Buying a house in Rancho Santa Margarita is a huge investment and you already know that you need a home inspection to understand the condition of the house and to protect your investment. We are the number one Rancho Santa Margarita home inspection company and have served this area for several years.

Why are we the number one Rancho Santa Margarita home inspection company? Simple, experience and Rancho Santa Margarita Home Inspectionvalue.  You will not find any home inspection company in Rancho Santa Margarita offering the home inspection value package, you get more peace of mind for the money.

You are welcome and encouraged to walk along with your Rancho Santa Margarita home inspector so that you can learn the inner workings of the house and its systems. We will prepare and email a home inspection report in a PDF format, complete with digital images and a narrative explanation of the issues as identified by your Rancho Santa Margarita home inspector. After you receive the report and have read through it do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have about your Rancho Santa Margarita home inspection, we are here to help.

After your home buying experience is over and you have had time to rejuvenate, be sure to enjoy all that the city of Rancho Santa Margarita California has to offer. Please visit the links below for more information about the city. Contact your Rancho Santa Margarita home inspector at 888-860-2688 to schedule your Rancho Santa Margarita home inspection.

Rancho Santa Margarita Website

Rancho Santa Margarita Schools

Rancho Santa Margarita Restaurants

According to The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, more than 2 million decks are built and replaced each year in North America.

InterNACHI estimates that of the 45 million existing decks, ONLY 40% are completely safe.

One of the most common defects I see during Orange County deck inspection is wood-to-ground contact deck inspectioncausing rot and deterioration. Another deck defect that appears to be common with Orange County home inspection is improper attachment or anchoring to the home.

Because decks appear to be simple to build, many people do not realize that decks are, in fact, structures that need to be designed to adequately resist certain stresses. Middle to large size decks can also become really expensive to repair if they go neglected for several years.

Like any other house or building, a deck must be designed to support the weight of people, snow loads, and objects. A deck must be able to resist lateral and uplift loads that can act on the deck as a result of wind or seismic activity. Deck stairs must be safe and handrails graspable. And, finally, deck rails should be safe for children by having proper infill spacing.

If your buying an Orange County home than it’s important to know your new home, deck, detached garage, patio, etc.. is safe. Hiring a professional home inspector is your first step to ensuring your new home is safe and in move in condition.

A deck failure is any failure of a deck that could lead to injury, including rail failure, or total deck collapse. Rail failure occurs much more frequently than total deck collapses; however, because rail failures are less dramatic than total collapses and normally don’t result in death, injuries from rail failures are rarely reported.

Here are some interesting facts about deck failures provided by InterNachi:

  • More decks collapse in the summer than during the rest of the year combined.
  • Almost every deck collapse occurred while the decks were occupied or under a heavy snow load.
  • There is no correlation between deck failure and whether the deck was built with or without a building permit.
  • There is no correlation between deck failure and whether the deck was built by a homeowner or a professional contractor.
  • There is a slight correlation between deck failure and the age of the deck.
  • About 90% of deck collapses occurred as a result of the separation of the house and the deck ledger board, allowing the deck to swing away from the house. It is very rare for deck floor joists to break mid-span.
  • Many more injuries are the result of rail failure, rather than complete deck collapse.
  • Deck stairs are notorious for lacking graspable handrails.
  • Many do-it-yourself homeowners, and even contractors, don’t believe that rail infill spacing codes apply to decks.

A proper deck inspection relies heavily on the professional judgments of the inspector. Signature Home Inspection always provide quality deck assessments as part of our comprehensive infrared home inspection.

Huntington Beach, or Surf City is one of the most desirable cities in the world to live. Home to world-renowned surf competitions, beach weather and fun in the sun, it’s no wonder why it’s such a hot spot.

Real estate is always desired in Huntington—one of the very reasons why properties hold their value. Even in a

huntington_beach_california

Huntington Beach, California

down economy, Home Inspections in Huntington Beach California are usually the last to see the hit and will be the first to get back on its feet.  Most of the properties within Huntington Beach were built-in the late 60s and 70s.  There are several new communities that have been built-in the last decade; the Peninsula, The Bluffs, and SeaCliff.

Huntington Beach has great retail shopping. Shopping centers all over Huntington Beach are being renovated and rebuilt. The current largest outdoor shopping mall in H.B. is located off Beach and Edinger in an area called Bella Terra. A brand new Costco has also opened it’s doors in north Huntington Beach.

Huntington Beach also offers some of Orange County’s best education. Some examples are Edison, Marina and Huntington High Schools.

The weather in Huntington Beach is generally in the 60s-70s during the fall/winter/spring with only a slight increase in the summer to about 80 degrees.  No matter where you are in Huntington Beach, you’ll always feel that wonderful ocean climate.

Welcome to our new and improved website.  We felt it was time to finally learn WordPress and built a new, modern website that would provide our customers with information about Orange County home inspections, you, our customer’s have been asking for.New Website

The purpose of the site is to be a useful source of home inspection information for the buyer/seller within Orange County, San Diego County and Los Angeles County.  Over the years, I’ve seen how other home inspectors interact with their clients.  I’ve monitored how I interact with clients.  Lastly, I remember purchasing my first home and the experiences of that process.  Taking all those things into consideration, I wanted to create a website that could be good for first time buyers to see how the home inspection process works and neighborhood information.  I want my clients to feel informed and understand the basic steps we take during the home inspection. Any home inspector can inspect a home, let us show you how our approach is different.  Click to see learn more that sets us apart from the average home inspector.

We hope you find the website to be user-friendly, useful and informative.  Feel free to contact us if you have any suggestions.

Southern California Gas Company has been promoting their 811 phone service. Property owners can now dial “811″ to check the location of gas pipelines prior to construction.Know before you dig 811

From the Gas Co. Website: “Pipelines may be located anywhere, including under streets, sidewalks and private property, sometimes just inches below the surface. Excavation, planting, demolition and other forms of digging are a major cause of pipeline damage. That’s why it is important to know where they are before you begin any type of digging.

Whether you’re planning to build a major development or just landscaping your yard, protect your safety and the safety of those around you by calling Underground Service Alert at 811, at least two business days prior to excavating. You may call Underground Service Alert between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).

Underground Service Alert will coordinate with Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and other utility owners in the area to mark the locations of buried utility-owned lines. This is a FREE service and it can help prevent injury, costly property damage and loss of utility service.”

What to Do

  • MARK OUT out your proposed excavation area in white paint or provide other suitable markings.
  • CALL Underground Service Alert at 811 from 6a.m. to 7p.m. Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) at least two business days before digging.
  • WAIT until SoCalGas either marks its gas pipelines and indicates pipe material and diameter – or advises you the area is clear of its pipes before you start digging.
  • REMEMBER that SoCalGas uses only yellow paint, flags or stakes to mark out the location of its gas pipes. Other utility owners use other colors to mark their telephone, communications, water or other underground lines.
  • USE ONLY HAND TOOLS within 24 inches of each marked utility line to carefully expose the exact locations of all lines before using any power excavation equipment in the area.
  • REPORT any pipe damage by calling us immediately at 1-800-427-2200No damage is too small to report. Even a slight gouge, scrape or dent to a pipeline, its coating, or any component attached to or running along side the pipe, such as a wire, may cause a dangerous break or leak in the future.

Water conducts electricity, so it’s possible to be electrocuted by water that has come in contact with electricity. Talk to your family and loved ones about the dangers of mixing water and electricity.

  • Keep electrical appliances and power tools away from water
  • Never use electrical appliances in the shower or bath
  • Dry hands thoroughly before reaching for any electrical appliance
  • Install “ground fault circuit interrupter” (GFCI) outlets in the kitchen and bath; they are designed to protect against electric shock
  • If an electrical fire breaks out, do not throw water on it as you could be electrocuted. If an appliance catches fire, safety unplug it as soon as possible. If no appropriate fire extinguisher is available, you can also use baking soda to extinguish an electrical fire.

Safety is important, and reviewing safety tips with family and loved ones can help them stay safe.

How to Recognize a Natural Gas Leak?  Use your senses of sight, hearing and smell, along with any of the following signs, to alert

gas-leak

Gas Leak

yourself to the presence of a gas leak:

LOOK

  • A damaged connection to a gas appliance
  • Dirt or water being blown into the air
  • dead or dying vegetation (in an otherwise moist area) over or near pipeline areas
  • A fire or explosion near a pipeline
  • Exposed pipeline after an earthquake, fire, flood or other disaster

LISTEN

  • An unusual sound, such as a hissing, whistling or roaring sound near a gas line or appliance

SMELL

  • The distinctive odor of natural gas*

*Some people may not be able to smell the odor because they have a diminished sense of smell, olfactory fatigue (normal, temporary inability to distinguish an odor after prolonged exposure to it) or because the odor is being masked or hidden by other odors that are present, such as cooking, damp, musty or chemical odors. In addition, certain conditions in pipe and soil can cause odor fade – the loss of odorant so that it is not detectable by smell.

For more information give us a call at 888-860-2688.