Dairyland Home Inspection performs home inspections in Burlington, Wisconsin. It's just one of the many cities in southeastern Wisconsin we serve. Burlington is a great place to live and is located in western Racine County.  Part of Burlington is also located in Walworth County.

Burlington has great parks, lake recreation activities, and great places to eat. It's home to Chocolate Fest and home to many large and small businesses. Burlington is a sought at location to live and buy a home. Home prices like other areas of the State of Wisconsin have increased significantly. 

Burlington has a great mix of older homes and newer homes making it an interesting place to perform home inspections. Homes older than 100 years and homes that are brand new make for a diverse mix of home styles and neighborhoods. Performing inspections in Burlington is always interesting due to the variety of home styes and construction based on the age of the home and location. 

If you're looking for a home inspector, radon testing, termite inspection or mold testing in Burlington or anywhere else in Racine or Walworth County give us a call.

When hiring a home inspector to perform a radon test make sure they are certified and using calibrated and certified radon testing equipment.  Very few home inspectors in Wisconsin are nationally certified in radon testing.  The National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) is a national certification for radon testing, which requires testing and calibration for radon equipment. This ensures that anyone that is NRPP certified and performs radon testing is conducting valid and reliable tests. Wisconsin does not require certification for radon testing, which means anyone can place and interpret radon test results. Without the proper training and certification these results can be questionable. 

Dairyland Home Inspection uses state of the art Sun Nuclear continuous radon monitors. The monitors are set for 48 hours and provide hourly results of the radon present, providing a final average of the radon found in a building. The monitors are calibrated yearly by the manufacturer to ensure reliable tests are conducted each and every time. The monitors are certified for use by the NRPP.

A report showing the hourly sample results and overall average is provided when the test result is obtained. These test results are considered highly reliable due to the high standards of certification and equipment that are used for testing. 

If you need radon testing and/or a home inspection in southeastern Wisconsin contact us we are here to help. 

When purchasing a home in Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, or Waukesha, Wisconsin one of the biggest potential problem areas is the foundation. If you don't have a home inspection you may miss some of these potential problems. Water has a significant negative effect on a foundation. Keeping water away from the foundation is critical to prevent foundation problems. It can be related to cracked foundation walls, bowed foundation walls, water intrusion, and basement moisture issues. Home inspectors look for several clues on the exterior and interior of a house to locate current and potential foundation related issues. ​Often these issues can be mitigated with some simple solutions and prevention by homeowners. 

Negative grading refers to the yard around the house grading towards the foundation meaning that water is not moving away from the foundation. Water should flow away from the foundation. The first ten feet near the foundation is the most important area to keep water from the foundation. The photo shows negative grading towards the house.

Downspouts should drain a minimum 6 feet from the foundation. During a home inspection one of the most common causes of moisture problems at a foundation are downspouts that empty at or too close to the foundation. Often downspouts drain right at the corner of the foundation. Over time they can lead to significant moisture problems.

Sump pump problems causing the drainage system not to move water from the foundation properly can cause moisture related issues. A house without a sump pump can often have more moisture related foundation issues than a house with a sump pump. 

Foundation materials such as brick, stone, and certain masonry blocks are more prone to allow moisture to penetrate through the foundation. Materials that have more joints or have more porous materials can allow moisture to pass through the wall. These foundations need regular maintenance to keep moisture out. Older foundations do not have the same waterproofing that modern foundation walls do. 

Foundation cracks can allow moisture through the foundation. Some foundation cracks can cause significant moisture intrusion. Cracks can sometimes cause structural problems. Foundation cracks can often be repaired by being properly sealed.