MY WATER BILL WENT WAY UP! HOW DO I FIND A LEAK?


Your high water bill could be due to either a temporary increase in water usage or a leak. To find out if it’s a leak, first shut off all your water-using fixtures in the house.

Take the cover off your water meter box and flip open the protective cover plate on the meter dial. Normally, your metre box will be somewhere along the front property line, often near a corner. You may have to dig down a little in the dirt to find it.

#burstgeyser #burstpipe #downpipes #drainvalve #dripping #geysertray #homemaintenance #homemaintenanceinspection #leak #leakinggeyser #leakingtaps #maintenancedefects #TPRvalve #waterleak #waterpressureregulator #waterpipe

http://www.inspectorhomes.co.za/leak/

WHAT ARE THOSE POWDERY WHITE AREAS ON MY BRICK WALLS?
 



Efflorescence is one sign that is often dismissed as just being an eyesore and is given surface treatment only.  This is the presence of the white powder that forms on the face or surface of concrete, plasterwork and brickwork.
It is a cause for concern!
 

Efflorescence is a build-up of minerals and salts on the surface of the concrete, brick and plasterwork due to repeated bouts of excess water in the material.

#ComprehensiveHomeinspections #homemaintenance #inspection #maintenancedefects #maintenanceinspection #roofmaintenance

http://www.inspectorhomes.co.za/efflorescence/

Detecting Leaks Around Your Windows


Seals which are broken, pulling away, missing or which are damaged as a result of ageing or long-term weather exposure will cause windows and doors to leak. Furthermore, the sealant or window putty used to seal the glazing beads on wooden windows may crack and allow moisture into the gazed areas of your windows. In addition, when the glazing putty on your steel windows cracks or a section falls out moisture will corrode the steel window frame.

#acrylicsealer #homemaintenance #maintenance #maintenancedefects #maintenanceinspection #paintdefects #propertydefects #sealant #siliconesealant #windowsills #Windows

http://www.inspectorhomes.co.za/seal/

Walk-Through Inspections

About Walk-Through Inspections
A walkthrough is not a general home inspection.  It is a much more informal inspection than my usual property inspections. As a result, I perform a visual walkthrough of the home/building and provide you with comments summarizing my observations. Furthermore, my comments will be nothing more than a subjective summary of my initial observations during the walk-through.

A walkthrough is also very affordable.

#buyersinspection #buyerspropertyinspection #finalinspection #homeinspection #inspection #propertyInspection #walkthroughinspection

http://www.inspectorhomes.co.za/walk-through/

Has the Property Practitioners Bill missed the point?



Are consumers offered more protection?
Parliament passed the new Property Practitioners Bill on Tuesday 4th December 2018. This bill has been on the cards before 2011!

The Bill was supposed to finally provide buyers (consumers) more protection in the secondary housing market.

#buyerbeware #buyerinspection #buyershomeinspection #buyersinspection #consumerprotectionact #homebuyer #Homebuyersinspection #Homeinspector #housebuyers #houseinspections #humansettlements #inspection #inspector #propertyassessmentpractitioner #propertydefects #propertyInspection #Propertyinspector #PropertyPractitionersBill #showhouse #voetstoots

http://www.inspectorhomes.co.za/consumers/

New Homeowners Should Have a Professional Snag Inspection


Do you believe that you are protected by buying from a reputable developer or builder? Will you be able to identify all the snags without a professional snag inspection?

What buyers don't realise is that other building contractors sub-contract to the developer or builder. Both the developer and builders are under pressure to complete the units or homes within a contractual timeframe.

#1sttimehomebuyers #buyershomeinspection #buyerspropertyinspection #ComprehensiveHomeinspections #Homebuyersinspection #homeinspection #Homeinspector #homes #houses #inspection #NewhomeInspection #propertydefects #propertyInspection #snaginspection #snagging

http://www.inspectorhomes.co.za/snag/

Pollution Indoors



In our cities, the air we breathe is not clean. Coal plants and factories belch out harmful CO2, trucks and cars spew filthy exhaust fumes. Many families in our cities rely on coal and wood fires for heating and cooking. On the outskirts of the city, cows and other farm animals add methane to the mix. Sometimes just looking out your window at all the pollution may be enough to make you stay indoors.

#coal #coalstove #cockroaches #condensation #fireplace #gasheater #hairspray #homeinspection #indoors #insects #inspection #Insulation #insulationinceilings #paint #pesticides #poorventilation #Ventilation #woodstove

http://www.inspectorhomes.co.za/air/

Leafs and debris in your gutters



The first rains have arrived at last! However, you should have inspected and maintained your gutters and roof by the end of winter. But, if you haven't, you better do so now! They may be clogged with leaves, debris and dust. 



Your flow of the gutters and the downpipes may be blocked or restricted. They will overflow!



Your roof structure is or will be damaged!



Gather up your ladder, a plastic bag, your hosepipe and get busy.

#downpipes #Gutters #roofinspection #roofleak #roofmaintenance #roofpaint #roofsheeting

http://www.inspectorhomes.co.za/gutters/

Moisture Intrusion at Window Sills


 

 

During many property inspections, I keep coming across moisture problems associated with water leaking into window sills and at windows.

Moisture absorbed into brickwork and plasterwork causes them to expand slightly. When the brickwork and plasterwork dry they contract slightly. The water absorbed by the bricks and plasterwork usually causes a slight vertical crack at the edges of the internal window sills.

#cracks #damp #fixingcracks #Latentdefects #Leaks #penetratingdamp #risingdamp #windowsills #Windows

http://www.inspectorhomes.co.za/window-sills/