ESSENTIAL HOME INSPECTION TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
Every industry has its own language and terms. These words and phrases can be confusing to anyone who is not part of a specific industry’s daily operations, and the home inspection business is no exception.
So, to help you understand the terms, acronyms, and phrases regularly used when speaking to a home inspector, VisionQuest Home Inspections, LLC has created this handy reference guide. Here you’ll find valuable information allowing you to comprehend and communicate your home inspection needs effectively.
Heat Ventilation Air Condition (HVAC): Is a system designed to create the optimum temperature for a building.
Radon: It’s an odorless, tasteless, and invisible gas caused by the natural decaying of uranium below the surface. These gases seep up through the ground through cracks in the earth and the foundation of homes.
Home Inspection: It’s an inspection of the home, based on function and safety rather than cosmetics.
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI): It’s a circuit that quickly shuts off electric power if an imbalance gets sensed.
Roof Trusses: An engineered structural framework of timbers designed to bridge the space above a room and provide support for a roof. It’s manufactured in a plant and delivered to the job site as one unit. It’s also more economical to build and offers the same durability as rafters or greater roof strength.
Rafters: Contains two main outer beams that support the roof structure and is assembled at the construction site. Rafters allow more creativity to take place in the home design.
Thermal Expansion Tank: A small pressurized tank with a compressible air cushion (diaphragm) installed on the supply side (cold water inlet) of a water heater. This tank protects against the constant fluctuation of high pressure caused by a thermal expansion upon a closed-loop system.
Flashing: Refers to thin pieces of impervious material installed to prevent water passing into a structure from a joint or as part of a weather-resistant barrier system.
Weep Holes: It’s a small opening that allows water to drain from within an assembly. Weeps are located at the bottom of the object to allow for drainage, and the weep hole must be sized adequately to overcome surface tension.
We hope these terms made you feel more confident. If you’re looking for a home inspector, in Hiram, GA, reach out to the experts at VisionQuest Home Inspections, LLC. We serve clients across Hiram, Georgia, and the surrounding areas, including Dallas and Atlanta.
With decades of experience in the home inspection sector, we specialize in home health check-ups, pre-listing home inspections, eleven-month warranty home inspections, and condition check inspections. We also offer radon testing to our clients.
You can view our full list of services here, read customer reviews here, or get in touch with us here.