The Lowdown on Home Inspector Certifications
(continued from Mar 2009 newsletter)

How do you choose a home inspector? One important criterion is membership in professional organizations. There are two major associations for home inspectors: National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) and American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI).  

The inspectors at Realty Inspections are certified through both organizations. In addition, our inspectors have over 40 years combined experience.

InterNACHI is the world’s largest most elite home inspection association. A non-profit organization with members in all 50 states, InterNACHI is the international home of over 9,400 inspectors worldwide. Requirements for membership include passing InterNACHI's Online Inspector Examination, completing an Ethics Obstacle Course, and taking a Standards of Practice Quiz.  

ASHI is the oldest and most respected professional association for home inspectors in North America, with more than 5,000 members. ASHI’s Standards of Practice are specifically noted in state and federal legislation. Two tests are required for certification: the ASHI Standards and Ethics Examination tests understanding of the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics while the National Home Inspector Exam is a rigorous four hour test containing 200 multiple-choice questions on home inspections.

Wood Destroying Insects
(continued from Mar 2009 newsletter)

Commonly Found: Usually associated with moisture, particularly where wood is involved including attics, roof edges, eaves, gutters, flashing around chimneys, porch or deck roofs, railing and columns, door and window frames. This includes areas behind insulation in the basement, crawl space and the walls of the house.

Damage Caused: Typically build their nests in rotting wood by excavating chambers and tunnels in the wood. They do not eat the wood but burrow into it. One thing to look for during an inspection are tree branches that may be just above or in contact with the roof to serve as an entry way for ants. 

Evidence: Leave wood tunnels or galleries in infested wooden components, small piles of coarse sawdust or wood shavings, and small windows or slit-like cuts for disposing of frass. It is important to remember that finding carpenter ants foraging inside the home does not necessarily mean that they are nesting indoors.

Commonly Found: Live in colonies underground, from which they build tunnels in search of wood. Termites, which are also dependent on moisture to survive, are able to reach food above the ground level by building mud tubes.

Damage Caused: Eat anything made of wood and other cellulose material so most building materials are food for termites.

Evidence: Wood damaged by termites always has remains of mud tubes attached to wood tunnels in an irregular pattern. The tunnels may contain broken mud particles with fecal materials. In the case of an active colony, white termites may be found in infested wood.

Commonly Found: Dwell in areas of high moisture content in the wood, particularly in crawl spaces.
Damage Caused: Attack wood components including floor joists, studs, and other structural members.
Evidence: Leave small holes in the surface of the infested wood. From these holes, a fine, powder-like brood of larvae carry on their destructive feeding. To be certain that the infestation is active (not old damage or old frass), there should be fresh frass the color of newly sawed wood, or live larvae or adults in the wood.