- Professional DFW Home Inspection Process
- New Home Inspections
- Buyer Inspections
- Seller Inspections
- Warranty Inspections
- Home Performance Energy Analysis
- Comprehensive Home Performance Audit
- Thermal Imaging Building Analysis
- Certified RESNET HERS Rating
- LEED Certification for Homes
- Water Audits
- Certified Dallas Green Code and Energy Compliance
- Pool & Spa Inspections
- WDI/Wood Destroying Insects
- Seasonal Home Maintenance Plans
- Winterizations
Green Scene Home Inspection Process
A DFW Home Inspection Services are a visual process where all of the items typically used within a home are tested and/or operated to verify proper operation or installation. The professional home inspection process takes approximately 3 ½ to 4 hours. We are happy to answer any questions you may have at the beginning or end of the inspection. Initially, we will go over together the Pre-Inspection Agreement and payment will be secured at this time. Then our Green Scene Home Inspector will begin the inspection – our process involves a “three pass” procedure to insure a complete and thorough coverage of the property.
First, the inspector will make three passes around the exterior of the home. Next, he will inspect the attic and the crawl spaces for structure, insulation, electrical and other items. Finally, the inspector will make three passes through the interior of the residence. Doors and windows are opened and closed; air-conditioning and heating systems are operated. The Inspector will fill the sinks and tub(s), run the shower(s), and flush the toilets. All the while making notes on the condition and operation of the components tested. Then the inspector will take time to document his findings.
Once he has completed the DFW Home Inspection Services documentation, the inspector will prepare the printed report for you on site. This is the best time for any questions, so if you can be present for the presentation of the report, our inspector can review it with you to make clarifications, or if needed, recommend specialists for any property deficiencies.
Green Scene Home Inspectors are professionally trained to evaluate every property against the Texas Standards of Practice and the current building codes. Please be aware, DFW Home Inspection Services are not code enforcement and an inspection is not a pass or fail report. It is an evaluation of the property condition at the time of the report which simply identifies deficiencies. Report findings are useful in the buying decision and for understanding what action, if any, should be taken once a property is purchased.
You can count on the Green Scene Home Inspections team to provide a complete and thorough home inspection by professional, certified, licensed, insured and bonded home inspectors with the additional commitment to our role in preserving the environment. Our home inspections cover over 500 separate details, providing thorough information about the condition of the following ⇒
• Roof, vents, flashings and trim
• Gutters and downspouts
• Skylight, chimney and other roof penetrations
• Decks, stoops, porches, walkways and railings
• Eaves, offsite and fascia
• Grading and drainage
• Basement, foundation and crawlspace
• Water penetration and foundation movement
• Heating systems
• Cooling systems
• Main water shut-off valves
• Water heating system
• Interior plumbing fixtures and faucets
• Drainage sump pumps with accessible floats
• Electrical service line and meter box
• Main disconnect and service amperage
• Electrical panels, breakers and fuses
• Grounding and bonding
• GFCI’s and AFCI’s
• Fireplace damper door and hearth
• Insulation and ventilation
• Garage doors, safety sensors and openers
• And much more……
New Home Inspections
A newly-built home is critically important to have inspected by a professional home inspector. The detailed inspections Green Scene Home Inspections provides will point out the items that can be frequently overlooked by the basic code compliance checks required by new home builders and contractors in their haste to build and sell new homes. It is best to conduct this inspection a couple of days before the final walk-through with the builder to insure the last minute details, such as turning on the utilities, etc., are taken care of.
Buyer Inspections
In the Dallas/Fort Worth area, most of all professional DFW Home Inspection Services are done at the request of home buyers. The buyer typically has 3 – 10 days to complete a home inspection before they can purchase and close on a home. Green Scene Home Inspections is committed to strictly following the Standards of Practice provided by the Texas Real Estate Commission, which governs all rules and regulations for professional home inspection. Our team will go above and beyond to give our customers the best value, protection, and decision making power for their money.
Seller Inspections
The greatest advantage a seller can have is the full disclosure of information on the condition of their property in advance of the listing process. Having DFW Home Inspection Services prior to placing on the market is the ideal way to avoid surprises and unexpected costly repairs needed that can affect selling price and attractability to the home. Green Scene Home Inspectors will provide a complete and thorough inspection that will alert the seller to any number of issues that can be resolved before the buyers ever come to the house.
Warranty Inspections
Having professional DFW Home Inspection Services done towards the end of your newly-built home´s warranty period can be a lifesaver. Most homeowners do not expect problems to arise during the first year but issues arising from the unseen areas, like the crawl space or attic, can go undetected until a critical time, usually long after the warranty period has expired. Green Scene Home Inspections can save the homeowner from unexpected repairs after the warranty period ends by identifying them early, allowing the homeowner to take advantage of warranty coverage.
Home Performance Energy Analysis
This is the basic “Green” DFW Home Inspection Service offered by GSHI of Dallas. First will we will determine the orientation of the home – north, south, east or west. Then, we evaluate the systems or features currently in place, such as HVAC equipment, attic ventilation, insulation, windows, lights, plumbing fixtures and more. (Having 12 months of energy bills available is preferred for this evaluation.) The DFW home inspection services will find basic key areas that are keeping the house from being its most energy efficient. The inspector will make recommendations as to what energy opportunities are available for each specific home to increase its efficiency. Every home has its own unique fingerprint and issues and Green Scene Home Inspection of DFW will help you address and understand those issues.
Comprehensive Home Performance Audit
More in depth than the Home Performance Analysis, GSHI of Dallas uses the latest scientific measuring software and equipment to check the household building envelope for leaks and inefficient areas. This is done by performing a Blower Door Test, which pressurizes the house. A large fan is attached to the blower door, blowing air out of the house at a constant speed, creating a steady pressure that hits the outside of the house from all sides. This sucks in outside air and shows exactly where there is leakage through the home. With normal household operating conditions, the conditioned air that is in the house escapes through these same leaks to the outside. Finding these areas and sealing them keeps the HVAC equipment from having to work harder than it needs to, therefore saving energy and the life expectancy of the HVAC unit. A Thermal Imaging Report can be added to this Audit, allowing the DFW Home Inspection Services to identify the exact areas in the home that are leaking the most.
HVAC pressurization test
This test is performed by DFW Home Inspection Services to find duct leakage in the HVAC system the most common problem in homes. This test is also know as a duct blast. Most people never go into their attics and/or crawl spaces to inspect ducts. Texas heat from the attic can deteriorate the seal of the ducts over time. This means that attic air will get pulled into the ducts and blown directly into the house, reducing indoor air quality and making the HVAC system less efficient. By finding these areas and sealing the ducts, indoor air quality will improve, leaving you with a healthier home. The HVAC unit will work more efficiently to heat and cool the house, saving both money and the life of the HVAC system. This test can also be offered with the Thermal Imaging equipment to pinpoint the exact leaky areas for an additional charge.
Thermal Imaging building analysis
Thermal imaging cameras are the latest tool used by professional DFW home inspection services. These cameras do not use light like a normal camera would. Instead they use heat signatures to identify a variety of problems that could not be seen with the human eye. Such as plumbing leaks behind walls ceilings and floors, Hot electrical wires buried behind walls or switch plates, missing insulation on walls and ceilings, air leaks in the building envelope, and air leaks in the HVAC duct system. These cameras are the most expensive piece of equipment that a DFW home inspector can carry. Hence there is always a premium price that goes along with it. It would be like having your own personal MRI machine that you carry in your hand. If you drop it, that’s all she wrote. Thermal Imaging is by far the most effective piece of equipment that a DFW Inspector has in his or her tool box.
Certified RESNET HERS Rating for Homes
RESNET (Residential Energy Service Network) has organized the national program for what a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating is compiled of. This is the only program recognized on a national level. This DFW Home Inspection Service is currently provided to qualify a newly built home as being energy efficient. This rating is generally only used on new home construction that are being marketed as energy efficient. EIM and EEM’s (Energy Improvement Mortgage and Energy Efficient Mortgages) are a newly developing types of loans that would require a HERS Rater to test “in” and test “out” an existing home that is going through energy efficient upgrades. The ratings from before are compared to the after changes rating to ensure that the modifications to the home were completed with success in improving a homes energy efficiency. Once the the Rating has met its specific criteria the bank will release the money from an escrow account to the contractors that have provided the work.
LEED for Homes Certification
A LEED-H certified home is constructed and designed in accordance with the rigorous guidelines of the LEED for Homes green building certification program. LEED for Homes is a consensus-developed, third party-verified, voluntary rating system which use a points system to score construction and design principles of high-performance green homes. This program is governed by the USGBC (U.S.Green Building Council) GSHI uses a certified third party LEED AP accredited on staff contactor to complete these DFW Home Inspection Services.
Water Audits
Water is often a forgotten component when it comes to energy consumption and our carbon footprint. Water is a commodity that you pay for and pay to dispose of. If 70% of all water is used for irrigation why would that water be treated to perfect drinking water standards? Green Scene Home Inspections has licensed inspectors by TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) on Staff to help survey your internal home water usage and external irrigation usage. By educating consumers on a variety of techniques that can provide them with high quality drinking water to stop those plastic bottles from filling up the landfills. Implementing rainwater harvesting equipment can save a on water bills effectively, helping to reduce your water consumption habits by up to 20%-30% in some cases.
Certified Dallas Green Code and Energy Compliance
These are required by local Dallas Building codes. Builders and contractors are required to comply with city inspectors green building ordinances to achieve proper insulation requirements. There is also the green building ordinances that requires four of six water saving measures to be taken. These DFW Home Inspection Insulation inspection services are done before drywall is installed to be able to investigate proper R factors in walls, ceilings and attic spaces. If Drywall has already been installed then this inspection will be doubled in price due to the fact that the inspector must go track down insulation purchases through contractor’s insulation supplier making the job much more difficult and time consuming to confirm.
Pool & Spa Inspections
Owning a swimming pool or spa as part of your home property is a major undertaking, and it is best to insure that both are in good condition and operating properly. GSHI will provide a detailed report on the condition of your pool and/or spa according to the local standards put forth by the State of Texas for your ease of mind.
WDI/Wood Destroying Insects
GSHI facilitates the WDI Inspection through a third-party professional. This service can be done at the same time as your regular DFW Home Inspection Services. This is a critical inspection service needed to insure the integrity of the home structure.
Seasonal Home Maintenance Plans
Our maintenance plan provides the home buyer with a convenient list of seasonal preventive maintenance activities to keep your home in its best operating condition throughout the year. GSHI includes this handy DFW Home Inspection Services at no additional cost to you. The home buyer will be able to refer to the activities on a regular basis to identify early any areas of the home that should be observed to avoid repairs, maximize efficiency and thereby increase the property´s value.
Winterizations
A home for sale during the winter months runs the risk of the costly property damage of burst water pipes. GSHI can do Winterizations that will assist with the prevention of any damage that can be caused. This DFW Home Inspection Services involve the shutting off of water services and removal of all water from plumbing systems throughout the home. We will provide a report on any plumbing issues identified during this process. And we will schedule a de-winterizing service at your convenience.
