What is a Home Inspection?
By definition, a Home Inspection is a visual inspection of the structure and operating components of a home.  However, there is much, much more to it than that.  At Cardinal Home Inspection our goal is to not only thoroughly inspect your home, but to Inform you about your home.  How do you work the irrigation system?  How often should you have your air conditioner serviced?  That furnace Looks Good.... Is it?  What shouldn't I put in my septic tank?   What is that little button on my electrical breaker?   There are many very important items to consider when purchasing a home and just as many myths to go along with them.   We pride ourselves on providing you with the important answers you need to determine how to operate and maintain the systems in your home.  And, our commitment goes on long after the sale.  We provide our contact information for you for any questions that you may have long after you close on your home.  We have built many relationships over the years from customers that call just to ask a simple question to those looking to build a new wing on their home.  We are always available for your assistance, even after you close, for no additional charge.

All homes have issues.   Yours does, your neighbor's does, and our homes do too.  Some are minor while others are major.   Building materials dry and shrink after construction, roofing systems fail, pipes leak and some sub contractors don't complete a job as promised.   Not all sellers crawl through their attics, inspect their electrical wiring, or have the knowledge to know what to look for.   And let us not forget, Home Depot's slogan of "You can do it, we can help", does not apply to everyone.   A tremendous amount of issues that we discover are from people who did not have the ability to perform a reapir or upgrade to a home.   A professional home inspection guarantees the security for the buyer and the seller.

Electrical issues are the number one cause of house fires in America.  Faulty wiring, either the fault of the installer or general age can be a major expense or worse.  Many simple electrical violations may be a major concern and safety issue, which may not be identified until an accident occurs.   Having a professional home inspection eleminates these unforseen events by thoroughly inspecting your interior and exterior electrical panels, as well as every electrical receptacle in your home.  Ground fault receptacles, arc fault breakers, electrical service disconnects.  Is your home supposed to have any of these?  If it does, are they present and most importantly,do they work?   Let us provide these answers and many, many more for you so you can keep your family safe.

The Roof Looks Great!   That was the statement made by a very prominent and respected local Realtor during one of our recent home inspections.  However as it turned out, the roof was the original roof installed in 1986!   The roof did Look good, From the Ground!  However, it was past the end of its average useful life and needed replacement.  Over five roof leaks were identified on that home and the shingles were to brittle and worn to repair.  The sellers wound up replacing the roof for the buyers.   Now, the Realtor was just as shocked as the buyers, she is a very good Realtor and meant well (she did recommend a home inspection) but that is exactly the point of a home inspection, to inform you about exactly what you are buying and prevent any unexected suprises!   Your Realtor looks at homes all day long, some have sold homes all their lives, but they are not inspectors.  They are experienced at customer service and locating the right home for you and negotiating the best price.  Trust them in  this area, however truly trust them when they tell you to have a home professionally inspected.  Its for their benefit, yours and the sellers.