The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Home Inspections

by Kuhn, Mike; Dempsey, Bobbi

• ISBN13: 9781592572168
• ISBN10: 1592572162
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-05-04
• Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.

Summary

For home buyers and home sellers. Here is the first how-to that addresses the needs of both buyers and sellers, making it the perfect companion to the bestselling The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying and Selling a Home. The buyer will depend on this guide to determine whether a house is worth buying. The seller will need it to determine which repairs are necessary before listing or signing anything. Readers will learn to troubleshoot all areas of a home, including its structure and foundation, windows and doors, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, insulation, electrical systems, and the roof, just to name a few.

Author Biography

Mike Kuhn is director of technical services at HouseMaster, a home inspection firm with 380 offices across the U.S. and Canada.

Bobbi Dempsey is an author and freelance writer for major publications, including Family Circle, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Ladies' Home Journal, and more. Her article on how home inspections can prevent carbon monoxide

Table of Contents

1 Home Inspections 101	1	(12)
2 Starting at the Top: The Roof	13	(16)
3 Plumbing: Will Your Money Go Down the Drain?	29	(14)
4 Electricity	43	(14)
5 Heating and Air Conditioning	57	(14)
6 Doors and Windows	71	(8)
7 Walls, Floors, Ceilings, and Stairs	79	(8)
8 Basements, Foundations, Land, and Property	87	(12)
9 Bathrooms and Kitchens	99	(12)
10 Garages, Driveways, Porches, and Patios	111	(14)
11 Fireplaces and Chimneys	125	(6)
12 Siding, Insulation, and Gutters	131	(16)
13 Structural Framing System	147	(6)
14 Ancillary Inspections	153	(10)
15 Finding a Home Inspector	163	(12)
Appendixes
Glossary	175	(4)
Index	179