Uncategorized Archives - Home Inspection Professionals

COVID-19: August 2020

August 18, 2020/in Uncategorized/by Spectora

As of August 18th, 2020 the State of Michigan is still under regulation by several executive orders from Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Some of those orders restrict the gathering of groups as well as encouraging physical distancing measures. At Home Inspection Professionals, we take every precaution to ensure the safety of our inspectors as well as the client, agents and home owners that we encounter daily.

We are currently working under our standard inspection schedule, but encourage you to book early as appointments are filling quickly and days in advance. You can reach us at (586) 443-5042 or (877) HIP-3200 to schedule your appointments or schedule online at HomeInspectionProfessionals.com

Our inspection team will respect the current Executive Orders and the social distancing guidelines from the CDC. Here’s what we’re doing to put health and safety first:

Frequent Hand Washing: multiple times during the inspection, especially after touching things like faucets and door handles.
Bring hand towels or paper towels for drying our hands.
If available, we’ll keep hand sanitizer nearby and use it when needed.
If available, use disinfectant wipes or the equivalent on faucets and door handles.
We will avoid touching our faces.
Inspectors will wear a mask during the inspection.
If any of our inspectors have a fever, cough, or other signs of illness, they will remove themselves from the schedule and your inspection will either be assigned to another team member or rescheduled with proper notice.
We will also ask that our clients do not touch anything in the home, and if they are showing any signs of illness, request that they not attend.

We realize that this situation is changing daily and we will continue to keep the best practices in place and follow the recommendations of the health care professionals to protect everyone involved in the inspection process.

Here at HIP we’re embracing technology that allows us to prepare our inspections onsite including all photos and adding video where necessary to the reports. Our reports are available online instantly and are fully interactive. As always, we’re here to answer your questions after you’ve reviewed your report. We’ve implemented procedures to create an inspection process that is a touch-free as possible.

At Home Inspection Professionals we’re doing our best to provide service as needed for our clients and agents as well as respect our responsibilities as a business in adhering to the Executive Orders and CDC Recommendations. If you have questions on how our inspection process has changed or would like to schedule an appointment, please feel free to call the office at (586) 443-5042 for more details.

COVID-19 Updates

March 31, 2020/in Uncategorized/by Spectora

We appreciate that many people will experience disruption to their daily lives and routines as Governments and local authorities implement measures to mitigate the spread and ultimately the effects of COVID-19. On Monday, March 30th, 2020, the State of Michigan Department of Insurance & Financial Services announced that in line with Executive Order 2020-21, Inspection Services are considered “Critical Infrastructure” and vital to the financial process. With that in mind, Home Inspection Professionals is accepting limited inspection appointments.

Our inspection team will follow the social distancing guidelines from the CDC. In addition to the previously posted modifications, effective 03/30/2020 – Home Inspection Professionals is requesting that our clients NOT attend inspections at this time. It is our intent to limit the potential exposure to our inspectors as well as the clients and agents we serve. This is a big change for us as we would normally recommend all of our clients to attend the inspection. We treat every inspection as an education for the buyer and just as our children have been moved to online or home based learning, so have our inspections.

Here at HIP we’re embracing technology that allows us to prepare our inspections onsite including all photos and adding video where necessary to the reports. Our reports are available online instantly and are fully interactive. We’re reaching out to clients via video chat services to explain defects or areas of concern that might need clarification and as always, we’re here to answer your questions after you’ve reviewed your report.

At Home Inspection Professionals we’re doing our best to provide service as needed for our clients and agents as well as respect our responsibilities as a business in adhering to the Executive Orders and CDC Recommendations. If you have questions on how our inspection process has changed or would like to schedule an appointment, please feel free to call the office at (586) 443-5042 for more details.

COVID-19 & Home Inspections

March 19, 2020/in Uncategorized/by Spectora

The last few weeks have brought us news we certainly didn’t expect and unprecedented actions with regard to public health and safety. At Home Inspection Professionals, we are committed to the safety of our clients, our staff and ultimately the homes that we inspect and all those that may live there. Here’s what we’re doing to put health and safety first:

Frequent Hand Washing: multiple times during the inspection, especially after touching things like faucets and door handles.
Bring hand towels or paper towels for drying our hands.
If available, we’ll keep hand sanitizer nearby and use it when needed.
If available, use disinfectant wipes or the equivalent on faucets and door handles.
We will not shake hands or bump fists.
We will avoid touching our faces.
If requested by the seller, our inspector will wear a mask during the inspection.
If any of our inspectors have a fever, cough, or other signs of illness, they will remove themselves from the schedule and your inspection will either be assigned to another team member or rescheduled with proper notice.
We will also ask that our clients do not touch anything in the home, and if they are showing any signs of illness, request that they not attend.
We’re also asking that attendance at the home inspection be limited to the client and the real estate agent to allow for suggested social distancing.

With schools closing and kids being left home alone, it’s also important to note that our policy is, and always has been, that we will not enter a home with minors present unless a second adult is present.

We realize that this situation is changing daily and we will continue to keep the best practices in place and follow the recommendations of the health care professionals to protect everyone involved in the inspection process.

For more information or questions regarding our procedures, please feel free to contact the office at (586) 443-5042 or (877) HIP-3200. We’re happy to help!

Does a Smart Thermostat Save Money?

December 3, 2019/in Uncategorized/by Spectora

The amount an individual household saves can vary quite a bit depending on your existing situation and thermostat habits.

How Does A Smart Thermostat Save You Money?

A smart thermostat isn’t some mystical device that changes the laws of physics in order to use less energy. The only way to spend less is to heat or cool less. It will save you money by setting temperatures higher during cooling and lower during heating. That’s it. Pretty simple, right?

thermostat_front_away — Nest Thermostat in Away mode

The smart part is deciding when to do it so you don’t notice. It’s always on watching when you leave and when you come home. It sees you when you’re sleeping, it knows when you’re awake, etc. And, the best part is it doesn’t forget and it doesn’t get lazy.

A typical home in the US can reduce heating and cooling costs as much as 10% by turning the thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours/day from the usual set point. Although this simple setting can be done with just about any thermostat, it turns out that many people don’t do it.

A recent study found that almost 50% of households that own programmable thermostats don’t set them up properly. It might be because they forget, they don’t know how, or they just don’t want to be hassled with it. Regardless of the reason, a smart thermostat never forgets, always knows how to adjust your temperature, and always cares because that is exactly its purpose and that is how it saves you money.

Are you a set it and forget thermostat operator or do you micro-manage your thermostat?

The households that will save the most money are the ones that either

have a programmable thermostat that they don’t utilize or
have a manual thermostat that tends to stay set to a single temperature 24/7.

If you are already the thermostat micro-manager, then you will probably not experience much savings with a shiny new smart thermostat. However, that doesn’t mean a smart thermostat is completely useless to you. There are other benefits that may prove it to still be a worthwhile investment.

Looking for more information? Visit thesmartcave.com for other great articles.

Carbon Monoxide

February 8, 2018/in Uncategorized/by Spectora

Use Caution: Each year, an average of 430 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning, and there are more than 20,000 visits to the emergency room with more than 4,000 hospitalizations. Carbon monoxide-related deaths are highest during colder months. These deaths are likely due to increased use of gas-powered furnaces and alternative heating, cooking, and power sources used inappropriately indoors during power outages.

Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal¬ burning devices inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any partially enclosed area. Locate unit away from doors, windows and vents that could allow carbon monoxide to come indoors. Keep these devices at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents.
The primary hazards to avoid when using alternate sources for electricity, heating or cooking are carbon monoxide poisoning, electric shock and fire.
Install carbon monoxide alarms in central locations on every level of your home and outside sleeping areas to provide early warning of accumulating carbon monoxide.
If the carbon monoxide alarm sounds, move quickly to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door.
Call for help from the fresh air location and remain there until emergency personnel arrive to assist you.

More information on this and other winter storm safety procedures can be found at https://www.ready.gov/winter-weather

Detroit Investor Support

April 14, 2017/in Uncategorized/by Spectora

We’ve all heard the stories and speculation about Detroit’s comeback. We’ve seen progress and the activities downtown. Now the residential landscape is starting to buzz. Recently, the Detroit Free Press released an article reporting on international investors who were duped by local “business people”. Unfortunately, there are some out there who are only looking to make a buck and not interested in the integrity of their businesses. At Home Inspection Professionals, we know that professionalism and integrity has to be at the heart of everything we do.
We want you to know that we offer services specifically designed to cater to the needs of foreign or even out of state investors. We know that property purchases can be tedious and we’ve created a unique system to help protect those buyers. Please contact our office today and speak with our staff about our Investment Inspections and how we can help you or your buyers.

Building Nests

March 27, 2017/in Uncategorized/by Spectora

Longer, warmer days, the sounds of birds chirping, the hint of green grass – all signs that spring has sprung. If you’re a regular on our blog, you know that Spring Maintenance includes a trip to the roof to give it a once over for any winter damage and overall condition.

Many people in our area look for the Robin as the first sign of spring. Robins usually begin building their nests during spring and your roof could be an ideal building site. Some birds will try the smallest gaps on your roof and forcibly make it bigger, tearing away at the surrounding material. Others will make themselves home under roof eaves. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – since getting rid of inhabited bird nests is illegal in some states, the safest way to avoid bird-related damage is by preventing them from building a nest in the first place.

Protect possible entry points like gutters and install vent and chimney covers where appropriate always following
safety guidelines.

Power Outages

March 9, 2017/in Uncategorized/by Spectora

Several things can disrupt the electrical services we’ve come so dependant on. Severe weather, accidents, equipment failures – these can all lead to outages that can last moments to even days or weeks.

Short-Term Power Failures
Don’t panic! Check to see if your neighbors still have electricity. If they do, the problem could be inside your home. Check your main fuses or circuit breakers to see if they have blown or tripped. Replacing a fuse or resetting a circuit breaker may restore your electricity.
If the problem is not in your home, call your electric supplier. A repairperson will be dispatched as quickly as possible. Your supplier should also be able to tell you if it will be an extended outage. Some suppliers even have apps that you can report outages or review outage maps and approximate restoration times.
Unplug appliances with electronic components, such as microwaves, televisions and computers. This will help to eliminate damage to your appliances from voltage surges when the electricity is restored. Wait a few minutes before turning on these appliances when the electricity is restored. This will reduce demand on the power supplier’s electrical system.
Long-Term Power Failures
If you use a standby generator, be sure it has been installed and wired properly. If improperly installed, a generator could cause dangerous conditions for the utility supplier’s employees working to restore the power. Your generator could be damaged when the power is restored if a double throw disconnect is not used and properly installed.
Of course, it is also important to be sure that a fresh supply of fuel to power the generator is on hand and stored properly.
To make an outage easier to cope with, keep an adequate supply of the following on hand at all times. These should be kept in a cool, dry place and all members of the family should know where to find them.

Flashlights
Battery-operated radio
Candles and matches
Extra supply of batteries for flashlights and radio
Basic first-aid supplies
A small supply of drinking water and food
Baby supplies if an infant is in the home

Check the basement periodically for flooding. You can use a portable, gasoline-powered pump to pump out a basement or crawl space when the power is interrupted to an electric sump pump. Never wade into a flooded basement unless electricity supplying sump pumps, freezers, etc. have been disconnected. The power may be restored while you are in the flooded basement and the motors on these appliances may be submerged.
Never go near downed power lines; let qualified people from the power supplier handle these situations.
Summer Power Outages
Keep freezers and refrigerators closed, to keep food fresh. Frozen food is generally safe to eat if there are still ice crystals on it. Wrap blankets around the appliances to provide extra insulation. Bottled water, canned soda and juices eliminate dependence on the refrigerator if stored in a cool place.
Air conditioners should be turned off during power outages. Do not turn them back on for several minutes after the power has been restored.
Dress comfortably and use natural ventilation to keep your home cool.
If the health of family members is a concern, find consider staying with friends, or in a community center where electricity is available.
Your electricity supplier should be notified if you use life support equipment in your home. Your home will be given priority.
Winter Power Outages
Dress warmly. Several layers of clothing provide better insulation than a single layer of heavier clothing.
Move to a single room, preferably one with few windows. Ideally, this room should be on the south side of the home for maximum heat gain in the daytime. The room should be shut off from the rest of the house and could be one with a fireplace, wood stove or other alternate heat source.
If you use an alternate heat source, be sure and follow operating instructions. For example if you use a kerosene heater, adequate ventilation is a must. All fuels should be stored outside of the home for safety reasons. Wood stoves and fireplaces should be maintained properly throughout the year to prevent problems when they are needed in an emergency.
A primary concern in winter is keeping water pipes from freezing. A small stream of water can be left on to prevent this. This is not a practical solution when water is supplied from a well. Insulating the water pipes is a more permanent method. For extended outages, ask for information on how to drain the water pipes of your home.
In most rural areas electricity is required to pump water into the home. Since water cannot be pumped during a power outage, keep an adequate supply of drinking water on hand at all times.
Consolidate your resources with neighbors. They might have heat and electricity in their homes. As in summer, people with health problems should be taken to a church, community agency or other location where their needs can be met.

For more information visit: https://www.safeelectricity.org/index.php/information-center/library-of-articles/62-storm-preparation-fallwinter/318-what-to-do-during-an-electrical-outage

Concerned about Formaldehyde?

March 5, 2015/in Uncategorized/by Spectora

Formaldehyde is a Volatile Organic Compound that occurs in nature and is widely used in building products, finishes, and furnishings because of its desirable properties and low cost. Nearly all products made with formaldehyde outgas to some extent, but only a few contribute significantly to indoor air problems. Formaldehyde is used to add permanent press qualities to clothing and drapes, as a preservative in many paints and coatings, and as the adhesive resin in some carpeting, fiberglass insulations, and pressed wood products. It is also a product of combustion found in tobacco smoke and the fumes from gas stoves and other unvented combustion.

The EPA states that Formaldehyde is unsafe if its air content exceeds 0.83 PPM (Parts Per Million).

The best way to limit exposure is to avoid the use of bare pressed wood products made with urea-formaldehyde resins. Controlling heat and humidity is also important, since hot, humid conditions significantly raise the level of formaldehyde emissions. Sensitive individuals should also launder permanent-press draperies before using and should avoid newly painted rooms for several days. New furnishings or surfaces with formaldehyde-based materials should be allowed to air out for several days to weeks in a ventilated space.

For more information from the EPA on Formaldehyde visit: http://www.epa.gov/airtoxics/hlthef/formalde.html