Air flow plays an important role in the health and comfort of your house. A well-ventilated home has fresh air circulating, while a poorly ventilated one traps air inside, contributing to dampness, stale air and mould.
House inspectors combine subjective observation from years of experience with more technical checks to assess a property’s insulation. If you want to buy a home in Tauranga, Cambridge or the Bay of Plenty, here’s some of the ways the team at Straight Up Inspections will look into ventilation.
That fresh air feel
Property inspectors visit so many homes that we have an excellent sense of indoor air quality as soon as we step into a house. We notice when the air is fresh and clean, free of dust, food and cleaning product smells. This first impression on air quality gives us an idea about what we’ll find when we dig a little deeper.
Condensation clues
Poorly ventilated homes usually suffer from condensation, especially in winter. This happens when hot air condenses and collects on surfaces, so streaking windows, musty smells, peeling wallpaper and damp spots on walls are sure signs that air isn’t being well circulated.
Signs of mould
Your property inspector will certainly be on the look-out for one of the biggest red flags of a poorly insulated home: mould. While visible mould on walls and ceilings makes our job easy, we are also looking for mould and mildew hidden in the walls.
Rangehoods, showers and dryers
Home inspectors will very carefully inspect the three rooms that are big moisture contributors – kitchens, bathrooms and laundries. We want to make sure that rangehoods, bathrooms and dryers are vented outside.
Subfloor and roof space inspections
When we crawl underneath the house or climb into the roof space during a property inspection, we are looking for many things, not least of all information on the home’s ventilation.
Moisture-level readings
While fresh air and no signs of mould are a promising sign, home inspectors aren’t leaving anything up to chance. We use a moisture-metre to measure moisture levels in various parts of the house, giving us certainty on the house’s dampness.
The house is damp! What next?
While a poorly ventilated home is not necessarily a reason to run away from a home you love, it is important to know what you are in for and consider the cost of repairs and ventilation systems before buying the house.
To discuss ventilation and house inspections in Tauranga, Cambridge, Katikati, Rotorua and Whakatane, give Straight Up Inspections a call – 027 5353248. We offer same day building reports or your money back.
We offer a professional, same day inspection service.
Your builders report will be emailed the same day.
