As the Atlanta Home Inspector I am constantly looking for ways and information to help home owners, and I ran across the following article:

Five Ways to Save Money While Improving Your Home’s Energy Efficiency

The warning letters have already started filling mailboxes across the country. This winter, Americans will face higher utility bills than ever before. While many will see their bills double, some costs will actually triple due to factors such as increased gas and oil prices and greater global demand.
While these factors are beyond your control, there are some steps you can take to improve your home’s energy efficiency; and reduce your costs.

1. Improve your home’s air quality and ventilation.
If your home does not have a ventilation system that provides for adequate air movement, add one that introduces fresh air to increase your comfort and adds to your energy efficiency.

Without adequate ventilation, your home’s heating and cooling systems need to work harder, meaning more energy and more money is required. Furthermore, uncirculated, stale air allows moisture, odors and pollutants to linger in your home. However, there is a solution.

You can eliminate all these problems effectively with the addition of a spot Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) which will provide tempered supply air, making the home more comfortable, while also efficiently yielding energy savings. The Panasonic WhisperComfort Spot ERV is the first ceiling insert ERV in the United States. It exhausts stale air from inside the home and replaces it with fresh air from outdoors, providing builders and homeowners with an affordable way to efficiently meet spot or whole house ventilation requirements.

For more information about the very affordable Panasonic WhisperComfort ERV,, visit www.panasonic.com/ventfans.

2. Check the insulation levels in your attic, exterior and basement walls, ceilings, floors and crawl spaces.

3. Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches and electrical outlets that can leak air into or out of your home. Caulk and insulate these energy wasting areas.

4. As appliances break down, replace old and inefficient models with ENERGY STAR rated units that require less energy to run. Also look for the ENERGY STAR rating when replacing heating and cooling systems.

5. Study your family’s lighting needs and usage patterns, paying special attention to high-use areas such as the living room, kitchen and outside lighting. Look for ways to use lighting controls, like occupancy sensors and dimmer switches to reduce lighting energy use. Also remember to systematically replace incandescent bulbs as they burn out with more energy efficient compact fluorescents and LEDs.

For more advice on how to save energy in your home, feel free to contact David at 404-788-2851 with IHI Home Inspections. He is a certified Energy Tune Up Inspector and provides Home Energy Inspections for a very reasonable fee.

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock,

Atlanta and all of North Georgia.

We are proud to offer our new FREE Home Concierge Services where one call does it all,

Satellite, Internet, Cable TV, Home Security, and Phone. Call 1-866-594-4871 and provide

them with access code 1008126. Call our Free Home Concierge Services to save time, save

money and simplify life!

You can also schedule your own home inspection today online.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our

inspection report.

Just recently the HB 1217 which set up the licensing of Home Inspectors in Georgia was pasted by both the House of Representatives and by the Senate. Governor Perdue chose to veto HB 1217. What does this mean to the average consumer? It means that anyone can claim to be an inspector without any training or knowledge. It also means that you as a consumer may call one of these inspectors and you will have no clue of their knowledge until they finish the report.

All four of the organized home inspector groups fought for this legislation because they understand that they cannot prevent harm coming to the consumer by untrained inspectors.

When calling an inspector for your home inspection, be sure and ask the questions located in our “7 Ways to Avoid the Blind Home Inspector” report.

I have been trained through Kapland ITA and passed the National Home Inspectors exam. I am a member of Nachi (National Association of Certified Home Inspectors) and attend continuing education classes often. I may not be the cheapest inspector in town, but I’m very comparable when you compare my pricing to others who have been trained and certified.

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia.

You can also schedule your own home inspection today.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report.

Did you know that as an Atlanta Home Inspector I check around 2000 items on each and every home inspection. So many times we are asked to cut our prices, give discounts and other things. The average home inspection takes me 3 to 4 hours to do the job properly, without being rushed. This does not include the time that I spent going over the report with the client or answering any questions they might have. So I thought I would give you an example in a series of some of the things that I check.

When I first arrive I stand back from the house or cross the street and look at the entire home. One of the things I look for is sloping sagging or anything that does not look just right. I also check the other homes in the subdivision to get an idea of age and if the one I am inspecting has been well maintained.

The next thing I begin to look at is the grading and drainage checking to make sure that all drainage is appropriate and not draining towards the house.

I also do a through check of the exterior walls, siding, openings (windows and doors) steps, decks and balconies.

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia.

You can also schedule your own home inspection online today!

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report.

As an Atlanta Home Inspector I want you to know that we are keenly aware that the real estate market has slowed down. And I know that You need to close every transaction you get so that You can achieve Your goals, and that our client has looked high and low for the perfect home.  I am out to make sure that the homeowner does not end up with the money pit or a financial nightmare and yet I don’t scare them purposefully.  When choosing IHI Home Inspections to do your home inspection you can count on me to do 7 key things and they are as follows:

1. I convey MY home inspection findings in a Neutral, Non-Scary manner. This DOES NOT mean that I over look things.  Every home has issues, and I let the client know if something is minor or if it is a safety issue.

2. I go out of my way to say Nice things about the house. I don’t just point out the negative items.

3. I make sure the client is 200% Satisfied with their work. I look high and low, I walk the roof when possible and go into the dirtiest of crawlspaces.

4. I ask myself; Does This Comment Have To Go On The Summary Pages? I have a separate maintenance summary for maintenance items.

5. I look sharp and have my vehicle looking sharp, so that I present the proper professional image to our client.

6. Make sure you get Zero Callbacks! I do a thorough job and explain my findings well. 

I guarantee you that you can count on ME to do a thorough inspection and to do everything possible to help You move your transactions forward!

So Give me A Call Today at 404-788-2581 or schedule online at http://www.ihihomeinspections.com & Let’s Get Your Next Inspection Scheduled!

David Lelak, an Atlanta Home Inspector was out doing an Alpharetta Home Inspection and found the issue where the electric wire coming directly into the home had a large gap all the way around where the wire came in. This is not a big deal; it is more of a maintenance issue. There are two reasons that you would want to seal around wiring or plumbing coming from the outside to the inside.

The first reason is to prevent entrance to insects and rodents. You don’t want these critters sharing your living space. The second reason would be to prevent heat or cooling loss, especially if the hole is in a conditioned area. A simple fix for this is to use a foam spray called Great Stuff. You simply spray it in and it expands to fill the cracks and holes.

Getting your home inspected by a certified home inspector can not only help with the major safety issues, but it can help with maintenance issues and energy efficient issues also.

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia.  Be sure to visit us at www.AskYourGeorgiaHomeInspector.com

You can also schedule your own home inspection online today.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report.

If you are concerned about the price of electricity and fuel going up then look at these energy saving tips from the Atlanta Home Inspector. When the price of heating fuel or electricity goes up, it means higher bills at home to keep temperatures comfortable. If you’re concerned with these issues then don’t just sit around your Alpharetta or Roswell home and look at the thermostat. You need to check and see if your home is sealed and insulated properly.

All openings in the walls, including windows and doors, can bring warm or hot air into the home and pull cool air out, causing your air conditioner to work over time. Sealing these areas with caulk or weather stripping can help prevent this problem. To test for weak areas, visually inspect the exterior of windows and doors. Focus on the area between the window trim and the exterior siding of the home. Any cracked or missing sealant should be repaired.

Inside, you can use a candle to check for drafty windows and doors. Hold a lit candle close to the window and door seams. If the flame bends, flickers or goes out it could be a sign of a draft. When caulking either the exterior or the interior of the windows, remember to move slow enough with the tube or caulking gun to fill in all the gaps completely. Always clean out the old caulking before adding new. I gave these same tips out while on a Roswell Home Inspection.

We are a certified Home Energy Audit technician through Home Energy Tune Up a CMC Energy Services company.

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia.  Be sure to visit us at www.AskYourGeorgiaHomeInspector.com

You can also schedule your own home inspection online today.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report.

David Lelak, an Atlanta Georgia Home Inspector protects himself and your investment by wearing protective gear into the attic. You might ask “How does wearing protective gear in the attic protect my home.” He protects your investment by not tracking insulation all over your home. If he tracked insulation out of the attic and down into your home, it is now in the air and settling onto your valuables. He wears a protective suit also to protect himself from getting the fibers into his skin. He goes to each and every corner of the home to look for things that would decrease the value of your home.

David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia.

You can also schedule your own home inspection online today.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time.

Also download our free report “How To Avoid The Blind Home Inspector” and a sample of our inspection report.

David Lelak with IHI Home Inspections, an Atlanta Home Inspection company reaveals issues that is found with a furnace and a water heater in this home. There is three different issues to worry about in this one video.

IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia. You can schedule your own home inspection today at www.ihihomeinspections.com
Be sure to visit us often at www.AskYourGeorgiaHomeInspector.com