Jim Bushart, BPI Certified Building Analyst

I'm often asked to explain or describe the difference between a home inspector and a code inspector.

Builder's will argue that their structure has "already been inspected" and has been certified to "meet code" by the code inspector, so why would a buyer hire a home inspector? Likewise, when I am describing a defect to my client his agent (or the seller's agent) might interrupt and ask "But does it meet code?"

Most industries and professions have minimum basic standards that are recorded in code books. There are building codes, of course, as well as codes in food processing, food service, medical care provisions, legal ethics, automobile assembly....and the list goes on.

In the case of some codes, like building codes, these minimum basic standards are incorporated into the law by ordinance. This means that the particular jurisdiction has decided that anything less than the recorded minimum basic standard is "illegal" and can be associated with fines and other sanctions. Simply "meeting" these basic minimum standards, as you can see, does not necessarily represent quality or value...but merely indicates that it represents that the basic minimum requirements of the law have been met. Anything less is considered "illegal".

Using the codes for food processing as an example - while it may have been shocking to learn - most of us have come to accept that the code for food processing does allow the inspector to "pass" products being sold to the public that contain up to a certain amount of rat feces. As long as the product is at or below the code's acceptable standard for rat feces the code inspector will "pass" the product and allow it to be sold in your supermarket. Consumers of balogna and cheese are simply to take comfort that their products have "met code".

A house costs considerably more than a pound of cheese and more and more consumers are seeking the advice of a home inspector to provide them with a complete, accurate and unbiased description of the property that they intend to buy. While there may be building codes in the area that they intend to buy and the structure has been presumably inspected by code inspectors...they are looking for more than to know that the very minimum basic standards have been applied to something they intend to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to live in...and to raise their families in. Many of them are also smart enough to know that...when only the minimum basic building standard, or "meeting code" is the builder or contractor's goal and they are 98.9% successful....the builders and contractors get an "A" but the consumer gets a bad house.

Good home inspectors will be familiar with the codes that are being applied in the areas that they are inspecting, but unlike the code inspector, they are not limited by them. The good home inspector is the guy who will let his client know when there is "rat poop in their sandwich".

And there lies the difference.

The following question was asked me about two days ago by a homeowner who is about to put his home on the market. He asked how truthful he was realistically expected to be when he completed the form that asked him to disclose any known defects with his property. “Shouldn’t the buyer beware?” he asked. “Why do I have to tell someone what’s wrong with my house if the guy selling me a car doesn’t have to tell me what’s wrong with the car?” The following is my answer to that question.

Several years ago in Vermont, a man activated his driveway heater (used in northern areas to keep snow and ice from collecting on driveways) and left to do some shopping. When he came home, his girlfriend and her child were ill from noxious fumes that emanated from the garage and required emergency medical attention. He took them both to the hospital where they were treated and sent home.

He thought he had a plumbing problem and contacted a plumbing/heating specialist who, after examining the equipment, told him that the device that created heat for the driveway was emitting carbon monoxide into his garage due to a faulty flap in the exhaust.

Instead of having the item repaired, he determined that he would use the heater for short periods of time and there would be no problem. He was correct in this, in that he stayed for a couple more winters and had no further problems by running the heater for an hour or two at a time.

He later decided to put the house on the market for sale. He withheld the fact that the driveway heater was faulty and simply explained to the real estate agent that it should only be used for short intervals, which the agent passed on to prospective buyers.

A young couple with two children, daughters of four years old and six months old, bought the home. On December 9^th, two weeks before Christmas, it began to snow. The wife turned on the driveway heater and the family went to bed. A guest who stayed with them that evening was up and watching television when he became dizzy and physically ill. He cracked a window in his room and fell asleep.

When the guest woke up at noon, the following day, he found that no one else was up and he became concerned for the family. Upon his search, he found that the young couple and their four-year-old daughter were dead, and the infant was very sick. Later, at the hospital, the guest and the infant were diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning.

The former owner of the home was convicted by the State of Vermont of three counts for negligent homicide, two counts of reckless endangerment, and was sentenced to prison. This, of course, did not bring back the three young people who died. Many lives were lost and ruined from one man’s decision to conceal the truth.

Getting back to the question that was asked to me by the homeowner about to list his home – my answer was and is an emphatic “Yes”. That disclosure form is very important. This tragedy could have happened anywhere with a variety of home systems running on natural gas.

If something needs to be repaired have it done, professionally. If you can’t or feel that it is not important, pass that on and give the next owner a chance to do the same. Today, many persons preparing to list their homes for sale will have it inspected by a professional home inspector in order to have the opportunity to identify and correct deficiencies to get a better price for the home and avoid last minute hassles. Those items that are not repaired are listed on the disclosure form, comforting the seller and the prospective buyer with the fact that the seller has been honest and is not intentionally concealing something.

While I am not a statistician, I think that it is safe to say that there are a larger number of first time home buyers closing on properties now than there have been for many years...both in raw numbers and percentages, and that number will hopefully continue to grow.

People who have never caulked a window in preparation for Winter, who never ventured beyond the operation of a thermostat to understand how their building was heated, and who could always rely upon a parent or landlord to repair or replace important items of necessity or comfort...are now moving in to their very own houses. Some of these houses have sat vacant for many, many months and we all know how empty homes tend to deteriorate faster than those that are lived in.

How well did you prepare them for the reality that is about to be added to the usual "buyer's remorse" when an undisclosed plumbing issue comes to life the day before the house payment is due? Will they be calling you or blaming you when something goes wrong?

If there are any of your clients in need of a home inspection it is your first time buyer who has little understanding of the home and how it works. The time that he spends with the inspector as they go through the house together, asking questions and learning where to turn off the main water valve, how the breakers in the electrical service panel work, where the furnace filter is located, how to test the sump pump and where the water in the pit is actually coming from, and what tools to acquire for regular maintenance can be a great way to prepare to be a responsible home owner.

Having a home inspection report from which to plan regular maintenance and one that identifies areas to monitor is an added value. They can anticipate the issues that may arise from a water heater they know to be aging or a roof that has five years of life left on it.

Much more importantly is the education from an inspection that there are things that happen as a structure ages and withstands a beating from the elements. Learning from their inspector that there are things that home owners must do, must stay on top of, and must anticipate in order to keep their homes in good condition. I provide a "How To" book with each inspection report to better prepare the buyer. Some inspectors do the same or follow up with emailed newsletters or other items to keep their clients informed.

An informed buyer will be a happier home owner who is less likely to "blame the realtor" when something breaks and feel less cheated when they need to put more work or money (or both) into their brand new home. A home inspection from a professional home inspector is the tool for providing this preparation. Urge your clients to use it.

If you are like most people, you are attracted to vinyl windows for their "low maintenance" value as well as energy efficiency. There are, however, distinctions that must be made to ensure that your "low maintenance" is proper maintenance or there could be some undesirable results.

Vinyl windows are the most commonly used windows today. Although many builders are still building with wood windows, replacement windows are using more vinyl than ever. They are easier to maintain than wood windows and do not require seasonal painting or caulking. Still, there is some care that should be taken with them for there are basically two different styles: the more common vinyl window has what is known in the industry as "welded" corners while the second style has mechanically fastened corners.

The welded corners are more reliable. They are cut at the proper angle and seemingly "welded" together to make a tight bond and will not allow thermal-transfer in the corners. The vinyl windows with mechanically fastened corners (identified by the screws and hardware joining them together) will slowly separate and allow not only for thermal-transfer but will, over time, actually allow air and moisture to enter the home.

When inspecting a window which has mechanically fastened corners, be sure to check all four corners for material shrinkage and gaps and caulk, as necessary.

Another window that appears to be a vinyl window is, in fact, a wooden window that is clad or "capped" in plastic or vinyl. Plastic capped windows will, with age, take on a yellow tint.

You can expect to have problems with this type of window. First, the wood that is used under the cladding is usually not of the highest quality, since it is not designed to be seen. Add to that the fact that the wood and the cladding will expand and shrink with temperature changes at different rates. The caulking, which is very important to protect the inferior wood from rot, is always cracking or separating which allows moisture to intrude into the wood - this moisture then being trapped and held into the wood by the surrounding plastic.

When considering the purchase of a home or the maintenance of your own, pay special attention to the type of windows that are present and determine the amount of care they have received in the past to determine the amount of care they will need at the present. When you have your home inspected, be sure your report includes the type and style of window that you have in your home, and plan accordingly.

Imagine living in a part of the United States of America where people can build, wire and plumb buildings (residential and commercial) any way they wanted to. They can use the cheapest materials, the cheapest and most unskilled labor, never be inspected by any State, City or County official, and sell the building for top dollar.

Now, add to that the fact that there is no floodplain management. Next year's new construction at the top of the hill will send thousands of gallons of water toward your house in a heavy rain...and there is nothing that you can do about it.

Considering that neither your city or your county participates in the National Flood Insurance Program managed by FEMA, the options of flood insurance are few and the premiums are high...sometimes too high to be affordable.

What must it be like to own a house that was built with no inspections or enforcement of building standards in an area susceptible to flooding and where flood insurance is not readily available?

Welcome to Barry County, Missouri.

The City of Cassville is where the county seat is located and the City has recently spent several tens of thousands of dollars toward developing a plan as to how it will manage growth projected to double its present size of roughly 2,800 people. While rarely, sporadically and ineffectively enforced...the City of Cassville does have building codes on its books which is an important first step. It has a Mayor with vision and a City Council committed to growth and development of their City and it has citizens playing a variety roles in support of these plans.

But for reasons that not too many people want to discuss openly, a majority of the people of Cassville who participated in a vote elected not to have access to affordable flood insurance.

Heavy rains bring the waters of nearby Flat Creek literally to the town square and many citizens (owners and renters) continue to habitate the areas within the flood plain fighting mold and rot. Many of those who own the rental property have moved to higher ground.

A recent grant that the City had counted on for the development of the downtown area was denied. Although the hopes are high for future attempts to obtain this money, how likely will it be that the same government that is denying affordable flood insurance because of the City and County's refusal to manage its flood plain properly will turn around and hand out lump sums of hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop and rennovate structures that lie in the heart of the same flood plain?

Participation in the National Flood Insurance Program is based on an agreement between local communities (like Barry County) and the Federal Government that states if a community will adopt and enforce a floodplain management ordinance to reduce future flood risks to new construction in special flood hazard areas, the Federal Government will make flood insurance available within the community as a financial protection against flood losses.

When this issue comes up on a future ballot, be prepared to vote in favor of it...and be equally prepared to hear the lamentations of those who fear change. The truth...present flooding conditions harm citizens and their property...cannot be changed. Ordiances affecing new construction in special flood hazard areas will protect even more from the harm. In return, the availability of affordable flood insurance so that these properties can be effectively repaired and families losing property can be compensated, fairly.

Barry County residents should let their representatives know that they want an opportunity to vote on this measure.