HVAC

Before closing the final contract, the buyer does a USA house inspection to check for any flaws or critical concerns with the property. The professional home inspector’s written report includes a wide range of topics, including roof conditions, structural strength, electrical and plumbing testing, and sewer scope. It gives the buyer some peace of mind, allowing them to haggle over the price, make repairs, or cancel the transaction altogether if it isn’t right for them.

It may be tough to get a house inspector in the United States that can provide you with entirely neutral information on the property. With these considerations in mind, you will be able to choose a fantastic USA house inspector on whom you can rely to make the final decision.

Don’t take a real estate agent’s recommendation at face value

 A USA house inspector who has been suggested by your realtor may feel forced to provide a light examination. Because the agent’s goal is to conclude the sale as quickly as feasible. This is why real estate inspections are done. This way, home buyers have a knowledgeable professional on their side, looking out for their interests.

Verify that the candidates are competent and reliable

A home inspector can be located by contacting professional organizations like the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), or the National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers, certified professional engineers and architects who perform home inspections in the United States.

Visit the group’s website to learn more about the expertise and credentials of its member inspectors, as well as the services they provide. Do a web search for the firm with which the inspectors are affiliated, as well as reviews from former clients. Also, respect his qualifications, but be aware of their limitations.

Take your education and experience into account

Look for someone who has spent years analyzing properties in the same area, in addition to professional credentials and accreditations. He’s more likely to have encountered a variety of different types of homes and issues.

Compare US Home Inspection Reports

Request a sample copy of the instructor’s past USA home inspection reports. Compare the reports to those of other home inspectors, based on the tests, screening, time spent, and level of information in their observations.

Find out what you receive for your money

The cost of an inspection varies based on the extent of the examination and the inspection equipment employed. Inquire about any hidden fees and complimentary services.

What Questions Should You Ask a Home Inspector?

The price of a house inspector and the degree of accuracy of a USA home inspection are determined by the questions asked of them. The following are some questions to ask a home inspector to assure the house’s safety or recompense (if necessary) from the seller in price:

Do you (the home inspector) have any credentials?

Inquire about the home inspector’s professional organization, qualifications, certifications, insurance, and experience in the USA house inspection sector for the location in question.

What is the roof’s condition?

Inquire about the shingles’ condition when your home inspector is inspecting the roof. Are there any asphalt particles accumulating in the gutters? Are there any obvious indications of wear and tear? If this is the case, the roof may need to be replaced.

Is the house adequately insulated?

Your heating and cooling bills will be affected by how effectively your property is insulated. To keep heat from fleeing the house, the attic should be effectively insulated. Is there any type of insulation used? If asbestos is present in vermiculite insulation, it can pose a major health danger if disturbed. Is there adequate ventilation in the attic? How well insulated is the basement? Appropriate insulation materials used or not?

How is the electrical situation?

Because electrical fires are prevalent, you should have your home inspector evaluate the electrical system. Is it code-compliant? Is there anything that’s worn out? Was the electrical work done by a certified electrician if there were any upgrades? Are GFCI outlets present in areas where water is present, such as the kitchen, baths, garage, and outdoor areas? Are there any cables that are exposed or damaged?

How is the plumbing situation?

Drains, water heaters, pipelines, water pressure, and temperature will all be examined by a home inspector. How does each faucet’s water flow? Is everything draining correctly? Are the tubs suitably secured? Are the tubs suitably secured? Any water stains on the flooring or ceiling should be noted by your home inspector since they might signal a plumbing issue. Inquire about any galvanized steel pipe in the house, since it can corrode and decrease water pressure, or even burst. Is there any lead pipe in the house?

Is the structure of the house sound?

The foundation of the house will be examined by a home inspector. Inquire about any fractures discovered. If foundation cracks are detected, determine what type they are – step, vertical, horizontal, along walls, or in the basement floor.

What is the status of the HVAC system?

The home’s heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system (HVAC) will be examined during the inspection to ensure that it is in working order. Inquire about the age of the air conditioner and how long it should last. Has the furnace been serviced and maintained properly?

What is the state of the outside drainage?

Are there any puddles that have formed? This might be a sign of a water problem. Are there any downspouts missing? Are all the downspouts directed away from the base of the house? Improper drainage and grading can result in expensive foundation problems.

Do you see any mice or other critters?

If an infestation is suspected, inquire. Mice and other rodents can wreak havoc on homes and businesses.

Conclusion:

Choosing a home inspector is part of the home buying process (which involves a complete inspection of the property). The home inspector’s findings can impact your decision. Therefore, it’s important to choose the right professional for the job. The simple process of interviewing a candidate for a local home inspector job entails asking about his value for services, credentials, certification, experience, and report comparison. And the questions that you ask about the property condition will be a deciding factor for his fees and expenses.

Second Acquisition for Bonney in the Skilled Trades Industry

Sacramento, Calif. — Bonney Plumbing, Electrical, Heating and Air (Bonney), a home services company headquartered in Rancho Cordova, CA, announced it has acquired Sacramento-based Boyd Plumbing, Inc. Boyd has been a trusted provider of plumbing services to the Sacramento area and its neighboring communities since 2006.

Under the partnership, Boyd Plumbing will fold in with Bonney, expanding the plumbing team to service nine counties including Sacramento, Sutter, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Solano and Yolo. Customers will continue to experience great work by the region’s most trusted professionals in the industry with a minor brand uplift to fit in with the look of Bonney’s signature technicians.

“Boyd Plumbing is at the top of their game and by merging, we have assembled the best plumbing team in the Sacramento region and will continue to provide superior customer service to the communities we serve, “Jeremy Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer of Bonney. “Boyd has an excellent reputation and this purchase aligns with Bonney’s long-term goal of building the best home services company in Northern California.”

“As the need for talented technicians is on the rise, a partnership with Bonney is ideal to continue to serve this community and focus on employee growth and success.” said Michael Boyd, CEO of Boyd Plumbing. “Our companies are not only a great cultural fit, but also have both long delivered excellent results to our clients here in the Sacramento area.”

Bonney plans to invest in several founder-owned companies over the next few years to build a regional leader in home services. To that end, in September Bonney acquired Concord-based Big Air Heating & Air Conditioning, expanding their territory into the Bay Area.

One of the nation’s largest aerospace firms planned to expand and modernize existing capabilities at an occupied research and development facility in southern California. Xcel Mechanical Systems, based in Gardena, CA, was hired to design and build the mechanical, plumbing and process piping elements of the new project. To minimize risk and maximize labor efficiency, the Xcel team selected NIBCO® Press fittings and valves as a smart solution for the multi-phase project.

“Leveraging press technology mitigates the inherent risks of working with open flame within an occupied space,” said Jason Gordon, Xcel Mechanical’s vice president of operations. “We chose NIBCO Press for this job for multiple reasons, including safety, time and labor savings, and aesthetics,” said Gordon, whose firm has been a preferred design-build mechanical contractor on the sprawling campus for more than two decades. “NIBCO is a proven brand name in our industry. That’s important to us because the products we select are a reflection on our company.”

After four carefully planned construction phases, three and a half years of steady and precise work, the $8 million HVAC, plumbing and piping elements of the estimated $50 million laboratory modernization project are nearing completion.

The total renovation project included remodeling existing labs located on the ground floor of a three-story, 1960s-era research and manufacturing facility; labs which must be constantly redesigned and reconfigured to meet the specific requirements of each new contract award. The owner’s primary goal was to convert the subdivided lab space into a large open floor plan, creating the opportunity to build-out a modern, flexible and scalable “factory of the future” that would maximize the total available 160,000-square feet of lab and manufacturing space and 57,000-square feet of office space.

The building was stripped down to concrete on all four sides, exposing what was left: columns, high ceilings, and slabs. The original building design included old stanchion supports with piping and electrical systems running up from the floor. To free up valuable floor space, the new design features steel overhead utility racks that now run 500-600’ feet across the exposed ceiling for a nice clean application. Major mechanical and plumbing systems were removed and redesigned to align with the new design.

The Safety Factor

In this facility, the mains on the overhead utility distribution racks are sized 2” down to ¾”.  Separately, the HVAC system has chilled water and heating hot water lines measuring up to 4” in diameter. Some of those lines drop down from a chilled water system located on the roof that serves a newly installed air handler.

“Typically, we would use steel for those 4” lines,” Gordon said. “But since the piping ran down an existing shaft, there were safety concerns around welding or grooving the 4” steel. And then there was the weight factor and what would be required to run steel pipe down that shaft versus copper,” he said.

“For these reasons, my foremen advocated for the additional material spend on copper. Obviously, the material cost is considerably more but we felt the safety benefits and labor savings would offset it,” Gordon said. “We are a strong believer in getting perspective from our foremen. If they support the plan, believe in the products they are installing, and it makes sense financially, then it’s a win-win.”

Gordon said using NIBCO Press on the project also meant not having to go through the facility’s Hot Work permitting process which typically adds time to any project. “The customer liked that the NIBCO product removed a certain level of risk, and also the smell of soldering and flux from an operational lab environment,” he said. “So, in the end, our customer was happy. Our safety team was happy. And our field personnel were happy.”

Labor Savings is Big

NIBCO Press is easy to install which helps reduce labor costs while keeping projects on schedule. “Material is material, but labor is what makes or breaks a job,” Gordon said. The project’s process piping system consists of three copper lines, one each for compressed air, nitrogen, and industrial vacuum systems. Each run is 400-500’ long and includes multiple connection points. Gordon said the press product made working in smaller areas and also making multiple connections overhead much easier from both a safety and labor efficiency perspective. “We fabricated a fair amount of material used in this job, but with a multitude of small overhead connection points located 6-12’ apart along these lengthy runs, the copper press solution was key. We saved a minimum of 30-40% on labor on some parts of this job, and significantly more on other parts,” he said.

Minimizing System Downtime

Through the life of the project, the ongoing challenge was to build safely around the 100-200 employees who were working in the lab areas. The project’s four-phase approach called for temporarily relocating employee teams into other parts of the facility while completing construction one section at a time. “Using NIBCO Press not only reduced labor time, but it shortened shutdown periods, allowing us to get the building back online sooner.”

Looking Good

Although functionality and flexibility played an important role in modernizing this facility, creating a visually appealing space was also a consideration, Gordon said. “Aesthetically the NIBCO Press product is a good-looking product and a clean application overall,” he said. “For nitrogen systems, we would typically purge and braze, and afterward the copper is oxidized. When we install press, the copper looks brand new. It’s a good look.” 

Smart Solution

As the project nears completion, Xcel Mechanical will continue to use NIBCO Press systems to ensure their reputation for high quality and good workmanship is maintained. Press is easy to install and the labor cost savings generated cannot be understated.  The proven performance of Press makes it a smart solution for every job.

For more information, visit www.NIBCO.com or contact Sally Boyer, manager of marketing communications, at boyers@nibco.com.