals with agents. Is this not a violation of the ethics?
Hello again!
I just read your article on pet Allergens. I did not know till today that neutered cats especially males have lower allergens. I also found the advice on checking a home for previous pets helpful, as it explained that black light can be help find urine spots.
After reading the article on buying foreclosures, I have learned as a home inspector some signs also to look for when doing an inspection. One of the key notes is that one should always know how long the house has been vacant. This can lead to many untold situations.
I met the realtor at a property located in an area recently hit hard by a hail storm. After the inspection I was going to write about a damaged roof. It was in need of replacement due to the hail damage. The realtor pulled me over to the side of the house and asked me to leave the information about the roof off the report so the house could be sold quickly. The realtor stained there would me an additional $ 200 for me if I would do that. I stated I could not lie and I was sorry.
A friend of mine is going build a custom home. He asked me how I would build a home to be energy efficient and classy. I told him I would build a home out of CFS forms filled with 6 or 8 inch fill concrete, on a slab on garage foundation with radiant heat. I explained that the envelope of the home would be air tight and with the roof vein sprain with therofaine, waterproofing and giving an R 50 value because of th thickness he would save volumes on heating and cooling. I would then use double pained argon filled wood/metal clad energy efficient Windows and andinsulated exterior and storm doors to complete the cocoon. All my appliances would be Energy star and my lichen Woolf be designed with the refrigerator away from Windows and other heat conducting appliances.
All of my toilets would be low flow as my shower heads oils be. I then told him that all of my hot water and heat would be generated fro an outside “wood burning furnace”. He said wow, you have been thinking about this for awhile. I agreed and he said "well design and build that house for me!
Upon completion of his home inspection, Joe took his report to Jenny, the real estate agent, who happened to notice that he found mold in the living room. Knowing that the client had an asthmatic child, jenny began to panic because she knew this could be a potential deal breaker with her client. So Jenny asked Joe if he could delete the comment from the report and by doing so she would provide him with more customers down the road. Joe knew if he did this he would not only be lying about his results, but that this would be in violation of the InterNACHI standards of practice which place the client as the number one customer. He then told Jenny he could not do that and reminded her that all issues can be fixed with help from a professional and that this may not be as bad as originally believed.
The library article I chose was on ghosting which is a discoloration of walls and or flooring that changes the appearance of a surface. I chose this article because as I was scrolling through, I happened to notice the word and it peaked my interest. This phenomenon is caused by particles attaching themselves to a surface due to air movement. Typically this is caused around a register and can also be found underneath the pathway of doors. These particles can be attached due to chemical composition (them being sticky) or due to their electrical make-up (whether their positively or negatively charged). You can help reduce the effects of ghosting by properly ventilating an area in a house.
Hello, I am posting this as part of my Code Of Ethics Course for review.
During the middle 1960’s to the early 1970’s aluminum wiring was in use in many homes. The wiring was in use because of the high cost of copper and was a substitute for other costly materials during this period. Unfortunately over time the inherent poor qualities of the aluminum wire were discovered.
Electrical connection termination points that are poorly connected caused this material to overheat and potentially cause a fire hazard conditions. Single stand electric wiring found in some of these homes can void an insurance policy. The Consumer Product Safety Commission found after studies of these conditions that it was 55 time more likely homes with aluminum wiring would have fire hazard safety conditions more so than those with copper wiring.
Inspectors should advise clients to speak to their Insurance Agents about these conditions.
In comparison to copper wiring aluminum has the following negative property attributes.
• Higher electrical resistance
• Less ductile
• Galvanic Corrosion
• Oxidation
• More Malleability
• Greater thermal expansion and contraction
• Excessive vibration
When an Inspector is looking for Aluminum wiring there are some items to look for that will indicate the use of this material.
• They are the color of aluminum
• Wiring may be marked CO/ALR (copper aluminum revised)
• AL markings on outer material of the wiring
• Date of the house construction between middle 1960’s to the early 1970’s
A Home Inspection is not an Electrician and should advise their client that this needs to be looked at by a qualified electrical contractor. They may advise them that certain repairs can be made to the aluminum wiring to make it safer or take the expensive route of rewiring the home with copper wire.
Methods used to correct aluminum wiring are
• Rewire home with Copper wire
• Copalum crimps at all switch and receptacles
Other methods that are secondary attempts at an alternate repair unlike the corrective action include
• Anti-Oxidant pant for stranded wires that cannot be crimped
• Pigtailing with short copper wire for certain applications
• CO/ALR connections can be used in certain applications, but not for use with ceiling fixture installations.
• Alumiconn
• Review and replace the fixtures and get items that are more compatible with aluminum wiring
• Any material near these aluminum outlets and other fixtures should be removed.
I am posting my response to “Code of Ethics” course.
During the inspection I had noticed a crack in the foundation which could be a sign of settlement as well as moisture intrusion and promotes a costly repair to the purchaser. The realtor had noticed my observation and asked me if there was any way the problem could perhaps be unseen as it would cause delay in the selling process. This would be a violation of my services to the client and internachi standards.
Research exercise. (Breaker, IR camera image)
For my research i examined a photo that shows a digital infrared image of a breaker, in the image it shows the breaker and wires as red in color indicating that the breaker’s load is overloaded, making for a potential fire as well as safety hazard.