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DESCRIPTION OF THE
INSPECTION PROCESS
Why hire a flooring inspector, and why should he or she be (fully)
certified by the National
Wood Flooring Association (NWFA).
A hardwood flooring
inspection is normally initiated by the homeowner’s dissatisfaction
with some aspect of the product or flooring installation. At some
point, the homeowner knows something isn’t right but is not sure of
the problem. They are often unsure whether poor installation or a mismanufactured product causes the problem. The homeowner usually
contacts the company or person who installed the flooring to come
and fix the problem. Sometimes the technician will accept
responsibility and other times the installer will blame others or claim no problem even exits.
It is at this point,
that you may want to have an independent third party inspect the
installation to determine if a problem exits. This needs to be done
correctly - and there are currently only a few fully certified
NWFA inspectors operating in California. These inspectors
abide by that associations ethics and rigorous quality standards:
Subsequently Universal
Hardwood Flooring Inc.'s Inspection Serice, Inspector Meltzer and
the NWFA do recommend or honor inspections from private parties,
flooring installers, self-proclaimed inspectors, carpet stores,
distributors, contractors asf.
Our certified inspection
process involves first (1) completing the Request for Inspection
Questionnaire. By completing the questionnaire, you determine the
type of inspection required. You can choose a written inspection or
a verbal inspection and will find detailed pricing information on
both. Normally, for someone who might need to take an
inspection to court or mediation, a written inspection is required.
However, in some cases a verbal briefing of the problem and who is
responsible is all that is required.
After completing the
forms needed to initiate an inspection, (2) the inspector will contact
you to arrange a convenient time to carry out the inspection. The
actual inspection will take approximately 1 to 2 hours. The party
that requested the inspection should be present to answer any
questions the inspector may have.
Once the inspection
is completed, the process of writing the report begins. Sometimes
another visit to the site is required or the homeowner may need to
answer additional questions. The report writing process is usually
completed within ten (10) business days.
The report
establishes the responsible party. At this point, the homeowner must
decide how to seek remediation if it’s required. Mediation is one
alternative to court proceedings (Litigation). Additional fees are
required if the inspector is to be involved in the mediation process
or is called as an expert witness in a lawsuit. Fees range up to
$100.00 per hour. |
