- Report: #251047
Complaint Review: Dave McGann - Methuen Massachusetts
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Dave McGann
1 Osgood Street Methuen, 01844 Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Phone:
978-681 8759
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R. J. Inspections, Dave McGann My house inspector was the worst ever. Methuen Massachusetts
I had an inspection done on my house and he was the worst inspector ever. There was an electrical wire going from my house to the transformer attached to the telephone pole. The electrician took it off with his fingers; that is how rotted it was.
I was also told that my house was made of wood. Two years later when I noticed the paint was deteriorating, I found out that the house is made of a compressed wood roll siding, which deteriorates in the rain. Had I known it was not wood, I wouldn't have bought this house.
I contacted the inspector and he said, "Sorry, but you could have had somebody else come to the house to check it also. I said you are the house inspector. I paid you to inspect it." I guess people have to take courses in electrical, plumbing and roofing before they buy a house?
Patricia
Peabody, Massachusetts
U.S.A.
I was also told that my house was made of wood. Two years later when I noticed the paint was deteriorating, I found out that the house is made of a compressed wood roll siding, which deteriorates in the rain. Had I known it was not wood, I wouldn't have bought this house.
I contacted the inspector and he said, "Sorry, but you could have had somebody else come to the house to check it also. I said you are the house inspector. I paid you to inspect it." I guess people have to take courses in electrical, plumbing and roofing before they buy a house?
Patricia
Peabody, Massachusetts
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Patricia
Peabody,Massachusetts,
U.S.A.
Lousy Inspector
#2Author of original report
Sat, October 16, 2010
Homeowners aren't trained to notice this - inspectors are! That is why we pay them, right! It's funny how the inspector was fired shortly after. Maybe he's better off at Walmart!
The Grouchy Old Bastard
N. Marshfield,Massachusetts,
U.S.A.
Homeowner and Utility company responsibilities
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sun, July 20, 2008
First off, wood composite siding IS wood siding, it is made of wood chips, bound together with an adhesive, and formed into planks. Yes, it is different from solid plank lumber, but it not an unusual siding material at all. It is normally manufactured in 16 foot lengths to replicate the look of traditional solid wood siding, but at a lower cost to the consumer. Once fully painted, it is virtually indistiguishable from regular solid wooden planks. The only way to positively identify this material would have been to cut into the siding to view it's "core", or to pull a plank off the house to see the unpainted back side to detect if it was solid or composite planking. Since a normal home inspection is a visual check only, with no destructive type examinations as I just described, the inspector's ability to differentiate between the 2 types of planks would have been severely limited, to be fair to the inspector. The "down" side to this material is that it requires more diligent maintenance than regular solid plank siding, because it can absorb water in areas where the paint has worn off, or been chipped away. Once this composite material becomes wet it expands, and unlike solid planks, it does not shrink back to it's former size when it dries. When the expansion occurs the only way to repair the problem is to replace the plank. Since a home inspector can only report the conditions he found at the time of the inspection, it may have in good condition when he viewed it. Several years later when the problem occured it may have been a visible defect, but the inspector could not have seen it at the date of the inspection. The condition you reported would not have occured if the siding had been fully painted, with no areas exposed to weather. In all probability it is a matter of homeowner maintenance rather than the inspector failing to detect any problems with the siding. As far as the frayed electrical service line entering the house from the street, that is not considered part of a home inspsection, since the inspection is only about the wiring once it contacts the electrical mast, which is attached to the side of the house, and leads to the electric meter. The wire described in the complaint is the property of the utility company, and it is their responsibility to maintain that wire, and replace it if damaged. Since it is not part of the house being inspected, it was outside the scope of the inspection report. However, as a matter of courtesy, it would have been a good suggestion to call the utility company to report damage to their equiptment. I think that blaming an inspector for a problem that occured years after his inspection, that can only occur when a homeowner fails to keep the siding painted is extremely unfair. The second issue is not even part of the inspection. I don't believe the inspector was at fault in this case at all. Did you make it clear before the inspection to the inspector that composite siding was a deal breaker, and you wouldn't buy the house if it was used? If you have a particular concern about a house, it is your responsibility to bring it to the inspector's attention.
Thomas
Anderson,South Carolina,
U.S.A.
"I guess people have to take courses in electrical, plumbing and roofing before they buy a house?"
#4Consumer Suggestion
Wed, May 30, 2007
Well, yea, you should at least know the basics. Why? Because it is YOUR money on the line. Nobody else's money. Is this a good reason? I consider a house inspector to be my second set of eyes to spot whatever I had missed. And I do not miss much in my very first inspection before I ever consider making an offer. This avoids a lot of wasted motion involving (ultimately)useless offers and counter offers, a bank appraisal, inspection. Remember, you are well along in the purchase process when the inspector you hired does his thing. You want the inspection step to either CONFIRM your well-considered acceptance of the house, or serve as your last-minute "RESET" button. You do NOT want to rely on the inspection as a routine tool to save you from a bad purchase, because as you have found out the inspection can be a very dull tool. House inspectors come in many flavors, and I am careful whom I choose. Some seem to try to 'sell' you the house. Others write really scary reports about very minor issues. as they miss the one item I had spotted. For your siding, you might research wood preservatives and repair treatments. There are MANY for wooden boats, like "Git Rot" for salvaging rotted wood in boats. Three good coats of opaque exterior paint (see Consumer Reports) may avoid a lot of future problems.
