Upcoming School Open House
Announcing two open houses for the Illinois Inspector Training Institute.
Saturday April 4, 2009, 10am to 11am
and
Tuesday April 14, 2009, 6pm to 7pm
Please call (312) 475-0835 or email inspection@tomacor.com to RSVP!
If you or anyone you know is passionate about construction detailing, green building or appropriate technology, consider recommending a career that begins with a home inspector credential.
IITI Seeks Instructors for Upcoming Training Courses
Tomacor would like to invite license home inspectors to apply with us to become an instructor at the Illinois Inspector Training Institute. We offer pre-licensing training to those interested in becoming home inspectors in the State of Illinois and are in need of professional home inspectors to work as instructors for all or part of our State-approve curriculum.
- Expand your professional portfolio & resume
- Earn Continuing Education credits from the State
- Develop business opportunities with recently licensed home inspectors
Our next class is scheduled to run this Spring and class size is generally 5-10 students.
Interested in learning more about this opportunity?
Please contact Tomacor, Inc. at (312) 475-0835.
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New Home Inspector Training Dates Announced
Tomacor, Inc will be holding home inspector training this May.
We will be offering our 10-day intensive training May 4 - May 15, 2009. The class runs from 8am - 5pm, Monday through Friday for two weeks. 80+ hours of training and fielding work practice, books and all training materials are available for a fee of $1,395.
A $400 deposit is required to hold a seat in the class. Contact 312-475-0835 for more information and to register.
Business and Career Opportunities in Home Inspection
Even with real estate purchases in a slump, people want home inspector training.
There are new job opportunities and entire careers emerging from the home inspector credential in Illinois. For instance, remodeling contractors have enhanced their sales with a home inspector license. Others have developed businesses in radon testing and LEED certification of buildings. Tomacor has also discovered that many home inspectors have developed consulting business for condo associations while providing expert opinions for real estate attorneys, legal aid clinics, and municipalities. There is no lack of work for home inspectors, just a simple lack of vision.
Tomacor has been operating the Illinois Inspector Training Institute for over fifteen years. We have trained hundreds of inspectors in the Chicago market. Some of these inspectors now work for banks or subcontract through appraisal firms, while others help general contractors maintain standards with their subcontractors. Why are home inspectors so valuable? Illinois home inspectors sell construction detailing information. Under the scrutiny of an informed eye, most property owners or buyers get what they are after, rather than being stuck with an inflated value for a new purchase or their contractor’s work.
Architects and engineers receive university training to design and build structures. Home inspectors are trained, licensed and receive ongoing and up-to-date education in order to criticize those same structures. Inspector’s assess quality of design and workmanship based upon visible construction defects and common sense code standards found in texts like the National Fuel Gas Code and the National Electrical Code. Other applicable standards are available in texts such as the International Residential Code, or the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors of North America handbook.
If you know anyone who is passionate about construction detailing, green building, or appropriate technology, consider recommending a career that begins with a home inspectors credential. Career-rooted building science is both rewarding and lucrative for those who have an unabashed curiosity in the field.
Welcome to inspector + instructor John Scavone!
Dear valued clients, colleagues and friends:
Tomacor would like to let you know about some recent changes in our company.
We are proud to let you know that John Scavone, seasoned Chicagoland-area home inspector, is now a member of the Tomacor staff. John is licensed in Illinois and member of ASHI. He is available to you through Tomacor should you need an advocate, a go-to to prepare your property for the market, or an expert in remodeling and renovation standards.
In addition, inspector Steve Nations no longer works for the company. Clients who have been referred to Mr. Nations are encouraged to talk with Tomacor owner Tom Corbett and John Scavone.
In order to meet a steady demand for our work, we are currently training another inspector who will be available in early summer of 2009 to work with you or your clients.
Tomacor, Inc. specializes in buyer advocacy, expert witness work, commercial inspections, Capital Reserve and Transition studies, as well as inspector training services and industry seminars.
Inspection | Advocacy | Education
Testimonial from a Satisfied Client
Tom Corbett’s knowledge, skills and tenacity as a home inspector are second to none. My husband and I were set to close on a condo when Tom’s dogged detective work unearthed several problems that, for us, amounted to deal-breakers. Tom combed the building from foundation to roof, asked the tough questions and was our unswerving advocate. Tom’s integrity stands out in an industry where some are accused of kowtowing to real estate agents.
Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the construction and home inspection industries and the characteristics of the Chicago housing market, Tom educated us - from leaky roof to faulty vent - then distilled it into a comprehensive fact-filled report - fair and unflinching - for us to make an informed decision.
Ice Damming
In the last two months, Tomacor has completed many inspections where “ice damming” has lead to health problems for our clients. This condition creates a perfect environment for indoor mold or mildew growth. The common associated health risks include sudden asthma, skin rashes and sinus problems.
Due to the fluctuations of winter temperatures, roofs are subject to “freeze-thaw cycles” which can create “ice damming.” It’s typically a poorly insulated house that allows excess heat into the attic, encouraging ice dams to form.
Once an ice dam develops on a gutter, melted water is “dammed” back on the roof over extended distances. Water over the shingled attic will work its way under the shingles and into the home. Melted water causes rot and converts structural components into hidden health hazards.
What is an “ice dam”? A poorly insulated roof collects snow and its warmer-than-air temperature causes this snow to melt and run into a gutter. This runoff freezes within a gutter and backs-up, creating icicles and a large ridge, or “dam,” of ice out of the top of the gutter. Melted snow runoff can no longer drain through the gutter and is held back to a point over the warm roof. Roof leaks caused by ice damming typically extend between 2 to 15 feet from the ice dam.
The landlord or homeowner must repair the problem. The lasting solution is to ventilate the attic or crawl space below the roof (keeping it cold) and insulating the attic floor (a $3,000-$5,000 repair). In all cases, inhabitants are expected to suffer through the wet until spring, when outside temperatures rise and begin work again.
Landlords in the Chicago area are required to keep their buildings essentially water-tight (Chicago Building Code Group 34, 13-196-530(c)).
Nearly any roofer and insulation contractor can make these repairs to prevent ice damming and the formation of mold or mildew in the home. Tomacor inspects the workmanship; don’t pay them if it’s poor.
Tom Corbett
< a href="http://www.amlegal.com/library/il/chicago.shtml"> Chicago Building Code Online
Mold Related Health Problems
Winter Inspector Training Courses
Become a Home Inspection Professional
With the pre-licensing home inspector course from the
Illinois Inspector Training Institute. Earn a full-time income working part-time!
Top Construction Job Applicants Want This Credential! Popular amongst skilled trade workers, police and fire fighters, attorneys, and contractors.
10-Day Intensive Pre-Licensing Course (Prepares you to sit for the State Exam). February 2 - 13, 2009, weekends off. Contact the office for more information
Course fee is $1395. Early registration gets you $200 off!
To learn more, contact the offices at 312-475-0835. Click here to get your registration forms.
Receive Training and Professional Mentoring and Business Guidance from a State-licensed Inspection Veteran and News Columnist Who Has Performed over 10,000 Inspections.
This State-approved course is recommended for anyone with an interest in the field and committed to promoting honest information about properties — new and old, single family, flats, condos, and new constructions.
Chicago Attorney Testimonial
“Tomacor has helped my clients resolve a number of disputes with builders.”
-Chicago Attorney