Athenia Home Inspectors, LLC

Phone: (404) 447-4677
FAX: (800) 503-9952
PO Box 3644 
Alpharetta, Ga. 30023

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Hello! My name is George Font and I am an ASHI certified home inspector


We do residential Home Inspections for;
New Construction
Resale
Pre Listing
Re modeling
Foreclosures
and
Short Sales


Radon Sampling


Its That Time Of The Year. Time To Get Your House Ready For The Cold Weather

Filters should be checked monthly and maintained as necessary. For the best result seek HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters. Although more expensive than regular filters, these will help clean the air while your system is running and keep the inside of your ducts and evaporator cleaner. A good HEPA filter can remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 micrometers in diameter from the air you breathe. This type of filter will pick up mold spores and many air born allegiant. This is the time of year you and your family will spend a lot more time indoors.

For more information goto http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEPA

Your house is one if not the largest investment you will make in your life. It cost less to maintain your house than to fix things as they good bad. It can also mean the difference of selling the house quick and profitably or taking a long time to sell and then only at a significant reduction in price. If you have any questions please feel free to call us. 404-447-4677/

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Do you know that nine out of ten people in Atlanta are not from Atlanta..?

Do you know that houses in Atlanta and Georgia are not constructed to resist or support heavy snow loads as in the north east.

Do you know that in Atlanta, houses do not need to be constructed to resist California type earthquakes, wild fires or hurricane winds like in Florida and the gulf coast States or hail impact like in Texas?

Construction in Atlanta and the State of Georgia can be very different than other parts of the United States and other parts of the world. This is not a problem. But do you know what those differences are?

Do you know that a four sided brick house may not necessarily be a brick house?

Do you know that a Stucco covered house is not a concrete structure?

That Louisiana Pacific siding is not necessarily a bad thing.

Plastic plumbing is not bad. But do you know what Polybutylene is??

Please be aware that this does not mean that houses in Georgia are defective or bad, it just means that they may be different than what you are accustomed to and there is a lot you need to know.

The growth of the last ten years has made it necessary for mass production techniques to be used in the construction industry to meet growing demand. This has resulted in house construction that can vary from excellent to not so great. The variance in construction can be due to the county the house was constructed in, the workmanship, the knowledge of the construction crew, materials used and age of the house or code in effect in the county or city at the time of construction. Some additional factors that affect a house are the geography, lot drainage and how the owner or owners took care of the property. So how does a buyer know what they are buying or for that point, how does a seller know what he is selling. At the moment of sale is the the time to find out your house as significant problems.

These are some of the reasons I established Athenia Home Inspectors, LLC. This allows me to do something that is needed and that allows me to continue with my passions for helping people. I have more than 30 years of customer service experience. This is why I became a home inspector.

Why is a house inspector needed?

The only people that can help you are well trained and experienced professional home inspectors. Why? Well let me tell you why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH7eq3ET4rI&feature=player_embedded

In Georgia there are over 158 counties in the state and some of these counties have various cities, each with its own construction ordnance and code enforcement office? Which means the builders and contractors needs to know the local construction ordnance, the Georgia state mandated amendments to the local ordnance and the International residential code.

Are you aware that in 2007 the first law requiring a contractor or builders to be licensed was passed. Until then, the state had no laws on the books that required a contractor to meet a minimum standard that would safeguard the public and assured the knowledge of the construction contractor or builder. The results, people that should have never been allowed to work, in the construction industry, worked.

Do you know the only requirement by law for home inspectors is the inspector must produce a written report? The law does not state how the report should be laid out or what the report should include. I know people that have received a piece of paper with a written OK and a signature and charged $300.00 for a 30 minuet inspection.

I am an ASHI certified house inspector and so are the people that work with me. You can validate my certification by using this link. http://www.homeinspector.org/membershipdirectory/details.aspx?id=9QJ6r42TriU=

What is ASHI??

Well first let me tell you a bit about professional home inspections. Home inspections were first performed in the mid 1950s, and by the early 1970s were considered by many consumers to be essential to the real estate transaction. The escalating demand was due to a growing desire by home buyers to learn about the condition of a house prior to purchase. Meeting the expectations of consumers required a unique discipline, distinct from construction, engineering, architecture, or municipal building inspection. As such, home inspection requires its own set of professional guidelines and qualifications. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) formed in 1976 and established the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics to train and guide home inspectors and help buyers and sellers make real estate transaction decisions based on accurate, objective and consistent information.

What are the ASHI Standards of Practice?

The ASHI Standards of Practice were created as a consistent guide for home inspectors in the performance of their inspections. Subject to regular review, the Standards of Practice reflect information gained through surveys of conditions in the field and of the consumers’ interests and concerns. Vigilance has elevated ASHI’s Standards of Practice so that today they are the most widely-accepted home inspection guidelines in use and are recognized by many government and professional groups as the definitive standard for professional home inspection performance.

What is the ASHI Code of Ethics?

The ASHI Code of Ethics stresses the home inspector’s responsibility to report the results of the inspection in a strictly fair, impartial, unbiased and professional manner, avoiding conflicts of interest at all times.

Selecting the right home inspector can be as important as finding the right Realtor and home.

To be certified, as an ASHI certified home inspector the candidate must pass the National Home Inspector Examination. http://www.homeinspectionexam.org/test_policies.php

This is the same examination used by many States to license state home inspectors. This exam is taken in a proctored environment with only a few pieces of paper and a pencil. This examination is paid for by each inspector candidate. This is not part of the ASHI membership fee.

Beware, in other certification programs, a person can take the exam at home, on the web, open book and as many times as needed to pass without any cost beyond membership.

In addition to all this, in ASHI the candidates are required to pass a code of ethics and standards of practice examination. The ASHI code of ethic and standards of practice are the principles used by all ASHI certified inspectors. Many States have used this Code of Ethics and Standard of Practice to establish their own State professional standard, ethics and licensing requirements. The ASHI code of ethics and standard of practice are open to open review; http://www.homeinspector.org/docs/standards.pdf Violation of these can lead to the loss of certification.

Since passing an exam only verifies and validates knowledge, ASHI requires that an inspector have a minimum of 250 paid inspections to assure experience. No one can be certified by ASHI unless they have had over 250 paid inspections. Once these 250 minimum inspections are attained, ASHI will request that 50 inspections be given to the certification committee. This is a committee of senior ASHI judges. They will review the inspections to assure the inspector is following ASHI standards of practice. An inspector will not be certified until the reports meet ASHI standards.

Being an ASHI certified house inspector assures our clients, a minimum experience, the highest level of knowledge and a high standard of professionalism.

As an ASHI Member having performed no fewer than 250 fee-paid inspections in accordance with the ASHI Standards of Practice. We have passed written examinations, testing our knowledge of residential construction, defect recognition, inspection techniques, and report-writing, as well as ASHI’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. Once certified, the learning does not stop. Just paying the fee will not do. To assure we are kept up to date we must take a minimum of 20 hours of additional training every year. Membership in the American Society of Home Inspectors is well-earned and must be maintained.

In addition to our high professional standards, we strive to work and protect our Clients and Real Estate professionals. To do this we keep liability insurance. We have Supra lock box key access which requires the inspector to be sponsored by a Real Estate Broker. We have been trained on all the International residential code and hold membership with the International Code Council (ICC). The ICC are the people that publish the building codes we in the United Stated and Canada follow when constructing houses and buildings.

Regardless of all this, our inspectors are not in a hurry to leave. Remember a good house inspection should take no fewer than three hours, anything less is not a complete house inspection.

If you want an excellent home inspection, call us at Athenia Home Inspectors, our number is 404-447-4677, we have a passion for what we do. For us, this is not a job, it is an opportunity to help someone and gain a friend. There is no greater pleasure than helping someone and making a life long friend.


Why the Company is called Athenia?

Athena was the goddess for whom the Greek capitol city of Athens was named after. She was the goddess that symbolized, wisdom, craftsmanship, justice and righteous warfare. These are some of the values we believe in. We believe that a well crafted and maintained house will last forever. So we help our clients understand the house and how to take care of it. We help our clients gain the wisdom needed to take care of the house in a cost effective way. We seek to give our clients all the information, he or she can need to make an informed an profitable decision.

What is a home inspector?

A home inspection is a visual inspection of the structure and components of a home to find items that are not performing correctly or items that are unsafe. If a problem or a symptom of a problem is found the home inspector will include a description of the problem in a written report and may recommend further evaluation. All inspections in Georgia, by Georgia law, require a written report. Do not settle for less.

To see what a home inspection is all about go to this the American Society of Home Inspectors web site ; http://www.ashi.org/customers/vhi_tour.asp

If you want to know more, please read on

WHY IS A HOME INSPECTION IMPORTANT?

For the Home Buyer:

Emotion often affects the buyer and makes it hard to imagine any problems with their new home. A buyer needs an impartial home inspection to find out all the problems possible before signing a 30 year mortgage obligation. There can be many things in the house that can be going bad or be at the end of its useful life. Finding these now can give you the opportunity to get them repaired, replaced or ask for adjustment of the sale price and or closing cost. A good home inspection pays for itself by saving you money. Money that you will not have to spend because you found the defects before you signed.

For the Home Sellers:

More house sellers are choosing to have an inspection done before or when they first list their home for sale, for obvious reasons. You should have a home inspection for full disclosure and to avoid surprises. With a full disclosure you will have demonstrated that you did all you could do to reveal any defects within the home and what you did to correct it. Buyers are concerned with the “I DO NOT KNOW” on the disclosure form.

The second reason is simple. The inspection will help you make a higher profit on your sale by saving you money, problems and the time it takes to close on the sale. Remember, the longer the house takes to sell, the less profit you will make. Every month the house is on the market the flags go up and people wonder why. Each month is one more mortgage payment you will have to make and not get back.

The knowledge of defects gives you three choices. You can repair, replace and or disclose. This decision is yours and it will give you time to shop around for good contractors to repair and or you can determine what you can do yourself, saving you time and money. With the repair quotes you can decide to replace if the repair is too costly or you can decide to lower the price and disclose.

Remember that if the buyer has to find a contractor to make repairs or replace items the cost can sky rocket and your sale price can see a significant drop or the buyer can walk away and recover his or her earnest money, leaving you to wait for the next buyer, how many more months away? How many more mortgage payment away. Remember, once you put down a sale price you can not change it to recover the additional mortgage payments.

The cost of some repairs and the inspection combined can be less than a monthly mortgage payment.

WHAT IF THE REPORT REVEALS PROBLEMS?

All homes (even new construction) have problems. Every problem has a solution. Solutions vary from a very simple fix of the component to adjusting the purchase price. Having a home inspection allows the problem to be addressed before the sale closes or the buyer looses interest.

WHAT DOES A HOME INSPECTION INCLUDE?

At Athenia Home Inspectors we follow ASHI standards and code of ethics. A home inspectors report will review the condition of the homes heating system, central air conditioning system (temperature permitting), interior plumbing and electrical systems; the roof, attic, and visible insulation; walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors; the foundation, basement, and visible structure. We will offer additional services not included in a typical home inspection, such as mold and radon. All reports include diagrams of how things should be and lots of time, photos of what was found. For the handy man at heart, our report include links to web sites with additional information and how to do it sites.

WHAT SHOULD I NOT EXPECT FROM A HOME INSPECTION?

A home inspection is not protection against future failures. A home inspection is like a snap shot in time. Things breakdown in time, components like air conditioners and heat systems can and will break down. A home inspection tells you the condition of the component at the time the component was inspected. The age is given on many items so you can determine how much time it may have left in its life expectancy. For protection from future failure you may want to consider a home warranty.

A home inspection is not an appraisal that determines the value of a home. The home inspector will not tell you if you should buy this home or what to pay for this home.

A home inspection is not a code inspection, which verifies local building code compliance. A home inspector will not pass or fail a house. Homes built before code revisions are not obligated to comply with the code for homes built today. The home inspectors will report findings when it comes to safety concerns that may be in the current code such as ungrounded outlets above sinks. A home inspector thinks "Safety" not "Code" when performing a home inspection.

SHOULD THE BUYER OR SELLER ATTEND THE HOME INSPECTION?

It is often helpful to be there so the home inspector can explain in person and answer any questions. This is an excellent way to learn about a home even if no problems are found. We will be happy to tell you where things like. We will be happy to tell you where the main power, main gas and main water shut off is. We can tell you about some of the safety devices the house may have and suggest some that will be good to add. But be sure to give the home inspector time and space to concentrate and focus so he can do the best job possible for you

REAL-ESTATE AGENT CONSULTANT, AGENT OR BROKERS, CONSIDER THIS.

Why Get A Home Inspection?

When listing a home do you ever dread what is going to be found at your listings home inspection? Why do you risk this? Why not have the home inspected by the seller to avoid those bad surprises? Get the full information on our Sellers Inspection Program. This program is designed to get you to closing faster with fewer problems.

Buyers you are making a big investment

You are making a big investment and are depending on your agent to help you through this process. After finding the right home, the best thing you can do is make sure you get a home inspection. This is the only way to know what is happening or has happened the house. Remember the home owner and your real estate agent are not trained in house construction or building standards for this you need a house inspector.

Below are examples of some real inspection findings you can review to show why a professional home inspection is so important.

New Construction, Did you know that roof trusses can be damaged when they are field modified?


These trusses can not be field modified. Trusses are engineered products. Modifying them can weaken or damage the structure. Trusses can not be field modified without an engineering solution for the change.

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New construction - Defective roof rafters




New construction - Incorrectly Installed Water Heater are a safety hazard





Poor foundation repairs





Disconnected flutes are a fire and carbon monoxide hazard.




Foundation cracks can be the beginning of something worst and more expensive or nothing.






Polybutylene plumbing is a time bomb, sooner or later if will fail





Moisture damage to floor sheathing can be a sign of worst things waiting to happen.




Damaged floor sheathing






A poorly cut floor joist can weaken floor structures and can eventually fail




Loose toilets can cause a slow leak that can gradually rot the floor and the supporting joist.






Damaged rubber vent boots can allow water to enter the attic.






Can you determine if the stain on the roof sheathing is from and recent water leak or an old leak? We can.







Foundation that have been undermined by improper excavation can eventually fail causing major damage to the house





Natural gas leaks can be a hazard because it is both poisonous and explosive, do you have the tools to detect the problem? We do.





Roof damage may not be visible to the untrained eye






In Town Houses, the firewall may mean the difference from your house suffering damage in the unfortunate event your neighbors house has a fire






Insulation is extremely important in keeping your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Do you have the correct thickness?








How are the gutter and downspouts? They play a very import function in keeping the foundation of your house strong by moving the water away from the house







Bad remodeling [/left]

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And the list goes on!

Should newly remodeled homes be inspected?

Remember when ever you update a system or a room you must bring that room or system up to Code standards. Examples of this are GFCI.

Another advantage of an Internet seller inspection is it can be use as an Internet sales tool!!

Our sellers inspection report enables the real estate agent to create a "Hot Link" at their web site listing that will take the prospective buyer straight to the home inspection report with no diversions. The report is written in HTML and can be viewed over the Internet instantly.

A sellers inspection will virtually eliminate all the problems a buyers inspection can find and cause:

1. No more renegotiation.
2. No more deals that fall through when the home inspector finds a problem.
3. No more does the Seller have to deal with inflated cost estimates that cost him or her money.
4. The agent no longer has to spend countless hours and dollars in energy and advertising to get a contract that is "that will not close" because of surprise defects.

Knowing what defects are present at the initial listing creates benefits:

1. It will allow the agent and the Seller to discuss what items should be fixed and what should not.
2. It will substantiate your price, or may convince a Seller to rethink the asking price.
3. It will be full disclosure protection for the Seller and agent.
4. It will allow the Seller to shop around for the best price to repair (not an inflated price that a Buyer would use to make sure all is covered.
5. It streamlines the process.

How easy is selling a house with a sellers Inspection?

After the listing is signed, a sellers inspection is performed. If significant damage or defects are found, there will be disappointment, but hysteria or regret will be minimal or non existent. No deal about to go sour. The agent will discuss the problems with the Seller and will determine if this listing is "AS IS" with full disclosure, or if any repairs need correcting to expedite the sale. The Seller then corrects any problem areas, and calls for a re inspection of the home. The home inspector returns, cleans up the report, and uploads the revised report to the Internet for your web listing link. Next, a buyer enters a contract agreement with the Seller. The Buyer will choose to trust the home inspection or, will have another inspection performed. The transaction proceeds as planned. Everyone is happy.

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If you have any questions on the following topics, follow these helpful links;

You want to know more about Septic Tanks, go to:

http://extension.umd.edu/environment/Water/files/septic.html

If you need further assistance

BASIC RADON FACTS

Below are basic radon facts that you can use to get properly educated on the subject of radon.

What is Radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless gas that comes from deposits of uranium in soil, rock, and water. It is harmlessly dispersed in outdoor air, but can threaten human health when it accumulates in buildings. Radon is a radioactive decay product of radium, which in turn is a decay product of uranium. Uranium and radium are naturally occurring common elements in soil.

What are the Health Effects of Radon?

Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that radon causes 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths in the country each year. Radon can be inhaled into the lungs, where it undergoes radioactive decay. As it decays, radon releases tiny bursts of energy called alpha particles, which can harm sensitive lung tissue by damaging the DNA. This damaged DNA can lead to lung cancer.

Where is Radon Found?

The primary source of high levels of radon in homes is the surrounding soil. Hot spots include basements, first-floor rooms, and garages. Radon has been found in elevated levels in homes in every state, and EPA estimates that as many as one in 15 homes across the U.S. have elevated radon levels. No area of the country is free from risk.

How Does Radon Get Into My House?

Radon gas enters the same way air and other soil gases enter the home; through cracks in the foundation floor or walls, hollow-block walls, and openings around floor drains, pipes and sump pumps. The process begins when warm air in the home rises. When this happens in your home, it creates a vacuum in the lower areas of the house. Nature hates a vacuum, so something must rush in to fill it. In the case of your home, air seeps in from the soil around and under the house, and some air is sucked in through openings (cracks, doors, windows) on the lower levels.

How is Radon Measured?

Radon is measured in pico curries per liter of air (pCi/L), a measurement of radioactivity. The EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that homes with radon levels 4 pCi/L, or greater, be fixed.

How do I Find Out if My House has High Levels of Radon?

Radon test kits that meet EPA guidelines can be obtained from a radon testing company or laboratory. Get a listing from your state radon office or local health department by calling [insert state radon or health department phone number here].They are available at local hardware stores and home improvement stores. Testing your home for radon is as simple as opening a package, placing a radon detector in a designated area, and, after the prescribed number of days, sealing the detector back in the package and mailing it to a lab.

What Does it Cost to Lower Radon Levels?

The cost of making repairs to reduce radon depends on how your home was built and other factors. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs, like painting or having a new hot water heater installed. The average cost for a contractor to lower radon levels in a home is about $1,200.

How Can I Fix My House if it has elevated levels of Radon?

A variety of methods can be used to reduce radon in homes. Sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation is a basic part of most approaches to radon reduction. EPA does not recommend the use of sealing and caulking alone to reduce radon because, by itself, sealing has not been shown to lower radon levels significantly or consistently. In most cases, EPA strongly recommends installing pipes and fans to reduce radon. Radon reduction contractors may use other methods that may also work in your home, depending on its design and other factors. Look in your local phone book or call your state radon office to locate radon mitigators in your area.


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Links to Consumer Protection Information of the ASHI web site.

http://www.ashi.org/customers/alerts.asp


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Do you want to know more about home inspections?? Go to this link http://www.ashi.org/customers/vhi/vhi.htm or read more about why you need an ASHI Certified Home Inspector

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We use inspectors that are;
*ASHI Certified Members
*GAHI, ICC Certified Members
*National Home Inspector Certified
*Radon Certified by AARST
*Trained for Mold and Fungus testing
*ITA Trained
*Hablamos su lenguaje
*Lock box access
*Liability Insurance

We don't keep a full time staff and therefore do not have to keep fees high to support the extra manpower. People are contracted as needed. This keeps our expense and your cost low.

Athenia Home Inspectors
Helping you protect your family and your investments







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