This introductory overview of the major home systems gives students a solid foundation for beginning a career in home inspection. This comprehensive text gets students out into the field quickly while serving as a springboard for the 13 advanced electives in the Principles line. Systems & Standards focuses on system and component problems, their practical implications, and inspections strategies for finding them. No other single volume offers both the breadth and depth of this introduction.

Only half of a home inspector's challenge is technical--the other half is effective communication with clients. This text is designed both for beginners who need an in-depth introduction and more advanced practitioners looking for tips, sample dialogue and documents, and an understanding of the scope and ethical aspects of a home inspection. The text includes "Inspection Checklists that summarize the important components and problems home inspectors will encounter, and can be used for actual inspections.

This text is organized into major sections on supply plumbing; water heaters; drain, waste, and vent plumbing; and fixtures and faucets. The mechanics and practical implications of water flow and pressure are covered first, to prepare for discussions of specific problems that can occur. Summary tables of piping materials help readers keep track of the variety of components they will see in practice. The text also delves into safety and efficiency issues.

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The interior is often the portion of the home inspection of most interest to home buyers. From floors to ceilings this comprehensive text provides an in-depth introduction to the major components of a home's interior. The book discusses strategies for inspecting floors, walls, ceilings, trim, counters, cabinets, stairs, windows, skylights, solariums, and doors. The text additionally gives special consideration to the pervasive problem of wet basements.

Steam, electric and wall/floor heating methods are often neglected in other texts because they are not as widely used as other methods. For home inspectors who expect to see them in their practice, this book offers a solid introduction to the materials, components, operating principles, and safety controls of these heating methods.

This comprehensive text is designed both for beginners who need an in-depth introduction to hot water boiler inspection and more advanced practitioners looking to deepen their understanding. Along with boiler components and conditions, the book covers advantages and disadvantages of hot water heating, differences between boilers and furnaces, efficiency, sequence of operation and life expectancy.