Marietta Inspection Services knows how important the decision to buy a home can be. In addition, once you are in your home, maintenece and upkeep become a crutial part of home ownership. If your house is more than 10 years old, or if you want to take advantage of the available tax incentives consider a Home Energy Assessment/Inspection. Maybe you are concerned with Radon or Carbon Monoxide. As part of our service offering, we have many different types of inspections to meet your needs and situation. Below is a listing of the standard types of inspections we offer and a description of each service.
If you have any questions or need more information please complete the information request form on our Contact Us page or call
404-518-5525.
Know What You Are Buying
**Pre Purchase Inspection**
Designed for the client considering a home purchase
A home purchase is typically the most expensive purchase in your life. Don’t buy your dream home without an inspection.
We perform a thorough review of the home's structure, systems and components identified under Standard Services
A descriptive report with digital photos provided on site in most cases and reviewed with you
Allow us to check the home you are considering before you close so you can make an informed and intelligent decision
Builder's One Year Warranty
**Warranty Inspection**
Designed for the client who recently purchased a new house
Most builders offer a 1 year warranty on the homes they sell
Every home has some defects and many are covered in the builder's 1 year warranty
Have one clear concise report identifying construction deficiencies to file with your claim
Have Confidence in Selling
**Listing Inspection**
Designed for the client selling his or her home
Find potential or deal-breaking problems that can hinder a sale
Provide you and potential buyers with peace of mind
Offers the ultimate gesture of full disclosure and helps sell the home
Concerned About Rising Energy Costs?
**Residential Energy Assessment**
Designed for the client who owns an older home and is concerned with the home's energy efficiency
We peform a thorough examination and quantitative analysis of the house to identify opportunities for improving the energy efficiency
Make your home more valuable, improve your health and reduce your carbon footprint
What to Maintain and How
**Maintenance Inspection**
Designed for the home owner in need of some advice on keeping up their home
We perform a detailed walk through, identify problem areas and help you prioritize routine maintenance and repairs
Provides you with the knowledge and understanding of the systems in your house to get the most out of them
Helps maintain and improve your home's value
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Standard Services
Marietta Inspection Services offers the following services as part of our standard home inspection
- A professional home inspection performed with honesty and integrity
- Convieneint scheduling
- Detailed report covering all of, but not limited to the following:
General Condition and Grounds Foundation and Structure
Crawlspace and/or Basement Exterior and Roof
Decks and Porch Doors (interior/exterior) and Windows
Kitchen and Appliances Electrical and Plumbing
Heating and Cooling (HVAC) Bathrooms
Interior Rooms Fireplaces, Chimneys and Flues
Garage and Attic Walkways
- Satisfaction guaranteed
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Residential Energy Assessments
Marietta Inspection Services also offers energy assessments and inspections for a nominal fee. We perform a quantitative analysis to facilitate improving the energy efficiency of your home resulting in increased comfort, lower energy bills and added value. Our report identifies the existing condition of the home, analyzes which improvements are most cost effective and provides guidance for implementation. Since energy bills are usually the second largest cost of home ownership, and the only major cost that can be reduced, assistance in reducing this cost is a major benefit to you as the homeowner. An additional benefit is that improved energy efficiency results in an improved environment now and in the future.
Radon Sampling/Testing
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of radium and uranium in soil, rock and water. Air pressure inside your home is usually lower than pressure in the soil around your home's foundation. Because of this pressure difference, your house acts like a vacuum, drawing soil gases, including radon through foundation cracks and other openings. You can't see, smell or taste Radon and any home can have a Radon problem. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Surgeon General recommend radon testing on all homes.
US Surgeon General Health Advisory:
"Indoor Radon gas is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and breathing it over prolonged periods can present a significant health risk to families all over the country. It's important to know that this threat is completely preventable. Radon can be detected with a simple test and fixed through well-established venting techniques." -January 2005
Marietta Inspection Services will leave a continuous monitor or charcoal canister system in the house for at least 48 hours and in some cases longer to monitor radon levels. Once collected, these samples are sent to an independent lab for analysis. The results of the analysis are provided to us in just a few days then shared with the client. If the results are unusually high we will recommend that the client have a more in depth analysis performed and a mitigation plan developed by a certified contractor.
The EPA has set an "action" level of 4pCi/L (picoliters of Radon to one unit of air). Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties are in Zone 1, areas with a high risk factor for Radon according to the EPA. To see the EPA map of Georgia Radon zones, click the link below.
EPA Map of Georgia Radon Zones
More on the Dangers of Radon
For more information on Radon Testing or any of our other services please complete the information form on the Contact Us page or call 404-518-5525. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Lead Paint and Soil Sampling/Testing
Lead was a component of paint prior to 1978 when it was banned by the Consumer Products Safety Commission for use in residences, furniture and children's toys. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 83% of private housing and 86% of public housing built prior to 1980 contain lead based paint.
Lead is highly toxic and exposure to lead and lead dust can be dangerous, especially for children 6 years old and younger. Children are especially vulnerable because of their rapidly developing bodies and their tendency to put things in their mouth. Even low lead exposure can permanently affect children and cause:
Nervous system and kidney damage
Learning disabilities
Poor muscle coordination
Hearing damage
Decreased muscle and bone growth
Speech, language and behavior problems
Lead can also be dangerous in adults causing:
Pregnancy problems
High blood pressure
Digestive problems
Nerve disorders
Muscle and joint pain
Memory and concentration problems
Lead mitigation is a very involved and costly process. In order to help determine if such an undertaking should be considered, Marietta Inspection Services offers lead paint and soil testing.
While Marietta Inspection Services is not a Georgia Certified Lead Inspector/Risk Assessor, we do use testing methods with a proven level of accuracy for lead detection in paint on or in the house and soil surrounding the house. These methods, while not 100% accurate, are designed to reliably detect the presence of lead in paint to a content as low as .5% to 1%.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. Appliances fueled with natural gas, liquefied petroleum (LP gas), oil, kerosene, coal or wood may produce CO.
Every year, many people in the United States die from CO produced by fuel-burning appliances (furnaces, ranges, water heaters and room heaters). Others die from CO produced by burning charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent. Still others die from CO produced by cars left running in attached garages. Several thousand people go to hospital emergency rooms for treatment for CO poisoning.
Symptoms of CO poisoning include:
Headache
Fatigue
Shortness of Breath
Nausea
Dizziness
Marietta Inspection Services can test your home and appliances to determine if a problem exists at the time of the inspection. If you have many fuel burning appliances in your home you may want to consider purchasing a continuous CO tester on your own to monitor these levels.