What is a Termite?One of the most destructive pests in the world are called termites. These are insects that mostly consume dead plant material such as soil, leaf litter, rotting timber (logs), and woodchip.  How Can You Prevent Termites From Invading Your Home?
Moisture, which termites adore, is frequently present in the foundation and crawl space of your home. 
Flying termites may swarm in the early spring to create new colonies. 
While everyone enjoys having plants close to their homes. Some plants can act as a passage for termites. Moreover, plants might obscure the presence of termites that are consuming your wood siding or taking advantage of foundational fractures in your home. 
Wood, metal, concrete, and PVC all experience shrinkage and expansion at varying rates throughout time. This settling process could result in fissures and openings that give termites new points of access. You should close these holes as soon as you see them since termites can squeeze through openings as small as 1/32nd of an inch to get access to a structure. 
Cellulose in wood and other paper products is consumed by termites. Making your home less appealing to termites can be accomplished by taking these actions to block access to their food source.  DIY methods are ineffective for controlling termites. If you believe there may be a termite infestation in your home, get in touch with a qualified pest control specialist right once to assess the situation and get a recommendation for the best course of action.
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 If you own a fireplace, you are already aware of how wonderful it can be throughout the winter. When it's freezing outside, there's nothing better than cuddling up next to it. However, if they aren't properly maintained, fireplaces can be dangerous. So here are are some safety tips that you might want to know. After Burning, Leave a 1-inch Layer of Ash Behind Ash remains after a wood-burning fire has extinguished. Burning firewood can be facilitated by a thin covering of ash, which reflects heat back into the fire. Excess ash can be taken away when the layer of ash is deeper than an inch or so.  Maintain Smoke Detectors' Batteries Fresh In the event of a house fire, smoke detectors can save lives. To make sure that smoke detectors are still in working order, homeowners should check the batteries every three months.  Fire Should Never Be Left Unattended Never leave a fire unattended. Gas fireplace owners simply need to turn their fireplace off before leaving the room. Owners of homes with wood-burning fireplaces must, however, wait until the fire is little before putting it out because water cannot do it.  Only Burn Seasoned Wood Wood that has dried out and cracked is seasoned wood. It is excellent for chimneys since it burns more cleanly and more easily than green wood. Homeowners with fireplaces that burn wood should always have seasoned wood on hand to use in their fireplace. Green wood cannot be burned until it has dried.  Sweep Your Chimney To get rid of soot and debris, sweep your chimney at least once a year. A dirty or obstructed chimney will eventually start a house fire in addition to preventing Santa Claus from flying down to distribute presents. You can clean your own chimney if you have the appropriate equipment.  According to studies, some buyers are ready to spend up to $1000 more for homes that include fireplaces, so having a fireplace will benefit you if you ever decide to put your house on the market.
 Many risks exist at home that we might not be aware of because, in most cases, we take house safety for granted. We have no idea that this might result in serious catastrophes. Some Home Dangers That You Might Not be Aware Of Structural Damage
Electrical Issues Absolutely nothing is wrong with owning or residing in a house that is more than a few decades old. The electrical system of the house must be modern, nevertheless. Electrical systems in older homes are frequently unground and/or underpowered to meet modern household demands. Electrical systems that are improperly grounded can result in dangerous household dangers like fires, shocks, and electrocution. Flickering lights, power outages, and other issues can be brought on by inadequate electrical components. Mold
Plumbing Issues The inspector will examine each drain pipe, spigot, and faucet in the residence. Before they finish their report, they should make sure there are no plumbing problems. This includes:
Pest Infestations
Bad Foundations Your home's foundation is even more crucial than its structural supports. Your home's alignment will be impacted if your foundation is shifting. Your flooring will eventually slope, sag, crack, and do other things. Moreover, the walls and ceilings may have cracks. Repairing foundations that have shifted is incredibly difficult and expensive. Wood-Burning Fireplaces
  When Should You Get A Pre-Listing Inspection? A Pre-Listing Inspection is useful because it allows the seller to be proactive in uncovering, understanding and repairing any issues with their homes or may not have been aware of. This is recommended at least 45-60 days before they intend to list their home on market so they can have enough time to conduct maintenance and make repairs.  Benefits of Pre-Listing Inspection to Sellers: 1. Allows the Seller to make Pre-Listing Repairs A Pre-Listing Inspection will identify issues that the seller may not know about, like leakage in their crawlspace, roof damage, insect or wood destroying organism infestation and many more, allowing the seller to make repairs before listing.
3. Helps the Seller Accurately Price the Home Sellers who do not wish to fix the issues revealed during the inspection can factor the repair costs into the asking price of the home and explain to buyers that while the home has certain issues, they will be getting it at a lower price as a result. Conversely, sellers who decide to make repairs or who come up with a clean home inspection can elevate their asking price.
5. Makes the Seller More Trustworthy By disclosing any issues in advance , the buyers can feel confident they are making a deal with a trustworthy person who is not trying to hide anything.  Benefits of Pre-Listing Inspection to Buyers1. Gives Buyers Access to Information A pre listing inspection gives buyers access to information about the home that they would not have received otherwise . It allows buyers to understand the full scope and condition of the home they intend to buy , giving them the ability to make an informed and educated decision .
3. Emphasizes the Importance of Regular Inspection and Maintenance Many buyers believe that their home only needs to be inspected upon purchase , but that could not be further from the truth . In fact , it's recommended that a home should be inspected once every three years in order to ensure safety and durability. Benefits of Pre-Listing to Agents 1. Helps Them Market the Home Even when issues are revealed, it still helps the real estate agent market the home because they can be completely transparent with the condition of the home .
3. Aids in Smoothly Brokering The Deal
A Pre-Listing Inspection will eliminate this last minute rush as buyers , sellers and agents will be aware of issues far in advance of these negotiations. As a result, the deal is more likely to go smoothly and be closed in a timelier manner.  What is a Galvanized Pipe? Steel pipes that have been coated in zin are known as galvanized pipes. This was done to prevent corrosion and rust. Before 1960, this was commonly installed in homes as an alternative to lead pipes. Why is it a Potential Issue?
Problems Cause by Galvanized Piping Ways to Prevent and Solve This Issue
 What is an Aluminum Branch Wiring? This is a type of electrical wiring that uses aluminum electrical conductors which were used in residential construction or houses. Around the late 1800s to early 1990s, utility companies used aluminum wires for electrical transmission in power grids because it has advantages in cost and weight compared to copper wires. Risks in Houses with Aluminum Branch Wiring: 
What Can You Do To Avoid This? 1. Rewire the house completely with copper wires. Frankly, this is an expensive method and is impractical but this is most effective because this removes all aluminum wiring from the home 2. "Pig-tailing" method. This is being done by splicing a short length of copper wire (pigtail) to the original aluminum wire and then connecting the copper wire to the existing electrical device. 3. Applying Oxidant Paste. This method is appropriate for multi-stranded wires or wires that are too large to be crimped effectively.   Before knowing these benefits, you need to know first the responsibilities of a home inspector. Read on! Responsibilities and Duties:
Advantages of Being Hope Home Inspections' Home Inspector  Investment in Professional Development - Reimbursement for Education Training - Reimbursement of Professional Organization Dues - Opportunities for promotional growth within the company Administrative Support - Inspection Scheduling - Handling customer complaints - Fielding questions and concerns - Monitoring client emails, calls, voicemails, and text messages - Managing agreements and payments - Insurance and payroll taxes covered my company Technology - Company vehicle - Mobile App for easy field report writing - Online Scheduling, drive time maps - 24/7 call center - Reliable tools and Infrared cameras - Company cell phone Marketing - Website - Printed Materials - Company signed Uniforms and vehicles - Social Media Marketing - Email campaigns - Agent events  Before getting your Home Inspector's License, there are things you need to do first. We'll break it down to you step by step.
 The fee for the proctored exam is $125.00, which is paid to Inspector Outlet. There is no additional fee at the office. Exam Categories and Percentage Minimums You can expect the following categories to be on the exam:
If you fail in one category by answering less than 50% of the questions in that category correctly, you will receive a failing score for the entire examination. You must receive an 80% or greater in all exam categories to pass the entire exam.  Buyers these days prefer buying newly constructed homes rather than pre-owned houses. There are several reasons like location of the house, budget, etc. Due to these, buyers need to know the pros and cons of buying a newly constructed home.  What are The Characteristics of a Newly Built Home?
This means no one has ever lived in and everything inside is brand new. No clogged sink, no broken tile, no black spots on ceilings or wall, nor any signs of usage. Everything should be spick and span. 
Newly built home are being transferred from the builder to the buyer, unlike older or pre-owned homes where the transaction goes from the owner or the seller of the house to the buyer. 
One year warranty is being offered by the builder to cover any needed repair usually a year after you moved into the house.  Pros of New Construction Cons of New Construction Some home owners might think that since their house are newly built, it's flawless. Well, you might be wrong. Not because your home is brand new, doesn't mean that it's spotless.  Three Reasons Why You Should Have a Home Inspection on New Constructions:1. Save Money  You might not worry about these because you have a Builder's Warranty, however, it's best to check any issues before it can turn into bigger problems and bring damage to your home. It would be smart to have it checked earlier rather than waiting 10-12 months before getting anything fixed. 2. Peace of Mind  Some buyers choose to buy new construction houses to avoid issues commonly found in older houses. Despite this, we still can't avoid the fact that builders are humans and they can't avoid making mistakes. To have peace of mind, you need to have your new home inspected before moving in. This could give you tranquility and not think that your sink will be clogged while you're washing your dishes. 3. Prevent Disasters We can't deny the fact that builders have the necessary skills to build your dream home, but issues can't be avoided and these can cause disasters in the long run. Here are some common defects found during new construction inspections:  To sum it all up, your house is one of your investments so you should think wisely and have it inspected before it's too late.
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