A-PLUS Inspection Services
Texas's Foremost Inspection Company, Since 1967
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• FOUNDATION ELEVATION SURVEY •
If you are purchasing a home or building a custom home, then you should have a Foundation Elevation Survey completed. A professional Foundation Elevation Survey performed by A-PLUS Inspection Services, documents all the relative elevations of your home's Foundation and is crucial in determining the structural integrity of your home's Foundation. A Foundation Survey is "NOT" a Civil Survey that you get if you are buying or selling a home. A Foundation Survey is a document that shows a schematic floor plan of your house with elevation readings throughout the floor plan. The elevation readings represent the high and low points of your Foundation at the time the readings are taken. Consider it a snap shot of the current position of your Foundation. The initial benefit of having a Foundation Survey is that the document becomes a recorded independent document that shows the elevation readings of your Foundation at a specific point in time. The document can later be referenced if you ever suspect the Foundation may be moving, or Foundation related problems. If you suspect the Foundation may be moving, then another Foundation Elevation Survey can be completed and the elevation readings can be compared to provide you with information on the degree of movement, location of movement and the relative rate of movement.
Concrete Contractors and Custom Home Builders certainly try very hard to construct a level Foundation. The Framing Contractor and the Hardwood Flooring Contractor appreciate a Foundation that is constructed level; however, constructing a perfectly level Foundation using common industry practices is not easily possible. Consider the task of icing a square flat cake. The icing material may be pasty enough to get a smooth finish, but because the icing knife is hard to control, then the icing finish will have slight highs and lows. You may not be able to see the difference, but they are there. That same phenomenon occurs with the construction of Concrete Foundations. Once the Concrete Foundation is constructed, it is not feasible to remove it and start over. Having a Foundation Survey once the Foundation is constructed will provide you with an orientation of where the highs and lows occur. This information is very valuable in monitoring the performance of your Foundation. Consider the Foundation Elevation Survey a baseline of where your Foundation starts.
At A-PLUS Inspection Services, we use the ZIPLEVEL PRO-2000 by Technidea. This award-winning, high precision pressurized hydrostatic altimeter works much like an aircraft altimeter that measures the weight of the air above it, except that ZIPLEVEL does not use the atmosphere to measure elevation. Instead, ZIPLEVEL is a pressurized system that measures the weight of a proprietary liquid sealed within its Cord, relative to a Reference Cell in the hub of its reel. This makes ZIPLEVEL 10,000 times as precise as an aircraft altimeter and immune from both barometric pressure and altitude changes.
Concrete Contractors and Custom Home Builders certainly try very hard to construct a level Foundation. The Framing Contractor and the Hardwood Flooring Contractor appreciate a Foundation that is constructed level; however, constructing a perfectly level Foundation using common industry practices is not easily possible. Consider the task of icing a square flat cake. The icing material may be pasty enough to get a smooth finish, but because the icing knife is hard to control, then the icing finish will have slight highs and lows. You may not be able to see the difference, but they are there. That same phenomenon occurs with the construction of Concrete Foundations. Once the Concrete Foundation is constructed, it is not feasible to remove it and start over. Having a Foundation Survey once the Foundation is constructed will provide you with an orientation of where the highs and lows occur. This information is very valuable in monitoring the performance of your Foundation. Consider the Foundation Elevation Survey a baseline of where your Foundation starts.
At A-PLUS Inspection Services, we use the ZIPLEVEL PRO-2000 by Technidea. This award-winning, high precision pressurized hydrostatic altimeter works much like an aircraft altimeter that measures the weight of the air above it, except that ZIPLEVEL does not use the atmosphere to measure elevation. Instead, ZIPLEVEL is a pressurized system that measures the weight of a proprietary liquid sealed within its Cord, relative to a Reference Cell in the hub of its reel. This makes ZIPLEVEL 10,000 times as precise as an aircraft altimeter and immune from both barometric pressure and altitude changes.
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• THERMAL IMAGING INSPECTION •
Thermal Imaging is a technology that far exceeds a typical "visual inspection" and allows us to show you things about the Structure that no one can show you using other inspection methods. Thermal Imaging, or Infrared Thermography, reveals things at a much higher dimension, producing images of invisible heat energy emitted from objects and systems in the Structure and allows us to measure it. Thermal Imaging helps to diagnose the problem, rather than merely identify symptoms and can sometimes, but not always, identify and document:
• Electrical faults before they cause a fire •
• Overloaded and undersized circuits •
• Circuit breakers in need of immediate replacement •
• Missing, damaged and/or wet insulation •
• Heat loss and air infiltration in Walls, Ceilings, Floors, Windows and Doors •
• Moisture intrusion that could lead to environmental issues (mold, mildew, algae, fungus) •
• Possible pest infestation •
• Hidden Roof leaks, before they cause serious damage •
• Air conditioner compressor leaks •
• Under fastening and/or missing framing members •
• Structural defects •
• Broken seals in Double-Pane Insulated Windows •
• Energy loss and efficiency •
• Dangerous flue leaks •
• Damaged and/or malfunctioning radiant heating systems •
• Unknown plumbing leaks •
• Overheated equipment •
Thermal Imaging Cameras detect radiation in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum and produce images of that radiation. Although Infrared Thermography is a far better diagnostic tool than the naked eye, it does not guarantee 100% accuracy, unless removal or destruction of components can be achieved to validate findings. Other tools are used to verify Thermal Images, but even with these considerations we do not claim to have "X-RAY" vision. Conditions may change and cause the apparent temperature readings revealed in the Thermal Images to be different at any given time. Please see "example" Thermal Image below, then click on the Consumer's Guide to Infrared Thermography video:
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• WOOD DESTROYING INSECT INSPECTION •
We are licensed through the Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service (#9660), which means we perform our "OWN" Wood Destroying Insect Inspections and Reports. We don't have to "sub" this service out to another Pest Control Company, as we are the Pest Control Company! This makes it so much better for our clients. We only perform inspections, as we feel it is a conflict of interest to perform treatments as well. While we are meticulously inspecting every square inch of your property, we are also looking for any signs of active or previous Wood Destroying Insect infestation, or any possible "conducive" conditions that may lead to Wood Destroying Insects. The Wood Destroying Insect Inspection addresses:
• Subterranean Termites •
• Drywood Termites •
• Formosan Termites •
• Carpenter Ants •
• Carpenter Bees •
• Numerous varieties of Wood-Boring Beetles •
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• IRRIGATION SYSTEMS •
An automatic sprinkler system is the only way to maintain a health, beautiful landscape which you can enjoy with your friends and family. It is the most efficient and convenient way to ensure your landscape gets the water it needs without over and/or under watering. When a sprinkler system is properly installed and maintained, it is designed to conserve water. Keep in mind that there is more to a sprinkler system than just sprinklers. System design and installation are critical factors that affect your systems longevity and performance.
Our thorough and comprehensive sprinkler system inspection will give you the piece of mind you are looking for when purchasing your new property, guaranteed.
A-PLUS Inspection Services, Since 1967
13114 South Ridge Circle
Leander,
TX
78641
US
Phone: 512-258-8766
Website: http://www.bestaustininspectors.comTexas's Foremost Inspection Company, Since 1967
