Quantum Home Inspection

Description of Work: Home inspection as part of house purchase.

Description of Work: Home inspection for owner prior to prep for sale

Description of Work: Prepurchase home inspection on a 1938 structure

Description of Work: Matthew inspected a property for me in Northern Idaho

Description of Work: My wife and I are in the process of purchasing a 1925 Craftsman Home that is absolutely stunning, Still being nearly 90 years old, the house had some issues to be addressed and I wanted to avoid experiences we have had with Home Inspectors in the past. We contracted with QUANTUM INSPECTIONS of Otis Orchards, WA for three reasons: 1. The owner, Mathew Pedersen, is a certified inspector through ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) a body who is endeavoring to train Home Inspectors who have expertise in evaluating buildings, their support structures and the systems that function within them, and conditions that can cause premature failure. From my own experience, too many inspectors feel beholden to the Realtor who recommended them (which was why I specifically did my own research on available Home Inspectors in the area) The second reason I chose QUANTUM Inspections was that ANGIES LIST gave the firm an A+ rating, and thirdly the Better Business Bureau reported that QUANTUM Has joined the BBB and agreed to follow the principles of the organization. Lastly, BBB also had rated QUANTUM Inspections as A+. Matthew, the company owner, arrived 1/2 hour early and was pleasant, polite and ready to roll. I had contracted with him to do his standard home inspection. To this I had the option to add an inspection of a detached garage for structural issues and evidence of wood destroying organisms as well as providing a short report on the general condition of the garage. I also contracted with Matthew to report on wood destroying organisms or other pests affecting the main house. Lastly I the earth had contracted with Matthew to perform a RADON Test in the basement of the home. Radon is a toxic gas that outgases from the earth at various rates. I have attached a copy of the EPA RADON prevalence map for the US. The current EPA Guideline for homes is 4.0 pCi/L. At the guideline level, EPA recommends mitigation methods to reduce the levels of RADON in your home. These systems can be very effective, eliminating up to 99% of the RADON entering your home. It is your choice whether to act or not. We are choosing to mitigate as RADON at the guideline limit is a siginificant cause of Lung Cancer. In the United States RADON is the second most prevalent cause for Lung Cancer. Exposure to RADON has even more dire consequences for Smokers or those with Lung Disease or Asthma. The Inspection Process: Matthew began outside the house pointing out issues such as peeling paint, land sloping toward the house, condition of Windows. Condition of Siding, Vines (IVY) attached to the walls and chimney of the house, overhanging tree branches, condition of stairs, porches and railing. The inspection the moved to the roof. Matthew put up his ladder and spent a good half hour inspecting the roof, including whether the existing roof had been installed upon an earlier roof. (It had not, the previous roof had been removed and plywood sheathing had been installed as well as flashing at all vertical walls, and around each of the chimneys. He inspected the Chimneys from above and from below where access was available. It is important note that if an area normally inspected is closed to the inspector, the area will not be inspected. The inspection then moved to the attic where the inspector noted some live knob and tube wiring, found no vermiculite insulation and noted the celluloid insulation was not sufficient to do a serious job of insulating the attic. He inspected the rafters and sheathing and found it in very serviceable condition. He also noted that there was not evidence of rain entering the attic or "critters". He then started on the top floor going room by room. checking each electrical outlet for ground and proper polarity. He noted the outlets which were "dead" He check each windows for operation (opening and closing). Next he checked each door for ease of opening and closing, This process was repeated for each room in the house. In bathrooms, he looked for signs of mold, the state of the exposed plumbing, verifying that strong water pressure was available at all faucets and at the toilet. He also inspected any wall heaters that were present. He checked to see that every bulb in the house was operational. He examined the stairs for safety. In the kitchen, he inspected the cabinets, looked for water leaks and surveyed for GFCI's in the kitchen, baths, basement and any exterior outlets. He identified outlets which were nonfunctional or not grounded. He verified that each burner of a verrry old stove worked and that the oven worked. He noted that while the 30Amp circuit to the dryer had been upgraded to included a ground wire, the 30Amp stove plug had not been upgraded to include a ground wire. He checked the refrigerator for operability. He verified that all doors and drawers worked smoothly. He noted that the tile on the kitchen and bath floors most probably contained asbestos as did the mastic that held it to floor. He inspected the fireplace and noted repairs that would be needed to make the fireplace safe before it should be used. He then moved to the basement and started the room by room process again. He checked for Indications of water seepage, inspected the wiring, examined the galvanized plumbing noting several places where the galvanized plumbing was showing signs of rusting through at the joints and several other instances where copper was connected directly to the galvanized plumbing, creating the opportunity for galvanic action to accelerate plumbing deterioration and failure where those joints were present. He inspected the ductwork, identifying flaws (one door could not be opened completely due to the way the ductwork had been installed. He also noted that the ductwork joints were not sealed despite the HVAC system being less than a year old. He noted flaws in the foundation mentioned that a Central Vacuum System that was originally installed when the home was built (non-operational) most likely contained lubricating oil which contained PCB's another carcinogen. I was able to ask questions throughout the inspection, and at the end, he asked if there were any further questions, and gave us a verbal summary of his findings. His written report included the RADON assessment came within two days and was over 31 pages of very detailed information about every area of the home, the plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems. In addition he provided a very complete Homeowners Manual for the care your new home.

Description of Work: Matthew did a very thorough inspection of all aspects of the home we are purchasing. It took approximately 3 hours to complete, and he explained everything in layman's terms, and was easy to understand. Even though $400 appears to be a high price to pay, the time involved and thoroughness of his inspection was were definitely worth it. We learned a lot about the house, and feel confident in purchasing it.

Description of Work: Inspect a foreclosure property we are in the process of purchasing.

Description of Work: We hired Matthew Pedersen to perform a pre-purchase home inspection on a 3300 square foot home built in 1993, with no detached buildings. The home is 1 story with a daylight/walk out basement, 4 beds 3 baths. As first time home buyers we could not have found a better person to do the job!

Description of Work: Matthew was a wonderful resource. In addition to pointing out problem areas, he gave me valuable information about the positive aspects of the home.

Description of Work: BrickKicker Inspection Services provided the most punctual, thorough, pleasant home inspection service we have ever used! We recommend this company highly. Kathy

Description of Work: My wife and I selected Matthew Pederson of Brickkicker Home Inspection because of his high rating on Angie's list. We were not disappointed. I called him and we set up an appointment to meet for a home inspection at the house on which we had made a purchase offer and the sale was pending. Matthew arrived promptly on the agreed-upon time and date. My wife and I explained that we also wanted a radon test. Matthew went through the house and garage and looked at the heating, electrical, and plumbing systems. He looked at the attic and basement, roof, and deck. He looked at the brick siding and chimney. I accompanied him and asked a lot of questions. He was extremely patient and answered all of my questions and those of my wife fully and completely. He was extremely knowledgeable on all the code requirements and made very helpful suggestions how I could address the problems that he identified (he identified two built-in electric space heaters that had been recalled and posed a potential fire risk if they were not replaced). He E-mailed his full report the next morning. It was extremely complete, detailed, and very clear.

Description of Work: The BrickKicker inspected a house we are considering buying for a rental. He looked at the entire house, to find possible areas of concern that would need to be adressed before buying or renting. He supplied a 3 ring binder for the report that he emailed to me.