A Home Inspection is a complete overview of a home from the outside in. The exterior of the home is examined first, from the foundation, siding, to the roof & gutters. The exterior of your home is what is going to keep the water, cold, heat, and critters away. From there the inspector will move inside and examine electrical appliances, outlets, look for signs of water damage, check the plumbing,
What benefits come with having a home with a bad roof? Actually, some buyers may have a chance to negotiate the price of the home. For most people, mention of roof damage is enough to turn them away—but is it worth it? If a buyer is looking for a fixer-upper, a shoddy roof can be costly to repair. But should you base your decision on this alone, or consider other
When constructing a new home, dozens of new things must be brought together in harmony. In addition to the chemicals that are usually referred to as “new house smell,” other building materials such as cabinetry, glues, finishes, carpets, and paints also emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are typically unpleasant to the new residents. What Exactly is VOC? Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gasses that are released by some solids
This 1-day course is designed by the Midwest Home Performance Association (Formerly the IL Association of Energy Raters – IAER) to introduce the skills necessary to become a Duct and Envelope Tightness (DET) Verifier. This will certify you to perform the diagnostic testing required for new homes by the 2018 IL Energy Code, which was put into effect as of July 1st, 2019. If you’ve been thinking about getting BPI
It’s time to take a deep breath and breathe easily. Un-clench your jaw, sit or stand straight, and pull your shoulders back. In these unprecedented times, we are understandably tense. Few, if any, of us have experienced anything like this pandemic before. Unable to interact with others, spending more time at home, battling a worldwide pandemic, and potentially falling ill, Americans are cleaning and disinfecting more – as they should
With chilly temperatures and high winds in the Chicagoland area, winter is when homeowners feel the discomfort of Home Performance Issues. Cold rooms, drafts by windows and doors, and high utility bills are often the biggest complaints. Not only is your home uncomfortable, but you’re spending more money to heat it, inefficiently. A Home Performance Audit utilities various tools to determine the cause of these issues, and outlines a step-by-step
Smart homes may make life easier and more convenient. Who wouldn’t love being able to control lighting, entertainment, and temperature from their couch? Whether you’re at work or on vacation, the smart home will alert you to what’s going on, and security systems can be built to provide an immense amount of help in an emergency. For example, not only would a resident be woken with notification of a fire
It’s important to hire technicians that are properly trained and under the house-as-a-whole system when considering air sealing. Air leakage is a subtle yet pervasive issue in homes, negatively affecting comfort, efficiency, and humidity. Air leakage is also the main culprit in frozen pipes, icicle & ice dams, and moisture in smoke detectors. Homes generally have a multitude of drafts around doors, windows, and at the foundation walls – but air
