What Toxins Can Home Inspectors Identify?

1. Asbestos

Once commonly used in home construction, asbestos is an incredibly dangerous substance that can cause asbestosis. This is a serious, chronic respiratory disease that is due to the aggravation of the lung tissues when the asbestos fibers are inhaled, potentially causing severe fibrosis or mesothelioma.

During the inspection, the home inspector looks at the home’s pipes in search of uninsulated ones that have white or gray insulation remnants on the fittings. They also check the seals on door gaskets for furnaces, wood stoves, and coal stoves, because many used asbestos and release the fibers over time. 

2. Carbon Monoxide

This lethal natural gas is created by a home’s heating system. It’s a byproduct of the combustion process needed to generate heat. However, when it’s inhaled, your body replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with the carbon monoxide, causing severe tissue damage or death.

While this gas is supposed to be vented out of the home, sometimes a leak occurs, which is very dangerous since it is tasteless and odorless. As such, the surveyor checks for signs like stale or stuffy air, soot, and smoke inside the house from a fireplace. They will also check how efficient the upward draft in the chimney flue is.

3. Mold

Mold growth in a home leads to a variety of health conditions like nasal stuffiness, throat, skin, and eye irritation, and coughing. While these effects are stronger on some people than others, mold in a home is never good and diminishes the property value. A home inspector can find it by looking for visible growth, a musty or damp smell, and signs of previous flood damage.

 

Make sure your home is safe from these harmful substances by calling the expert home inspectors at Fusco Engineering & Land Surveying, P.C., in Middletown, NY. For more than 35 years, this team of civil engineering professionals has helped keep homeowners safe by alerting them to the presence of these and other harmful toxins. They’ll perform a reliable and thorough inspection to pinpoint any concerns found in your home. Schedule an appointment by calling (845) 344-5863 or learn more online.