Photo of Frank and Brian Delle Donne | Father And Son Home Inspector Team Brick, NJ | Taken August 5 at the conclusion of an inspection in Belmar, NJ.

Working Hard For Our Clients | Home Inspector Monmouth County NJ

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Selecting the right inspector for your needs.

There are probably near 1000 licensed and active home inspectors in New Jersey. I started Regal Home Inspections, LLC in late 2013 after 33+ years in the telecommunications industry. While in the telecom industry I learned the vital importance of the customer. In that industry a client was usually a repeat customer so it’s not like a car salesman that sees someone once or perhaps once every 3 or 4 years.

While the home inspection business requires a sales effort, it’s usually not a repeat sale.  The vast majority of times we do an inspection once for a buyer, they move in then usually that’s the last we hear of them.  I’ve never counted but there are some repeat customers. Maybe the first house didn’t work out and they keep looking. Sometimes it’s the inspection report that scares someone away but sometimes it’s financial such as the house not appraising as high as it was priced for. We’ve done inspections for people and then a few years later when they move again, into a bigger home or nicer neighborhood and call us again. And frequently, while not a repeat customer, we get referrals from past customers for children, family members or friends. One of the things that I’m proud of is that I’ve received calls from attorneys and their statement is usually along these lines; “You did an inspection for my client, and I liked the report and the thorough job you did. My child (Or friend or they) are buying a house and can you do that inspection?”

Closing attorneys see lots of inspection reports and having them ask me to do an inspection for them or an acquaintance is special.

I received an email on March 28, 2022. This is a quote from that email. “You did the home inspection for the buyer of my home located at ### Hayes Court and although I wanted to choke you at the time, I thought it was a very good inspection and was wondering what the cost is as I need one done for a home I’m purchasing in…”

I’m proud of that statement. We mean no harm or inconvenience to the seller but we’re there for the buyer, following of course, the Standards of Practice set forth in the NJ Home Inspection Administrative Code. I’d like to apologize for the grief we caused when he was playing the role of the seller (Back in February).  He did hire us and I think he was happy with the thorough inspection we did for him, this time, as the buyer and client.

Big or small we’d appreciate an opportunity to conduct your inspection. When considering inspectors please ask for a copy or sample report. We are proud of the work product of the inspection, our report.  Since my 1st inspection on October 4, 2013, my son and business partner and/or I have conducted over 3000 inspections. We’d appreciate an opportunity to provide you with a quote for an inspection and, conduct your home inspection.

Other Services | Certified Home Inspector Monmouth County NJ

home inspector monmouth county njRegal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

Frank Delle Donne Certified Home Inspector Monmouth County NJ

Seller’s Inspection – 2022 – Radon Test Included at no additional cost!

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Sellers Home Inspection Inspection Opportunity

 

home inspector monmouth county njHave your house ready to sell in 2022! Boy-oh-boy!  What a difference a couple of years make in the Real Estate industry.  In 2020 and 2021, a homeowner could put a for sale sign in the yard and have multiple offers after the 1st weekend and probably sell for higher than asking price. In 2022, with a slowing economy (LGB), interest rates going up slightly (But still historically low) and a pandemic that doesn’t want to go away, this year it may be more difficult to sell and therefore, sellers may have to work a little harder to sell their home.  Have you considered a “Seller’s Home Inspection”?

 

In my experience as a home inspector (With 3000 inspections completed) there’s nothing that can spoil a seller’s plan than an inspection that the buyers pay for (After Attorney review) that identifies issues that often times can be deal breakers.  So you’ve spent a few weeks or a couple of months with your house on the market. You’ve had open houses. Endured 6 or more families re-visiting once or twice and you’ve considered an offer or two or three, accepted one offer and completed Attorney review. Now it’s time for the buyer’s inspector to come in and do an inspection. An issue, two or three arise from the inspection and all of a sudden that, “Done deal” is now in jeopardy!  Why?  Maybe there are issues that you’ve never noticed or ignored. Termite damage, a structural crack in the foundation, electrical issues, a worn, damaged or old roof, asbestos siding or Heaven forbid a microbial growth that may be mold or, which is all too common in NJ, radon.

Be aware:

  • Homes built prior to approximately 1975 may have asbestos siding, floor tiles or insulation on pipes or heating ducts. The older the home the higher the potential that one or more of these exist.
  • Homes built between approximately 1967 and 1974 may have aluminum, solid strand, branch circuit wiring. The home that my wife and I bought in 1991 was built in 1972.  It had aluminum wiring. I spent the better part of 8 months to a year re-wiring the entire house. Every foot of working, aluminum, solid strand, branch circuit wiring was removed and replaced with copper wire.
  • If you live in Monmouth or Middlesex Counties or north of I-287/I-78 you may have a potential for radon. In fact, every township, borough or city in NJ has the, “Potential” for radon and the NJ DEP classifies every township, borough or city as either, “Low Radon Potential”, “Moderate  Radon Potential” or “HIGH Radon Potential”.  In Monmouth and Middlesex Counties there are some, “HIGH Radon Potential” areas. To name a few – Holmdel, Colts Neck, Little Silver, Freehold Twp and Boro, Marlboro (Including Morganville) and North Brunswick and Piscataway in Middlesex.  Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers and 2nd behind cigarette smoking overall.
  • Microbial growths, which may include mold, can be found in basements, interior room ceilings, in attics and we often see growths in vanities just to name a few. It’s important to note that looking for mold is outside the scope of the NJ Home Inspection Standards of Practice as detailed in the NJ Administrative Code that directs and guides the New Jersey home inspection industry.

But any of these items, for example (There are other items too), can end a home sale transaction faster than you can say “House for sale”.

Not only is it inconvenient for the seller, it may require the seller to lower the price and who knows how the market is when you’re back to square one!

In preparation for putting your home on the market you’ll probably clean it.  De-clutter as they say to make it less your style and more neutral. Remove stuff, clear the basement and garage, etc.  You may even paint inside, replace some old, worn carpeting, fix some dents and dings in the walls and finally, fix the dishwasher.

We urge you to consider hiring Regal Home Inspections, LLC, to conduct a Seller’s Home Inspection. We follow the same Standards of Practice as we do for the Buyer’s inspection but it’s giving you some insight as to what you may want to address before you put the house on the market or disclose to potential buyers so you’re not back to the negotiating table a week before you were hoping to close.  By the way, once you pay for the Inspection Report, you own it! Put it out during open houses. Be up front with the few issues or items that might come up a month or two later when the seller’s inspector comes in.  Identify those items that can terminate a deal or delay a closing like finding out that there’s a high radon reading.

In 2021 we at Regal Home Inspections, LLC performed about 10 seller’s inspections.  One, just done in November 2021 is sanitized to remove the client’s name and the exact address but it shows some of the things that we can identify for the seller. Identified in a timeframe that allows them to address them (Fix) or disclose them in a Seller’s Disclosure document. For this home there were a number of items as you can see in the attached Property Inspection Report but, in my opinion, the most significant finding was a high radon reading.  For radon testing, the, “Action Level” is 4.0 pico Curries per liter of air.  “Pico Curries” are the measurement of radioactivity.  For a home sale, a measurement at 4.0 or higher (The Action Level or above) requires mitigation. This particular home was high. Now a high radon level might scare a potential buyer away, particularly because most people don’t know or haven’t learned that it can be mitigated (Reduced) to a very low level (Often well below 4.0). But it could be a kiss-of-death for the sale of a home if identified at the last moment.

By hiring Regal Home Inspections, LLC and learning about all of these items, we can help prevent those items from being deal-breaking issues and help the sale go through.

In preparation for the 2022 Spring, home sale season, Regal Home Inspections, LLC is offering free radon tests when it’s part of a Seller’s home inspection.  This offer is valid through June 20, 2022. Please be sure to say that you want the Spring Seller’s Inspection Special to get the radon test included for free.

 

Radon Report

SampleSellerInspection20211115fd\

 

Other Services | Certified Home Inspector Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

Home Purchase Due Diligence

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Due Diligence: Is it only for big corporate acquisitions? | Home Inspections Colts Neck NJ

 

“Due diligence is the investigation or exercise of care that a reasonable business or person is normally expected to take before entering into an agreement or contract with another party or an act with a certain standard of care.

It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations. A common example of due diligence in various industries is the process through which a potential acquirer evaluates a target company or its assets for an acquisition.[1] The theory behind due diligence holds that performing this type of investigation contributes significantly to informed decision making by enhancing the amount and quality of information available to decision makers and by ensuring that this information is systematically used to deliberate on the decision at hand and all its costs, benefits, and risks.”   Due diligence – Wikipedia

 

Like any purchase of significance due diligence is important and you probably don’t realize it but you already do it to a much, much simpler degree. Do you compare performance information and mileage for a new vehicle you may be considering buying?  That’s due diligence.  Do you compare school districts or the time to commute to and from work for the new home you’re thinking of buying?  That’ due diligence. And of course, the purpose of this piece is to make sure that you recognize that a home inspection is a critical aspect of your home purchase due diligence.

By law, the home inspection is a non-destructive inspection of various systems and components of the home. Exterior, roof, electrical elements, baths, etc. We at Regal Home Inspections, LLC, of course, follow the law to the letter of the law and we strive to surpass the bare minimum as required. For example, the law requires we check 1 outlet per room and one window per room.  If accessible, we usually check as many as we can, not the minimum. The purpose of this piece however it not to review the home inspection due diligence that Regal Home Inspections, LLC does but what you may want to consider (Or we may recommend) beyond the scope of the NJ home inspection standards of practice.  To that point, I am also licensed by the NJ DEP (License # 59628B) to inspect for wood destroying insects and prepare the industry recognized, “Termite Report”.  Both my son & business associate and I are also licensed to conduct radon measurements (NJ DEP Radon Measurement Technicians) MET14070 and MET13186 respectively.

You may not realize it but you’re already paying for elements that fall under due diligence. The title search that you’re doing.  The appraisal that the mortgage company may require.  The appraisal is more due diligence for the lender than it is for you, the buyer.  While I’m talking about the lender, when they verify your income and credit rating, that’s part of the business due diligence of them making the loan to you.

There are things beyond those that we do as home inspectors (Inspection, termite and radon) that we sometimes recommend and sometimes urge you get as part of your home purchase due diligence. As of now we don’t do them but we can refer you to good companies that do.

  • An oil tank sweep. Oil tanks were common for many years. Going back decades, natural gas was not as prevalent as it is today.  In the past, houses may have been heated with electric or oil if natural gas wasn’t available. There are many houses still heated with electricity and there are still some with oil.  However, it’s the ones that no longer have oil but did that we’re concerned with. What do the sellers know and is it accurate?  Years ago it was OK to have an old oil tank cleaned and abandoned in place. However, as I’ve heard, insurance companies will charge a higher premium if the property has an abandoned oil tank. If the property you’re considering buying as an old tank decommissioned and left in the ground, INSIST, that it be removed by the seller. You absolutely do not want to purchase the risk and liability of an underground oil tank. An oil tank sweep is relatively inexpensive and worth every penny. Usually the cost is between $275 and $450 depending on the size of the property.
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The same oil lines near the water meter and water pipes.
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Old oil lines in the basement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Sewer scope analysis. Information suggests that up to 80% of the waste pipes from the house to the sewer connection have some type of issue. It could be roots that have grown into the waste pipe. Bellies where there’s a dip in the pipe that can collect waste and hinder good drainage. Breaks in the pipe, cracks or holes. Often, a family of 4 or 5 is buying a house from an original owner where one person has been living in the home for years. Years earlier there was a family but as the children grew up and moved out, eventually, like me and my wife, there are two people living in the home.  The water use for an older couple or a single, older occupant is very, very different than for a family of 3, 4 5 or more. The waste pipe from the house may be able to handle the one or two loads of laundry a week and a few showers a week for the older occupants but when the young family moves in and there are multiple showers and baths a day and multiple loads of laundry a day, etc. The corroded waste pipe is no longer able to handle the waste water volume of the young family as it could for the older couple. A video, sewer scope analysis of the sewer pipe is worth it’s weight in gold.

Financially, for both the oil tank and sewer scope, you’re talking about $300 for each to be sure vs. many thousands of dollars to repair.  Is it 10 to 1?  $300 vs. $3000?  No, it could be more like 30 to 1 or 50 to 1.  That’s $9000 to repair or $15,000 to repair and quite possibly more.

 

In conclusion, think of your home purchase as a business acquisition and your duty is to perform all of the reasonable due diligence needed. The home inspection is #1. DO NOT WAIVE YOUR HOME INSPECTION!  #2 Think about some other, important services: Radon test, termite inspection, oil tank sweep, sewer scope analysis, lead paint, mold and pools.  Anything that’s important to you should be part of your home purchase due diligence.

 

Other Services | Certified Home Inspector Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

 

Wind Loss Mitigation Insurance Inspections

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Wind Loss Mitigation Insurance Inspections | Home Inspections Colts Neck NJ

certified home inspector monmouth county njFrank J. Delle Donne, Inspector and co-owner of Regal Home Inspections, LLC, has passed the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI) class to perform Wind Loss Mitigation inspections. Wind loss mitigation inspections are done in an attempt to save money on your home insurance in hurricane zones.  The class taken and passed is based on various Florida construction codes including Miami Dade’s codes but is an insurance industry process so the insurance company can determine if the home is less likely to sustain damage (Financial losses) in a high wind event like a hurricane.

The training requires inspection and documentation of a number of wind and projectile protection mechanisms in a home. That includes the types of windows and glazing as well as the roof structure and strapping that can help prevent a roof from being pulled from a home in a High Velocity Hurricane Zone.

Call for a quote. 908 902 2590 or email at frank07722@gmail.com

Other Services | Certified Home Inspector Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

Be Aware! Part 1. Termites and Structural Issues (Horizontal cracks in the foundation wall)

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Termites and Structural Issues | Home Inspections Colts Neck NJ

Be Aware!  As a homeowner look for things that don’t look right. Often people comment that my son and inspection partner Brian and I are, “very thorough” or words to that effect.  Well, it’s our job to be thorough.  We’re not only looking for things that appear to be wrong but we’re also, “Looking” for things that aren’t there. This is the first in what hopefully will be a series of posts that point things out to homeowners and prospective buyers that will help you either see things (For the owner) that may require some immediate attention and for a buyer, may help you notice things when you look at a prospective home to buy that will require attention.  On a side note, I am appreciative when someone calls for an inspection and says, “I noticed… (Fill in the blank)… when we visited the house. Can you take a look when you do the inspection?”

 

Termites

We did an inspection this week. From the outside it looked like a nice house, well kept and it appeared to be well maintained. However, when inside the basement there were text book termite mud tubes. It’s easy for me to say now but a homeowner must be aware of their surroundings.  If these tubes were there from the start then shame on the termite inspector for not seeing them. However, if they occurred over the years that the current occupant lived in the house then shame on them.  I don’t understand how someone doesn’t see this and then not investigate what it is followed by asking, what do I do next?  Often termite tubes or termite damage are hard to find. As a termite inspector, there may not be any outward signs but when the wood is probed, the wood shreds because the termites have destroyed the wood internally with very few outward signs.  If you see things like I’ve shown below, call a pesticide company.  If you’re not sure, call a home inspector and ask for just a termite inspection.

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Not until the wood was hit with a probe did the termite damage become apparent.

 

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Termite tubes are hanging down from the joists like stalactites seen in caves.

 

 

 

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Termite mud tube seen growing from the floor joist along the plywood sub floor.

 

 

 

 

home inspections colts neck nj
Termite mud tubes seen at the corner of the floor joist and the plywood sub-floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horizontal Foundation Cracks

Home inspectors, at least we at Regal Home Inspections, don’t like to be the bearers of bad news. It’s our job to find these issues and matters and we’re are thankful when we find them because it’s usually very important information for the clients. Horizontal cracks in foundation walls are one such example.  The follow up for some findings in an inspection report are easy; For example, call and electrician to replace an outlet. Others are much more difficult and the next steps to fully evaluate a horizontal foundation wall crack are not easy and costly but are required. In accordance with the NJ Home Inspection laws and standards of practice, an inspector is required to: A) Identify material defects. B) Explain why the material defect finding is important and then C) What the client must do next.  For a horizontal crack (It’s been identified) it’s B) important because the foundation wall is structural and a horizontal crack indicated that the foundation wall has moved inward. From an inspection perspective, the next steps C) Should include further evaluation by a structural engineer and then repair as that professional deems necessary.

 

The engineer may recommend that the crack be, “Patched and monitored” if it’s hairline. An engineer may specify repair. Often, the repair is intended to strengthen the wall to prevent additional movement. This may be done by having a qualified contractor install “I beams” vertically against the wall.

If your house has exposed, foundation walls, look at them. Notice their condition. Notice any changes that you may see over time.  Ask yourself, “Why is that different now than how it was before?”  This applies to all areas, not just foundation walls and termite tubes.  I’ll try to cover other items at a later date.

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The gray colored, vertical I-beam can be seen here. It was installed to provide additional support to the foundation wall that has cracked.
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Horizontal crack. Here and the next 2 photos are from another house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A horizontal crack through the buttress.
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The buttress is moving away from the top of the wall because the inward movement of the foundation wall, evidenced by the horizontal crack, is creating a gap at the top between the buttress and the foundation wall. A clear indication of foundation wall movement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Services | Home Inspections Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

Structural Issues – Don’t waive your NJ home inspection part 2

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Structural Issues – Don’t waive your NJ home inspection part 2

Let’s start with the overarching purpose of the home inspection in the great, Garden State.  Identifying “Material Defects”.  By law here in NJ a material defect is defined (Paraphrasing for brevity) as a condition of a structural system or component that’s, “Readily ascertainable” (aka visible) and, “Substantially effects” the value, habitability or safety.

In my experience, most of the material defects are for safety reasons and most (I haven’t actually counted) are electrical in nature.  And the majority of the electrical issues are relatively easy for a licensed electrician to fix. They may include a GFCI outlet in a bathroom that doesn’t work, an incorrectly wired outlet, loose wires, etc. Some are very serious but most are not.

This piece however is intended to look at some structural issues that are often, material defects as well.  That could be due to the fact that the structural matter jeopardizes the structural integrity of the home or because it also effects the value requiring significant cost to repair to restore the intended structural integrity.  As with all material defects, the inspector’s job is to A) Identify the problem. B) Tell you why it’s important and C) Give you a recommendation of what needs to be done next to address the matter.

Here are a few structural matters seen recently in different home inspections.

Horizontal cracks and foundation wall issues. Vertical cracks may or may not be a structural issue. Horizontal cracks are usually of significance. Horizontal cracks seen from inside a basement are almost always caused by an exterior force pushing against the foundation wall. It could be a tree root, water pressure, frozen soil and is occasionally due to the force of landscaping installed outside.

A buttress is an integral part of a foundation wall and is often there to provide additional, structural support against lateral (aka side-ways) movement. When the buttress is cracked or the foundation wall’s movement shifts the buttress, those are some significant forces at play.

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Crack through the buttress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

home inspections colts neck nj
Gap at the top of the buttress.

 

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Horizontal crack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This next problem is all too frequent. Other trades people, in this case a plumber, needs to place a pipe exactly where there’s a joist.  Joists are important because the joists hold the floor up (And the ceiling but we’re talking about floor joists here). Joists usually rest on the perimeter foundation wall at one end and often a beam in the middle of the floor.

Occasionally, the joists are run from foundation wall to foundation wall

without a beam in the middle.  The structural issue seen here is that a plumber cut a joist in half to place their pipe. Now, not only is this joist NOT supporting the floor above, it’s actually the floor above that’s holding the joist up! Another joist issue is termite damage that has eaten the joist rendering this, structural element, irrelevant.

certified home inspector monmouth county nj
Severed joist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

home inspections colts neck nj
The end of the joist was eaten by termites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the interest of brevity, the next issue, all too often found in older homes and in crawl spaces are poorly constructed columns. The columns support beams and the beams support the joists, etc. If one domino fails, the others that are relying on the 1st one also, may fail.

home inspections colts neck nj
The post/column is one issue. Another is that the beam sections are not the same height. And the beam ends should be supported.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

home inspections monmouth county nj
Substandard support column.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the difficult parts of this job is going through crawl spaces. They are usually very dirty, filled with cob webs and other insects, often wet and occasionally they’re filled with mold.  But it’s part of the inspection job.  NJ home inspection law does not require inspectors go into spaces that in the opinion of the inspector may jeopardize their safety. Also, NJ home inspection laws don’t require inspectors to climb through hatches that are too small.  It’s important to make the effort but safety, my safety is paramount. On that note, as important as it is that the inspector do what the law requires, it’s equally important the inspector tell you what they’re supposed to do but couldn’t do and why.  Safety is a justifiable reason not to climb on a roof, open an electrical panel (If there’s a puddle of water on the floor in front of the pane for example) or go into a crawl space that, in the inspector’s opinion jeopardizes their safety.

 

Other Services | Home Inspections Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

Do Not Waive Your Home Inspection. Part 1.

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Electrical Issues…A Great Reason NOT to Waive your right for a home inspection.

July 27, 2021

We’re in the COVID Era.  Many people are in a panic, including, for the first time, panicking about where they live.  My wife and I came to New Jersey, from Staten Island, NY in 1987.  We, like many New Yorkers, sought a better life and standard of living for our young and expanding family.  And, without a shadow of a doubt, we achieved a better life in the Garden State.

As a licensed home inspector in Monmouth County, NJ I’ve done many inspections for people moving to NJ for a better life.  NJ’s beaches and rural, suburban areas were a welcome change and attraction for people moving from Staten Island, Brooklyn and occasionally Queens. At one time the cost of living in NJ was an attraction too but unfortunately that may no longer be the case but that’s not important when compared to the other, quality of life issues.

Covid has been the catalyst for change in many, many ways. As it relates to the real estate business, Covid is pushing people to NJ. To some degree people are still coming to NJ for a better quality of life but 2020 has given New Yorkers other reasons to flee the Empire State and the Big Apple; Congestion, crime, unbridled riots the summer of 2020 and more. To some degree the real estate industry in NJ has benefited. I heard that Connecticut is also a welcome alternative to New York.

This all means that the competition for buyers is tough. Many buyers and too little inventory.  Supply and demand. What gives? Bid prices go up and sellers put stipulations that only structural or environmental inspection will be permitted. What? For buyers that’s a bad proposition.  You could be buying a money pit or a safety hazard.

Here are some examples of egregious electrical issues recently found that you would have no knowledge of if you gave up your right for a FULL inspection.  One area that a run of the mill DIY homeowner must never do is electrical work!  It could kill if not done properly, start a fire and worse. The examples shown are, in my opinion, so bad that there’s no way they were done by a licensed electrician or an apprentice working under the guidance of a licensed electrician. Items 1 and 2 are from one house inspected the week of July 19, 2021. Items 3 and 4 are from a house inspected the week of July 12, 2021.

  • A sub panel that’s mis-wired.  Neutrals and grounds are together on 2 different bars.  One set, on the top right is wrong because the bar is, by design, electrically isolated from the metal box (Also part of the electrical ground). So the ground wires are not really grounded.  “No big deal” you say?  Wrong, it is a big deal. If one of the hot wires short circuits it will want to go to the ground wire and to an earth ground. But due to the way it’s wired, there is no metallic path to an earth ground. The electricity from the short circuit will energize all of the other wires in the house and potentially electrocute someone or start a fire.
  • The same panel’s ground bar (Bottom left) also has neutrals wired to it. The grounds are grounded but so are the neutrals.
  • certified home inspector monmouth county nj
    Improperly wired sub panel.
    home inspector monmouth county nj
    Grounds and neutrals on the same bar. The problem is that it’s not grounded.

    home inspector colts neck nj
    Neutrals are also part of the ground.
  • At another house there’s a 20amp circuit breaker with a 14 gauge wire. That’s definitely a safety issue. If you don’t believe me try Googling, “Can a 14 gauge wire be connected to a 20amp circuit breaker?”  The 1st response is, “You can not use 14 AWG anywhere on a circuit that has a 20A breaker.”  For me it’s case closed.
  • At Regal Home Inspections, LLC we use combustible gas detectors and check the natural gas valves and couplings around the water heater, furnace or boiler and dryer when accessible. Yes, we found a gas leak. Do you want to move into a house with a gas leak? Of course that’s rhetorical question, of course you don’t. But if you give up your right to an inspection, that’s what you may end up doing!

  • home inspections monmouth county nj
    Gas leak detected.

Don’t give up your right to a full home inspection.  If you plan on renovating the bathrooms and kitchen, fine, exclude them from your inspection and maybe the seller will be OK with that.  But do not give away your right to identify Material Defects that effect the safety or habitability of the house.

 

Other Services | Home Inspections Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

 

Thermal Imaging Certified

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

home inspector monmouth county njThermal Imaging Certified | Home Inspector Monmouth County NJ

Frank J. Delle Donne, owner and inspector at Regal Home Inspections, LLC has become certified by InterNACHI, the largest home inspector association, as a thermal imager. This requires taking and passing classes in Building Science and Thermal Imaging. This service will be rolled out this year as an ancillary service for home inspection clients or clients needing the specific analysis of thermal imaging.

What is thermal imaging? Thermal imaging is the use of specialized cameras that can look at the thermal (Heat and cool) properties of objects. A thermal imaging camera compares the thermal signatures of building surfaces comparing hot (or warmer) areas to cold (or cooler) areas. Then, using the training, a skilled thermographer can interpret the images that may identify moisture or poor insulation for example. In the photos below some examples show how the thermal imaging can identify or confirm electrical issues as well. Not all thermal imaging efforts are to identify issues. As shown below, thermal imaging can be used to confirm the operation of radiant heating in a ceiling or floor. The radiant heat is very subtle and not able to be distinguished with a laser thermometer, for example. But, as shown below, a thermal image can confirm the proper operation of a radiant heat system.

The thermal imaging service will be offered to home inspection clients at a steeply discounted rate or offered as a singular service for home or building owners. For more information call Frank at 908 902 2590.

This photo shows the heat of a light against the background of the cooler ceiling. Building anomalies such as moisture, poor insulation and electrical issues can be photographed in the infrared spectrum to identify issues that are not apparent to the naked eye.

 

There was a small stain on the kitchen ceiling, approximately 6 inches wide. The thermal image shows (the dark area in the photo) an area approximately 3 feet wide that’s wet from a bathroom leak above the kitchen ceiling.
Visually, an overheating wire can be seen.

 

The thermal image confirms that the circuit breaker and wire are warmer than the surrounding breakers and wires.

 

The thermal image camera can detect the heating coils for a radiant heat system. The coils can’t be seen with the naked eye but are in sharp focus with thermal imaging. This image is of the heating coils in the ceiling.
These two photos (above and below this caption) are of the radiant heating coils in the floor of a bathroom.

 

Other Services | Home Inspections Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

radon inspector colts neck nj

Radon Testing Monmouth County NJ

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Radon Testing: It’s Someone Else’s Problem, Not Mine. Right?

Originally published in 2014.

Updated March 16, 2023

My name is Frank J. Delle Donne, and I am a NJ Licensed Home Inspector.  I am the co-owner and Inspector at Regal Home Inspections, LLC. My son and co-owner, Brian, works with me and he’s also a licensed home inspector, radon measurement technician and he’s licensed to test for lead paint. I was a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician for over 26 years and was a member (Now retired) of the Colts Neck, NJ Board of Health and was Chairman of that Board for 2008 and 2009. During my studies to become a Home Inspector and earning my NJ Certification to be a Radon Measurement Technician I learned a great deal about Radon and felt compelled to share that information in a manner that is easy to understand and increases awareness.  Every home in New Jersey should be tested for Radon on a regular basis. The, “Action Level” where mitigation is required is 4.0pCi/L. That’s “Pico Curries per liter” of air which is the measurement of radioactivity. I’ve had many above 4.0. Some in the low double digits such as 10+, 20+, 30+ (None in the 40s) but 50+ and even a 317!

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been leading the effort to make citizens aware of radon and closer to home, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJ-DEP) has been following suit.  Please read our earlier post for general information about radon.   This piece is intended to point out that a radon problem may be closer to home than you think.

Radon: The Basics

A few points that I’d like to repeat from the earlier article is that radon is everywhere and it is naturally occurring.  It is a radioactive gas which means that it transforms spontaneously and in that transformation it releases tiny bursts of energy.  When radon is inhaled in your home (living levels, bedrooms or basement) it is these tiny bursts of energy, occurring inside your lungs, that cause harm.

Radon is a colorless, odorless gas.  Radon IS NOT flammable, toxic or noxious.  It is, however, radioactive and it occurs naturally.  This article will look at the radon potential, as identified by the NJ-DEP, in various parts of the Garden State.   As you can see from the map, NJ is divided into 3 classifications of radon potential; Low (Blue), Moderate (Green) and High (Red).  Let’s look closer.certified home inspector monmouth county nj

What Areas of NJ are of Concern and What Types of structures?

New Jersey Administrative Code N.J.A.C. 5:23-10 (2013), among other things, specifies the construction codes, as they relate to radon mitigation in “E” and “R” Use Groups.  “E” stands for educational and “R” is for some Residential.  The International Building Code (New Jersey Edition) identifies educational as a building that houses 6 or more people for educational purposes through grade 12.  Section 305.1 identifies K-12 and Section 305.2 refers to younger facilities (Pre-K and day care) that may have five or more children 2&1/2 years of age or older.  The same source identifies five different residential types, R-1 through R-5.  These include basically any and all residence structures from single family homes to apartments, dormitories, convents and more. Frank and Brian are both certified to conduct radon measurements in Single Family Homes. Currently, Frank is also certified to conduct radon measurements in schools and large, non-residential homes such as commercial buildings of all sizes.

N.J.A.C. also identifies two other very important aspects (among many other good things).  First, Sub Section 5:23-10.4 states the specific construction techniques that must be followed for E and R construction in Tier 1 areas.  Tier 1 are the High Radon Potential areas shown in red in the previous map.  Before I go to that discussion, let’s finish the discussion on the construction.  Among other important elements, for example, the N.J.A.C. states that, “Basement slabs with interior foundation pipe drains installed shall have a solid, three-inch minimum diameter vent pipe installed in conjunction with this drainage system and be connected to an independent vent stack pipe terminating at an approved location on the exterior of the building.”

This accommodation is to allow for the future installation of a vent fan in order to actively draw air from below the basement slab and out of the house before the sub slab gasses have a chance to seep into the house. These are referred to sub-soil depressurization systems.

Therefore, new construction in these Tier 1 areas should have the basics for a radon mitigation system installed right from the start. So then, where are these Tier 1 areas?

NJ Counties and Towns that are Deemed to be Tier 1

As you can see from the map above the Tier 1 areas are nearly in every part of the state. From northern Sussex County to southern Cumberland County, high radon readings are possible in many areas. One thing you might notice is the sandy soils of the areas along the shore and the Pine Barrens are the lowest areas. As written about in other articles, these sandy soil areas don’t have a lot of the bedrock with uranium as some of the other areas. Northern Jersey has granite and shale that are ripe for the presence of Uranium 238 which is at the beginning of the radioactive decay process that results in Radon-222. The N.J.A.C. specifically mentions counties and towns that are Tier 1 areas so if you can’t quite figure out if you live in a red area or a green one, this list should help.

If you live in one of these areas, you live in an area of High Radon Potential. You should get your home checked regularly. Even if you have a radon mitigation system it wouldn’t hurt to check annually. If you do not have a radon mitigation system, you should check quarterly for a period of time. Radon levels can change season to season and month to month. It would be a good idea to have a baseline of seasonal levels. If you have young children and you haven’t checked your home for radon it is something that you should do immediately. When you are dealing with the health of you and your family, the cost to install a mitigation system is reasonable. It’s a lot less costly compared to dealing with the illnesses that can occur from extended and continued exposure to radon.

Testing is easy and relatively inexpensive considering the health hazard that radon is.  

Conclusion | Radon Inspector Colts Neck NJ

Radon is a serious health issue, but it can be minimized. You need to test now and then every 6 months.  Likely, it cannot be 100% eliminated but mitigation can usually get the radon levels very low.  It’s naturally occurring and exists in nature. It’s not man-made nor can we stop it from existing.  We can, however, minimize its pathways into our homes and help ensure a healthy and safe environment.  It is better to know than to hope.

Please call today to schedule your radon test for your family.  Regal Home Inspections, LLC does not mitigate so we are not motivated to find elevated readings so we can clean them up.  We inspect homes and we are both, Frank & Brian, licensed as a Radon Measurement Technicians – MET13186 & MET14070 respectively.

Other Monmouth County NJ Certified Home Inspector Services

Regal Home Inspections, LLC offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call Frank @ 908-902-2590 or Brian @ 732-740-8365 for your free quote or if you have any questions!