Evaporative Cooling at Commercial Buildings
Evaporative cooling is a technology that utilizes evaporation and blowing air to cool buildings. It may be the sole cooling source, or it may be combined with an air conditioning…
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Inspecting Electric Baseboard Heaters
There are various types of electric heating systems. They all use electricity to transfer heat in the following three ways: forced air; convection; and radiation. Here, we are concerned with…
Inspecting Hot Water Boilers and Steam Boilers
There are two different types of boilers found in commercial buildings: hot water and steam boilers. There are similarities between the two types of boilers, and differences as well. Both…
Inspecting Restrooms at Commercial Properties
A standard commercial property inspection according to the ComSOP should include the visual inspection of permanently installed restrooms throughout the property. While this is generally a visual-only inspection, the general…
The International Plumbing Code (IPC) and Commercial Property Inspections
Definitions and Acronyms You Should Know: building code: rules and regulations adopted by the governmental authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) over the construction and/or remodeling of the commercial property. code official:…
Annual Building Maintenance Inspection
An Annual Building Maintenance Inspection is a comprehensive, visual examination of a commercial property within a 12-month period. It is designed to identify defects within specific systems and components as…
Document Research: Why It Matters
I. Why Dig? Have you ever heard anyone say, “We bought our house blindly! We didn’t even hire an inspector – in fact, we never set eyes on it!” Of…
What to Do When the Owner of a Commercial Property Asks the Inspector for a Copy of the Inspector’s Certificate of Insurance or Asks to Be Named as an Additional Insured
by Mark Cohen, J.D., LL.M., and Nick Gromicko A commercial inspector generally works for a prospective purchaser of a property, but sometimes the owner of the property (the seller) asks…
Inspecting for Exit Signs and Emergency Lighting at Commercial Buildings
Emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. Commercial building owners and managers must ensure the proper implementation of safety features to protect occupants. For instance, exit signs and emergency…
Types of Lateral Force-Resisting Systems in Commercial Buildings
Every structure must be designed and constructed to withstand lateral loads and horizontal loads. Structures are braced against lateral and horizontal forces in several ways. Bracing is installed perpendicular to…
Getting Started as a Commercial Inspector: Determining Your Business Structure
First, you must decide whether you’ll offer commercial property inspections by expanding the scope of your existing company’s services, or whether you should incorporate a sister company specifically for commercial…
Getting Started as a Commercial Inspector: Do You Have What It Takes?
Who Can Perform a Commercial Property Inspection? This video discusses how all commercial property inspections are unique and covers three basic approaches that the commercial property inspector can take based…