A home inspection allows you to see the safety and functionality of the home. It gives you confidence in the condition of the home before you spend a hefty amount on it. So, getting the home checked by a qualified and experienced home inspector is very important before you make the big move.
Usually, a home inspection is done to find out potential problems in areas like:
- External conditions & surfaces like rooftops and more.
- Plumbing systems of the house.
- Heating & cooling systems.
- Big appliances like boilers, dishwashers, and waste disposals are checked.
- Garage, walls & driveways.
- Water warmers, heaters, smokestacks, and cooling are checked.
- Conditions of all the major components from the roof to the basement.
To thoroughly check and inspect all these areas, you need good equipment and tools. However, a simple flashlight and an electrical tester would be enough to carry out the basic inspection. But you need many more tools to get a detailed report on the condition of home.
For the safety of the inspectors, a respirator is a must. When the inspectors need to enter the areas containing materials that can release the particles into the air are dangerous for the health if inhaled. The respirators must be capable of filtering out hazardous particles like bacteria and other fungal organisms. The safety glasses and gloves should be kept in the home inspection kit by default because they are almost necessary for every step.
The inspectors might also use many other types of equipment because they need them to offer an inspection service of higher quality. For instance, tools like infrared cameras and moisture meters are needed to identify the loopholes that cannot be done visually. These are not the must-have tools but they will help the inspectors to provide a better service to the customers. A torch and a couple of tools are not what you should look for in a home inspection, look for a variety of tools they use and know how it can help to detect the potential loopholes.
Apart from providing the quality of inspection, you might need a few tools to carry out the inspection smoothly and easily. For instance, telescopic ladders can be dismantled and carried through a home with less risk of colliding with furniture or walls. So, inspectors can use whatever equipment they want to enhance the quality of service being provided.
Tool List for Home Inspectors
- Ladder: Inspecting a home means checking every nook and corner of it. This includes everything from the basement to the roof and attic. To ensure you reach all the areas, the ladder is a must-have tool.
- Flashlight: Probably one of the most important tools for a home inspection. With the help of a flashlight, you can detect water stains and other defects which you couldn’t see otherwise.
- Moisture meter: This is used to find out moisture stains on ceilings and fans. The moisture meter can also tell if the stain is active with moisture are not.
- Voltage multimeter: This helps you check the voltage and electricity-related issues. This also checks the continuity of the wiring by preventing shocks.
- Gas detector: Gases like radon and carbon monoxide are dangerous and can cause serious health problems. You cannot find the presence of these gases through smell. So a gas detector can quickly inspect air and find out dangerous gases.
- Screwdrivers: Although this is a basic tool, you must have this in your home inspection tool bag. It is used for removing electronic panels and can have you access the different parts of the house.
- Icepicks: It is useful when probing for suspected deterioration. But you must ensure to insert the point in a safer place like a cork or rubber stopper.
- Pocket knife: Along with the screwdriver, a pocket knife is also an essential tool for any cutting purposes during the inspection.
- Respirator: while you are inspecting areas such as attics and basements, you never know how the quality of the air changes. There might be sudden leakage of any harmful gas. So, in these conditions, a respirator can protect you.
- Camera: Through taking pictures, you can report the condition of the home very accurately. Along with the phone, a high-quality camera can help you find the damage effectively.
- Gloves: To help you protect your hand through the entire home inspection process, gloves are mandatory. You cannot afford to touch the electric wires and other stuff with bare hands. So, it’s always good to carry a pair of gloves alongside you.
- Toolbag: Although this is obvious, we are putting everything together. You need this tool bag to carry the tools from one place to the other during the inspection.
- Tablet: For report writing, it is easier to carry an electronic gadget rather than a pen and paper. Tablets will be more flexible than laptops because they can be carried easily. So, it will be easy for you to take notes.
So, these are some of the must-have home inspection tools that you must carry with you while you are inspecting any home. Along with these, tape measures, telescoping magnets, tool pouch, thermometer, and microwave tester can also be helpful in the process. We hope this article helps you in picking the right tools that can help you in the home inspection process.
