The home inspection industry is under the microscope these days thanks to a court case in British Columbia that held an inspector liable to the tune of $200,000.00. Apparently, the judge ruled that he missed some major flaws with the home that he should have seen and reported.
What strikes me when I witness a home inspection, and I've attended hundreds over the years, is their limited or complete non existent use of technology. Sure, they have terrific ladders. I've always loved their ladders. Some have really nice trucks. A few years ago, I saw one guy show up with a little laptop and a tinyi printer. He spent an hour and a half at the kitchen table fiddling with this darn printer... I could have throttled him. Last summer I attended an inspection in Whitby and the inspector had a generator in the back of his van so he could power his computer.
That's not the kind of technology I'm talking about. The moisture meter that measures dampness in basement walls is often used (should probably be used by everyone). They have a little electrical gadget that beeps when an outlet is not grounded (WARNING! WARNING! KNOB AND TUBE WIRING!). Yes, those are useful tools.
However, there are more devices available that may shed light on some of the "invisible" parts of the home. For example, there is a new tool that is being promoted within the real estate industry and if it works, it will add substantial value to the process. It's called a "thermographic inspection". Essentially, I've been told it is a special camera that scans a house and it is designed to pick up temperature differences on walls. The idea is to identify leaks that are not visible to the naked eye.
The company flogging this is called the Zoom Home and Mold Inspection Ltd. They claim:
"Infrared inspection can answer the following questions:
1. Are there any water leaks or water damages?
2. How significant the damage is?
3. Where the water is coming from?
4 Identifies signs of mold behind drywall, without extensive mold inspection or damage to drywall."
I have no idea if this does what they claim but if so, it sounds very valuable indeed.