Using Your Senses for Better Home Inspections

ASHI-Certified Home Inspector Michael G. Bryan (Inspection Services of Central Virginia) is among this year’s exciting speakers at InspectionWorld 2023. Bryan has been an ASHI Member and home inspector for more than 26 years, having inspected more than 16,000 residential and commercial buildings. At IW23, his presentation will offer all the necessary information to competently diagnose most masonry-related conditions—including masonry material characteristics and masonry construction systems and their typical defects and deficiencies.

Bryan writes in his book, The Zen of Home Inspection, about the art of home inspecting, including how some perhaps less obvious senses can make or break an inspection.

Here are some excerpts from Bryan’s book. Learn more at inspectingcva.com.

Hearing

“Once, while inspecting a furnace in a crawl space, I heard behind me what I thought was a steady drip of a plumbing leak onto the plastic vapor barrier. I made a mental note to further investigate when my furnace inspection was completed. The sound was the snapping jaws of a mother opossum with babies all huddled within the rungs of a ladder. Only good fortune or divine intervention prevented an attack.

Now, I investigate sounds immediately. Sounds reveal significant conditions such as: undersized HVAC ducts; faulty toilet tank controls; loose subfloor and underlayment; electrical arcing; plumbing leaks; birds nesting in chimneys; faulty dishwasher operation; and much more. The conversations of everyone present can alert you to a client’s concerns or past events relative to the property. Sound is an invaluable contributing factor to a quality home inspection. Listen!”

Smell

“I was greeted in the foyer of a home I was inspecting by an overpowering aroma of decayed wood. I suspected that I would find major structural damage in the crawl space. As feared, almost every joist was severely dry rotted. Whole bottoms of joists could be torn away with my bare hand. The required repairs totaled $24,000. A seasoned home inspector can be alerted to many significant conditions through his sense of smell.

Among such conditions are: detached HVAC ducts; past fire damage; decayed structural framing; pet damage; electrical problems; and more. It is wise to document the presence of air fresheners, which may mask odors and limit your ability to fully inspect the home.”

Touch

“I recently inspected a home that had been inspected by a colleague within the last 45 days. The sill plates in the crawl space looked pristine. When I touched them, however, they proved to be hollow shells completely eaten away by woodboring insects. They were beginning to crush under the weight of the joists. That was an unpleasant and sobering discovery for me and possibly the previous inspector.

A wealth of information is only available through touch. Seasoned home inspectors understand, for instance, that much decayed exterior wood trim is only discovered through touch. I began removing my shoes to avoid tracking in dirt. My stocking feet, however, have alerted me to countless conditions I could not have discovered with my shoes on. Use your sense of touch to its fullest possible advantage.”

Michael G Bryan is a featured speaker at IW 2023. Learn more at inspectingcva.com.