Closer Look Inspections, Inc.

As an inspection company, we have encountered numerous situations where unawareness of an Underground Storage Tank (UST) on a property led to various complications. We have included a few stories below from our experience to illustrate the potential risks: Surprise Discovery During Renovation One of our clients, a family, purchased an older home with plans to renovate. During the excavation for an extension, they discovered an old, rusted UST. It turned out that the tank had been leaking for years, causing significant soil contamination. The family faced unexpected costs for environmental cleanup and tank removal, delaying their renovation project by several months and greatly exceeding their budget. Real Estate Deal Gone Awry In another instance, a couple was in the process of selling their home when our routine inspection requested by the buyers revealed an abandoned UST buried in the yard. The buyers became concerned about potential contamination and demanded a reduction in the sal...

  Let’s face it. Older homes have a great deal of charm to them. They just do. They are comfortable, warm, and just feel cozy. As a purchaser of an older home or potential purchaser of an older home you know going into it that you are going to need to pay attention to maintenance. We wanted to touch on a topic this week that isn’t talked about much but can be very important  and could pose significant risks both financially and for your health. This feature is an underground fuel tank. What is an Underground Fuel Tank? Underground heating oil tanks were particularly popular among home builders during the mid-20th century. The peak period for their installation was from about the 1930s through the 1980s. This trend was primarily due to the widespread availability and cost-effectiveness of heating oil during those times. Heating oil was a common choice for residential heating before the widespread adoption of natural gas and electric heat systems, which have since become more po...