Cleveland construction investigation

Why Do I Need C.L.I. Group?

If you are considering the purchase of a building, doesn't it make sense to know if the building is overpriced by 10%, 15% or more? If you suspect water damage, building movement, indoor air quality problems or other problems, doesn't it make sense to discover the problem and correct it in it's infancy? Have you purchased a building and discovered undisclosed defects after the fact? If you answered yes to any of these questions you may need professional help. Our forensic investigators can evaluate the current conditions or suspected damage, diagnose the problems and provide expert documentation of our findings. We can also provide engineering and architectural reports, repair estimates and construction oversight as repairs or modifications are made.  

If you are just considering the purchase of a building, we can perform the needed diagnostics and testing to assure that you are getting what you pay for. This allows for negotiating the repair of defective components or systems that are suffering from poor maintenance or are otherwise defective or nearing the end of their life-cycle.

What About Disclosure?

Having inspected thousands of buildings & homes over the past 15 years I can say that it has been my experience, that while most building owners and real estate professionals are honest people, there is the small minority that will attempt to conceal defects in the building. You may have the building independently inspected, but there are many inspectors that cave to pressure to make the deal work and your defect may remain concealed...until after you take possession of the building. The enforcement of any disclosure law is difficult at best and so many sellers simply say they don't know.

Mold on insulation vapor barrier (paper). Also not moisture dripping from insulation.	Condensation in walls so extreme it was dripping out from behind siding/sheathing.	Condensation in crawl dripping from framing, insulation and waste line.	Dry crawl noted on disclosure?? How could you miss the moisture?
Water condensating on uncovered electrical outlet box in crawl. Dangerous and electrocution hazard!!	This house was listed as well cared for.	Inspector referred to client said crawl was dry as could be??	Nothing about patio or deck were noted in inspection report? Now thats an inspector afraid of killing a deal!
Listed as dry crawl??	Cast Stone veneer failure.	Facade failure

How Can I Protect Myself?

Ask Questions!! Make sure to ask your inspector a few questions...What are your credentials? If the answer is simply, I belong to a society for inspectors you might want to find an inspector that carries code authoring agency certifications. Some inspectors try to use membership in professional societies for inspectors as a credential. Is your inspector a member of local Realtor Board? This should set off an alarm also. The inspector may be more interested in marketing and less interested in your inspection. We see many inspectors that have very minimal experience or credentials but do well in business. Why? They expend their energy in soliciting referrals. This may be a good business model, but it is not good for consumers. I have watched several companies over the years which are at every real estate convention, party, etc. but have no more credentials today than they had 10 years ago. Beware of such companies. C.L.I. Group, LLC, while maintaining an ethical marketing program, hopes that consumers base their decision on which company to hire on one simple thing, the qualifications of the firm they are hiring.

Equipment:

C.L.I. uses state of art equipment to assure that our investigations produce only defensible information for our clients. We do this using equipment which has N.I.S.T. traceable certifications. Our equipment is the best in the business, from laser photometers and laser particle counters to a FLIR thermal imaging camera and laser thermometers, we use only the best quality equipment and produce the best quality results. Our finished investigation reports all include data-logged information and images which are reproducible for courtroom purposes. Too many companies use outdated or inferior equipment to perform investigative work and the results are not reliable.

During our investigations we can data-log building parameters such as CO, CO₂, relative humidity, temperature, differential pressures within the building and across the building envelope, surface moisture and temperature, dew-point, particulate (size specific) levels, particulate mass concentration per measured amount of air and other measurements if necessary. The ability to capture information in a reproducible manner using accurate and calibrated equipment is a critical component to any building investigation.

Samples:

The Investigation:

We begin investigating suspected construction defects by visiting the site and performing an initial walkthrough of the building. This gives us the opportunity to make visual notes on any problems we may see including substandard construction practices, potentially concealed defects, etc. During the initial walkthrough we take the opportunity to ask the building owner questions that may aid in our investigation such as when the problem was first noticed, if there are any symptoms in the building which are periodic, etc. This helps us to begin tracking suspected defects in the building.

When investigating construction defects it is critical to document each step of the investigation using digital photography, data-logging equipment with dates stamps, etc. Safety should be everyone's first priority during an investigation. Is there a need for special clothing (e.g. PPE)? If so, make sure every person entering the building is protected. Do utilities need to be shut-off before entering? If gas leaks or other hazards are present the local utility may need to be contacted. If there has been flooding in the building, structural components may be weakened, electrical conductors may be down, etc. and will require extreme caution. In the case of flooding, sewage may be backed up into the structure and may pose special health concerns (e.g. pathogens). Proper documentation should be made to preserve evidence before disturbing anything in the building. Of course, the situation described above is a worst case scenario.

In many cases the problems suspected are not worst case scenarios and may take a little more investigation to uncover. The causes for such defects may also be more difficult to determine. Having an investigator that has a good knowledge of construction materials, principals and methodologies is an important factor in construction defect investigation. The investigator should have experience in estimating costs, local building codes and local construction practices. The investigator must also have knowledge of local court evidentiary rules, etc. so that your defects are properly documented.

For further details on our construction defect investigation services call our office.