For many, purchasing a home is one of the largest financial commitments were likely to make.  There are many factors to consider and risks can be significantly reduced through a professional home inspection which includes over 400 items which include: Roof, Attic, Electrical, Plumbing, Foundation, Windows/Doors, Basements/Crawl Space, Heating/Air Conditioning and more.  We also suggest that you give particular attention to the following and often overlooked health hazards: 

The EPA has identifies Radon gas as an invisible and odorless radioactive gas forming from the decay of uranium and radium, elements that are naturally present in rock and soil.  Radon can concentrate in basements and other unventilated indoor areas built into the soil , as in the case of basements . Indoor accumulations of radon pose a serious health hazard. When radon breaks down, it produces charged particles that adhere to dust and other fine matter that can be inhaled by people.  The radioactive particles which become trapped in your lungs as you breathe and the radon gas particles break down releasing bursts of radiation that damage or destroy lung tissue which can cause lung cancer... long-term exposure may even cause death.  According to the U.S. EPA,  Environmental Protection Agency "One out of every fifteen homes in the United States has dangerously high levels of radon gas."  Radon gas contains radioactive particles which become trapped in your lungs as you breath.  The radon gas particles break down releasing bursts of radiation that damage or destroy lung tissue which can cause lung cancer... long-term exposure may even cause death.  Studies by the EPA indicate that radon may cause up to 21,800 deaths from lung cancer each year in the United States.   

Lead poisoning in young children may produce permanent neurological damage, including learning disabilities, reduced intelligence quotient, behavioral problems and impaired memory.  Lead poisoning also poses a particular risk to pregnant women.  The seller of any interest in a residential real property is required to provide the buyer with information on lead-based paint hazards from risk assessments or inspections in the seller's possession and notify the buyer of any known lead-based paint hazards.  Risk assessment or inspection for possible lead based paint hazards is recommended prior to purchase of all properties built on or before 1978.     

Homes built before 1978 may have asbestos present in various forms. The American Lung Association says the mineral fiber can only be positively identified with a special type of microscope. The fiber was added to a variety of products years ago to strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance. Click Here for  for guidelines on what to do if asbestos is present in your home.

There are two types of stucco siding to be aware of: cement-based "traditional" stucco and synthetic stucco. An inspection of the siding's application according to manufacturer's installation specifications is recommended. Synthetic stucco siding is commonly referred to as Exterior Insulated Finish System (EIFS). When considering a home with stucco exterior, we recommend an inspection be conducted to determine the condition of the siding. Hidden structural damage has been documented in synthetic stucco homes in 34 states. Moisture readings are taken to determine if the system has already experienced water intrusion. Click Here for more information on Stucco.

The one area that carries a lot of pollutants that most homeowners don't think much about is our drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency has a great website about water. Though the U.S. has the safest water supply in the world, there are still plenty of ways it can become polluted – industrial and agricultural run off, natural occurring pollutants and even byproducts from chemicals used to disinfect water.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and poisonous gas that results from the incomplete combustion of fuels such as natural or liquefied petroleum (LP) gas, oil, wood, coal, and other fuels. If you use natural gas as a heating source or to operate appliances, it would be wise to have CO detectors in your home. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has plenty of information about this device. Click Here for more information.

Often referred to by the blanket term “Mold”, but they are actually a combination of several different types of organisms. They are types of microbial contaminants, primarily fungal in nature.  To put it in its simplest terms – it’s similar to the mold you have seen growing on a piece of old bread. With one minor exception – some of these molds have been found to be toxic to humans and in high enough concentrations can become fatal.

Molds reproduce by forming and disseminating spores – sort of like little seeds that float around in the air until they find a suitable environment in which to grow. Their ideal environment is a warm, moist, and dark location. (The interior walls of houses can be ideal if moisture is present)  It is these airborne “spores” that create the problem.  These spores are typically present in the air that you breathe every single day, whether indoors or outside.  Normally – your body simply deals with them as it does any other foreign organism, with your natural immune system eliminating them.

The trouble seems to start when two situations occur – but only one or the other actually need be present for a problem to arise.  The first is a susceptibility to these “molds” that can be caused by a weakened or undeveloped immune system. The second is of course an inordinately high concentration of mold spores within the structure.

Newborn babies and young infants do not always have fully developed immune systems, hence – if a higher concentration develops in the house, their systems may not be able to overcome and/or eliminate the contaminants.  Seniors and those with respiratory ailments also tend to have weakened defenses and therefore have the same problem. It is primarily these two groups that have the highest rate of illness that can be attributed to these contaminants.

It has also been suggested that because these two groups also tend to spend a great deal more time in their respective homes – that they tend to have a much higher level of exposure.  This is not to say that these are the only two groups at risk. Anyone at any age can be affected, it is just that most of the cases of serious illness that have so far been attributed to these types of contaminants have occurred in these two groups.

The illnesses that these “molds” can cause can be quite varied. They can also be immune to antibiotics and other types of drug therapy. In some cases – the only means for saving the patients life have been surgical, including removing sections of lung, sinuses, and in severe cases even part of the face and nose. Click Here for more information.