This page is still under construction. Will answer here all Frequently asked questions that concern you.
Do yo inspect privately owned houses?
Yes we do for general pubic plus for construction contractors and builders or architectural engineers.
What do you require to do house inspection?
Its preferable that you have house drawings plans and blue prints and building to be unfinished so we can have access to structural elements. This can save a lot of time and effort and will minimize the need for removing of walls and ceiling finishing material. If not we try to limit the removal of walls and ceilings cover ups and obtain enough information for the investigation or assessments.
Do you inspect the exterior surfaces and finishing surfaces of buildings?
Yes, we do have building envelope staff for architectural inspection and forensic inspections. we also consider any deficiencies in the building envelope or grading and sidewalks around buildings. We can provide construction contractor and commercial contractors with building envelope engineering, energy efficient designs and calculations, permit letters, weather and water control and construction detailing’s. Yes, we can help you with regard to these issues.
Do you provide assessment for removal of bearing walls?
Certainly we do and we check as well if the walls are shear walls that are used to resist (lateral loads on building) wind and earthquake loads. At least one side of the wall have to be removed in order to do assessment. We provide beam and post solutions suited case by case bases. In case other sides of walls or ceilings that need to be removed to check other structural elements; we try to limit affected areas, with minimum impacts.
Do you provide assessment for houses and real state properties for buyers or sellers?
- AERZ civil structural consulting Inc. provide Preliminary inspection covers defects in structural foundation that have visual appearance on structural elements or finishing material that can be seen or measured by secondary devices or tools and that there is nothing is covering or distracting visual appearance that indicate that there is a problem with foundation or structural elements. No testing or advanced tools are used for such inspection.
- Limited inspection: preliminary inspections are limited due to any finished surface that cover structural members that have or do not have visual indication of structural defects or normal deterioration of structure or material. The inspection is not responsible for defects that can not be detected or missed in inspection because the structure members are covered by finishing material. It is advised by AERZ consulting Inc. and its’ engineers to the client that the owner or his representative that better inspection results can be obtained if the owner can remove elements covering structural members before inspection. It is a decision of building owner to take before inspection.
- With the limits present, the structural engineer will do every engineering effort or skillful action to inspect and evaluate the current condition of structural elements without removing covers or finished surface covering the structural elements. AERZ civil structural consulting Inc.’s engineer can use simple tools to help him with inspection including, hammer, measuring tape or laser meter to measure distance, leveling bars or stick, crack thickness measurement tool, water Balance, laser balance, optical lens, and mirror. No advanced detection tools are used in the inspection such as ground penetration radar GPR or electronic tools that can detect behind surface finishes. The engineer will depend only on visual indications or measurement or touch or deflections to determine current conditions of foundation or required elements of the inspection. No testing of material is covered for this inspection.
Do you provide Detailed assessment for residential and commercial properties?
- AERZ civil structural consulting Inc. provide full or partial Detailed engineering inspection according requirements of structural assessments, forensic assessments or building envelope assessments. AERZ civil structural consulting Inc. can provide detailed buildings inspections for new property or property under construction. First a preliminary assessment is done then and suggestion for any required finishing material to be removed to complete detailed engineering assessment. It is important to notice any important signs on finished material before proceeding with detailed engineering assessments.
- Detailed engineering assessments can be done in future for existing properties with all finishing and covering surface material removed partially or totally if building owner or manager wants. Any detailed tests cost must be paid by owner or his manager. AERZ civil structural consulting Inc. or its engineers are not responsible for fees of testing. In case advanced tools are needed for inspection such as ground penetration radar the building owner must pay the price of renting that tool plus additional consulting fee for the engineer to operate it and interpret the data collected by using such device. Dismantling structural elements or removal shall be done by responsible building contractor and with buildings’ owner or manager approval.