A House Physical ?
All individuals should attend a physician for a regular check up. All motor vehicles should also have a regular check up. Well, a house is no different; with the many systems that comprise a home, a regular check up is also essential. Brian Dewar Custom Installations have put together a comprehensive "Home Upkeep Checklist" with more than fifty items, taking approximately four hours to assess. All the items inspected will help ensure a safe and healthy home.
The "Home Upkeep Checklist" starts with a low level (60ppm) Carbon Monoxide detector testing of the furnace room. With the changes in building code, keeping in mind that the building code strictly means the lowest possible standards and nothing more, thousands of homes today have exhaust venting for natural gas burning products that do not meet code. Most people are not aware of the dangers caused by black vent pipes (once the minimal standard, but which no longer meet building code) because they are falling apart at the glued joints and potentially leaking Carbon Monoxide. Most commercially available CO detectors measure at much higher levels 300-600ppm.
The "Home Upkeep Checklist" also include an assessment of air flow from all furnace vents, plus air flow into and out of the home. All visible plumbing is checked for leaks. Trip hazards are identified. A visual inspection of the foundation, floors, walls, duct work, and electrical systems (panels and junction boxes are not opened). The GFI (ground fault interrupter) found in all new home bathrooms is tested with a wiring tester (simply pressing the test button only tests the GFI device and not the electrical wiring). To date, Brian Dewar Custom Installations has found at least two improperly wired GFI devices that could potentially lead to electrocution.
From here, the "Home Upkeep Checklist" covers many more items (followed up by a written report). While Brian Dewar Custom Installations can remedy many problems, those beyond our abilities or specialization will be appropriately referred.
