Our Services
Buyers Inspection
Castle Home Inspection recommends that all buyers elect to have a home inspection performed on their new home regardless of previously gained knowledge about home maintenance and repair. Expert and unbiased eyes should be contacted to inspect your home to remove any uncertainty about the home’s true condition. First time home buyers will greatly benefit from having their new home inspected by the professionals at Castle Home Inspection.
Just one defect identified can easily justify the cost of a home inspection. When you make the call to Castle Home Inspection, you are not only hiring an inspector, but an ally in your quest to successfully purchase your dream home, We are working for you and we will not let anything compromise our abilities to professionally inspect your home.
Benefites of an inspection performed by Castle Home Inspection LLC
- Scheduling to fit your needs. Appointments 7 days a week!
- Industry leading report with full color photos
- Free ongoing consultations regarding home repair and maintenance
- 100% money back guarantee if your not satisfied with the inspection
- Peace of mind knowing your new home has been thoroughly and professionally inspected
- We follow the “Standards of Practice” outlined by the American Society of Home Inspectors
Sellers Inspection
All home sellers can benefit from a pre listing inspection. In today’s housing environment numerous properties for sale in your neighborhood can make it difficult to showcase your home to prospective buyers. Knowing the sensitive nature of these inspections, we will tactfully alert you to problem areas that will need repair or general maintenance.
A pre listing inspection performed by Castle Home Inspection LLC will make your home “inspector friendly”. Having firsthand information about areas which could delay the sale of your home will give you adequate time to complete the repairs. A pre listing inspection saves you money in the long run by allowing you to compare and get quotes from various contractors.
Single System Inspections
In some cases when buying, selling or re-financing you might just need to have a specific item inspected. At Castle Home Inspection we will gladly inspect and consult with you about mechanical appliances, structural integrity, and roofing concerns.
Condominium Inspection
Condo’s can be misunderstood as just an interior inspection. However, there are many instances where the owners are responsible for the exterior repairs. Be sure to ask your realtor what exactly the homeowners association covers. You may be responsible for roof repairs, siding replacement or even foundation repairs. These factors will determine whether we do a condo inspection or a full home inspection.
Radon Measurement
Radon measurement is essential to a home inspection. At Castle Home Inspection we are committed to test every home for radon. We are licensed by the State of Iowa Cert. # S00268 and we use RADALINK CRM, Telemonitors.
What you should know about Radon
Radon is a cancer causing radioactive gas. You cannot see radon and you cannot smell it or taste it, but it may be a problem in your home. This is because when you breathe air-containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.
You should test for radon. Testing is the only way to find out about your home's radon level. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing of all homes below the third floor for radon.
You can fix a radon problem. If you find that you have high radon levels, there are ways to fix a radon problem. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels.
If you are buying a home. EPA recommends that you obtain the radon level in the home you are considering buying. An EPA publication "The Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide" is available through most State Health Departments or Regional EPA offices listed in your local phone book. EPA also recommends that you use a certified or state licensed radon tester to perform the test. If elevated levels are found it is recommended that these levels be reduced. In most cases, a professional can accomplish this at reasonable cost or homeowner installed mitigation system that adheres to the EPA's approved methods for reduction of radon in a residential structure.
What are the Risk Factors?
The EPA, Surgeon General and The Center for Disease Control, have all agreed that continued exposure to Radon gas can cause lung cancer.
In fact, their position on the matter is that all homes should be tested for radon gas exposure, and all homes testing over 4 pCi/L should be fixed.
How Does Radon Enter the Home?
Typically the air pressure inside your home is lower than the pressure in the soil around your home's foundation.
Due to this difference, your house acts like a vacuum, drawing radon gas in through foundation cracks and other openings of your home.
Radon may also be present in well water and can be released into the air in your home when water is used for showering and other household uses.
Potential Entry Points:
- Cavities inside walls
- Cracks in solid floors
- Construction joints
- Cracks in walls
- The water supply
- Gaps in suspended floors
- Gaps around service pipes
Time of Transfer Septic Inspection
Castle Home Inspection LLC is a state licensed Septic Inspector Certification # 9111
Iowa's time of transfer septic system inspection law (SF261) was passed by the Iowa legislature in April of 2008 and took effect July 1, 2009. The new law requires that every home/building served by a septic system have that septic system inspected prior to the sale or deed transfer for the home/building. The purpose of the law is to eliminate sub-standard or polluting septic systems. A sub-standard septic system is one that has no treatment (secondary treatment) following the septic tank or has a secondary treatment system that has failed. These sub-standard septic systems pose an environmental and public health hazard and require repair. If you have a septic system with a septic tank AND a secondary treatment system such as a seepage (leach) field, sand filter or other approved device, and it is not creating a public health or environmental hazard, it does not have to meet current code. All inspections must be conducted by an inspector that has been certified by the department.
Everything that goes down any of the drains in the house (toilets, showers, sinks, laundry machines) travels first to the septic tank. The septic tank is a large-volume, watertight tank which provides initial treatment of the household wastewater by intercepting solids and settleable organic matter before disposal of the wastewater (effluent) to the drain field. For more information on septic systems click here
