| A home inspector looks at the structure and many | | | | water heater, the fireplace and the furnace are other |
| systems and components in the home. While this | | | | systems that need to be carefully evaluated by the |
| information is all helpful to the buyer, the fact | | | | inspector. An incorrectly plumbed water heater might |
| remains that a few key locations at the home tend | | | | explode. Furnaces and fireplaces, that are not |
| to be those areas where the most dangerous safety | | | | maintained professionally, can be fire hazards or |
| issues are found. | | | | disperse carbon monoxide into the home. |
| If a home inspector adheres to any of the published | | | | The components and systems described above tend |
| national standards, the home inspection will include | | | | to be among the most critical as far as household |
| many locations and systems: structure, roof, crawl | | | | safety. That does not, however, mean that other |
| space or basement areas, plumbing, heating, electrical, | | | | areas of the home should be ignored. Historically, |
| fireplaces, etc. Even though the inspector looks at all | | | | some of the most expensive repairs - often with |
| of these components, there are certain locations or | | | | dollar amounts going well beyond the cost of |
| systems that are, in fact, more critical than others in | | | | repairing those systems listed above - involve |
| trying to identify the possible safety concerns. | | | | re-roofing, replacing old plumbing, or resolving serious |
| Faulty, ancient or overloaded wiring often causes | | | | structural problems in the crawl space, such as |
| house fires. An inspector should look for evidence of | | | | repairing damage from termites, carpenter ants or |
| this condition. Another significant danger at the home | | | | rot. A quality home inspection should pay for itself. In |
| involves decks. With high decks, and to a lesser | | | | the long run the inspection report, prepared by a |
| degree low decks, a person falling through rotted | | | | trained professional, will provide you with not only an |
| decking can receive a life threatening injury. There | | | | overview of the work that needs to be addressed |
| are a number of other common deck safety issues: | | | | right away but also a glimpse into the future and the |
| missing lag bolts at high decks, poor or missing | | | | projects that will be required or are recommended at |
| guardrails or handrails and unsafe steps. The hot | | | | a later date. |