Waukesha County Home

March, 2015

Homes Plus

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At a glance Hiring a contractor Homeowners looking to remodel should: 1. Ask for references and talk to past customers. 2. Meet the contractor face to face. "We all have an innate sixth sense. If you feel uncomfortable, run! If you have rapport and respect, and a home problem, he's going to fix it." 3.Try to see the work a contractor has done in per- son. Don't just look at the pictures. "You can copy and paste stuff on a picture." 4. Be leery of contractors who sharpen their pencils, if you're hesitant about their first price.They might be cutting corners with materi- al or padding the bill in the first place. 5. Know there's no substi- tute for experience. — Tom Dempsey, Wisconsin Association of Home Inspectors — secretary of Milwaukee Chapter HOMES PLUS MARCH 2015 2 241310074 and all the windows have condensation on them. And it's built in 2006." OK, now the clues for mold seem obvious when Demp- sey lists them like that. "The first clue was con- densation. ... I see a humidis- tat. ... The fans are noisy. Why? They're too small (because the moisture's excessive). "You know the problems by seeing so many over the years," said Dempsey, an inspector for almost 20 years and secretary of Wisconsin Association of Homes Inspectors — Milwaukee Chapter. And what experience can't ferret out, flexible probe inspection cameras can. "You can put a probe-type camera down a drain, for example, or you can drill a hole and put a camera in a wall," Anundson said. "You can do thermal scanning for perhaps why you're getting condensation or mold on a wall." And as Dempsey notes with that house less than 10 years old, the problems aren't always with old homes. Each era has its problems, going back to asbestos and lead paint. With newer homes, the materials work in a set lay- out and meet code but not always best practices for the industry, he said. So be aware before knocking down walls. "Some of the new houses today, you can poke your fin- ger through the drywall," Dempsey said. With experience, each era's unique flaws can be almost anticipated, he said. Structures, materials, code and accompanying practices seem to run in 15-, 16-year cycles, he added. "There's nothing like ex- perience," Dempsey explain- ed of knowing those cycles. But there's always the pos- sibility of missing some- thing. "That's our least favorite occurrence," Anundson said. "If we find some things that are undiscovered, we charge only our cost plus a little because we don't want the homeowner to be taken advantage of." While there may be a proj- ect contingency fund, Anundson said it's often used for upgrades and not unwanted surprises. "We all want to save money. Even customers who say they don't worry about budgets don't mean it," he said. Contact: Dan Muckelbauer dmuck@conleynet.com Submitted photo Good bones is what every homeowner wants in their house, as seen at the start of this project with the finished kitchen on page 1. A little detective work in the beginning can help achieve the dream. Continued from Page 1 Home Inspection "You can put a probe-type camera down a drain, for example, or you can drill a hole and put a camera in a wall.You can do thermal scanning for perhaps why you're getting condensation or mold on a wall." – Tom Dempsey, Owner of Shamrock Building Inspection Consultants in Pewaukee

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