Petaluma Home Inspectors – Attic Inspection

In this video clip Steve Ramos, Petaluma Home Inspector, walks you through an attic inspection of a typical home in Novato, CA.  Home inspections in California are performed to a standard.  There are more than one Standards of Practice that are applicable in California for home inspections.  Most of the major home inspection associations are in agreement that attic inspections have limitations that are necessary to protect the building from property damage during the inspection and to protect the inspector.

There are many reasons that attic inspections are limited.  One important reason is to protect the inspector from injuring oneself during the inspection.  Most attics in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Novato are not designed to be walkable.  There is no flooring or handrails installed to keep from stepping on the ceiling or loosing one’s balance. A second reason for not walking in attics that do not have finished flooring is that it can damage the property being inspected.  One example of this is where there is wiring buried in the insulation which could become damaged if dragged by a hand or foot while traversing the attic area.

Despite these limitations of the home inspection there are several key home inspection findings that can be ascertained during a home inspection.  One such example is water stains on the roof sheathing.  Many times I will observe water staining around chimneys or other roof penetrations.  When I observe this condition I recommend an infrared moisture scan to determine if the ceiling and wall areas have elevated moisture content.  Insulation levels can be observed when inspecting from the attic access point.  Although you cannot verify uniform insulation across the ceiling from the access you can get an idea of the type and quality.  For a more thorough evaluation of the insulation levels you could always order an infrared insulation scan as an additional service.

Steve Ramos Certified Home Inspector, Council Certified Mold Consultant, Lead, and Asbestos

Steve Ramos is a certified inspector possessing multiple credentials in asbestos,lead based paint, mold, infrared thermography, and general building inspection. Steve has lived in Petaluma, Ca for most of his life and has over 12 years of home inspection, mold inspection, asbestos, and lead field experience.  Steve has a very diverse and well rounded background.  His reports are detailed, accurate, and timely.  Steve has been featured on over 104 episodes of HGTV’s House Detective.  He offers his services in all nine Bay Area counties including:  Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Novato, San Rafael, Napa, Sausalito, San Francisco, Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Bodega Bay, and Cloverdale.

For more information about our home inspection services please visit our service pages