Structure Talk

Dr. Allison Bailes , author of the Energy Vanguard blog joins the show to talk about air return ducts. They talk about heating and air conditioning systems. Allison discusses that the most affected are the bedroom and it's important to have a return air pathway to help with better airflow. He then talks about having central return and dedicated return pathways and how to set these systems up....

Today’s show is about the top inspection defects that could make buyers think twice before sealing the deal. Reuben and Tessa discuss various foundation problems which can be caused by failed water management systems. This led them to talk about soil conditions in the Minneapolis area. They tackle their inspection experiences with hidden fire or smoke damage, electrical wiring, stucco siding, roof...

People want to maximize space in the house, the bedroom included. What are the allowed appliances in the bedroom? The trio talks about having a gas fireplace, natural gas furnaces, room and water heaters, decorative appliances, and others. Reuben establishes that gas appliances are not allowed in sleeping rooms and bathrooms unless specific requirements are met. He highlights the need for a direct...

A quality bedroom makes a house more marketable. This episode talks about qualifications, the technical and practical aspects of a bedroom. Reuben defines what a bedroom is. Tessa talks about the qualified dimensions, floor area, ceiling height, and headroom. They also talk about the practical and technical requirements such as the heat source, safety requirements such as emergency exits, alarms,...

Mike Twitty joins the show to talk about electrical questions that were accumulated from listener emails. Reuben asks about surge protection devices. He mentions that Structure Tech doesn't add information in reports about surge protectors. Mike explains the types of surge protection devices, what they do, where they are installed, and which appliance or equipment they're used with. He a...

Today, Reuben talks about simple air conditioning maintenance items for indoor air quality and air comfort. Reuben shares three maintenance tips. He first discusses the importance of changing furnace filters and how it can lead to restricted or reduced airflow. He and Tessa then talk about how an oversized AC system and unchanged filters can also negatively affect the health of the house. The seco...

Today's show is about handyman services and its business difficulties. Daniel Felt of Kura Home shares that they ventured into providing handyman services for more than a year. While it was booming it also encountered manpower and financial challenges. He mentioned that one of their major challenges is managing expectations with their clients. He talks about the miscommunications they had wit...

Realtor Joe Schwartzbauer from the Grey Duck Properties team joins the show to talk about real estate market updates. Joe mentions that the market is starting to get back to normal from the limitations of the pandemic. He talks about the rising interest rates and possible rate-lock, the seller's behavior and mentality, and home inspection strategies. He mentions that 42% of the latest accepte...

Today's podcast covers bad electric panels, as well as panels with bad reputations that really aren't bad. This includes a discussion of Challenger panels , Bulldog/pushmatic panels, FPE Stab-Lok Panels , and Zinsco/Sylvania panels. E-mail podcast@structuretech.com for your questions, comments or other correspondence.

Founder of Zsako Home Inspections Inc. , Istvan Zsako joins today's show to talk about sewer inspections. Istvan is a fellow home inspector and entrepreneur from New Mexico, with over 22 years of experience in Home Building, Remodeling, and Home Maintenance. He shares how he got into sewer camera inspection and the training he underwent as well as the licensing requirements for home inspectio...

Today's show is part two of red flags that buyers should look out for to avoid big and expensive issues when checking out properties. Windows is one to look at first, especially the type of windows that potentially are going to rot. Tessa advises giving windows a gentle push or touch to see if they are solid or rotted. She highlights that replacing windows can be a huge expense for home buyer...

Today's show is about red flags buyers should look out for when buying a property. Reuben and Tessa run through tips and recommendations when checking a house. Tessa shares where and how to look at the roof for any defects, damages, or irregularities. Reuben adds that there's a lot that can be seen from the ground to alert buyers of a bad roof. He highlights that it's important to k...

Today, the three-legged stool breaks down and digests the recent podcast about insulation with Patrick Huelman . Tessa starts the discussion by talking about Patrick's applied research and development in residential houses with the Building America Program that is led by the Department of Energy. This program focuses on energy efficiency and building performance issues, ( durability, quality,...

Brock Verville shares his unique perspective as a home inspector and a firefighter for the City of Albertville and talks about fire safety and fire codes. Brock quotes that fire codes are written in blood. He explains that the purpose of codes is to correct something that caused injury or death in the past and they are driven out of tragedies or avoidable things that had occurred. They talk about...

Owner of Inspection WerX s and Appraisal WerX , Lanny Freng joins the show to talk about the property appraisal industry. Lanny talks about the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) and the Appraisal Management Company (AMC) and how it changed the industry and the appraiser's relationship with mortgage companies since 2008. While appraisers continue to carry through, Lanny explains that appra...

Reuben and Tessa are joined by Patrick Huelman , an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, to talk about insulation. Patrick Huelman shares his extensive background in architecture and building science. He talks about their recent experimental work with the Department of Energy through Pacific Northwest National Laboratories to investigate thermal wall systems by in-situ energy and mo...

Today we're going to talk about giving context and putting things into perspective for buyers and homeowners. Reuben and Tessa talk about the factors needed to be considered when reporting about different kinds of houses: the age and condition of the house and the unique or typical defects. Tessa shares that being a home inspector is a difficult job and it's more than just the technical...

Today we're going to deconstruct critical items of a home inspection and how the home inspection is integrated and overlaps with building science. Tessa shares that home inspectors look at specific separate systems and structural things and then identify potential defects. While the industry is chopped into specialized systems, Tessa highlights that home inspectors are positioned with a uniqu...

Bill starts the show by talking about the City of St Paul’s decision to get rid of lead supply lines. Reuben shares that around 28% of the city or over 26,000 properties are using lead supply lines. Also, the city will be funding the 10-year program and will be spending $250M. He then explains what lead supply lines are and highlights that it’s a health hazard. Tessa shares that lead supply lines...

Travis McKenzie , Sales Director of Aquarius Homes Services joins today's show to talk about Soft Water and the Kinetico Water System. Aquarius Homes Services, formerly Aquarius Water Conditioning, specializes in heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, and water treatment. They provide a water treatment and conditioning system and offer free consultation and baseline testing for homeowners an...

Today we will talk about ways to improve home performance by installing proper insulation. Tessa shares that there are more ways to insulate a house and discusses how to better insulate and improve home performance. She defines pressure boundaries and thermal boundaries. Bill shares that ''project overcoat'' adds years of life expectancy to a 1.5-story house. He explains that h...

Today's topic is about the trends in the market and the importance of getting a home inspection for buyers and sellers. Reuben reads an email from real estate agent Sharlene Hensrud, about a buyer who brought up concerns about a house after closing the deal. This incident was a learning experience for the seller, saying they will never accept another offer without a home inspection. Tessa bri...

Bill talks about Open Access, a new project, and a training program where they learn more about houses. Open Access is a venue where inspectors answer questions from real estate agents. He mentions the session is appropriate for real estate agents with the same climate zone. Tessa explains the training process design and highlights that they break down a house into different systems and discuss th...

Today, the three-legged stool talks about Reuben's new project and side hustle. Inspection Services is a one-stop-shop solution to the service needs of home inspectors in the Twin Cities area. Reuben shares that they can do radon, sewer inspections, level 2 chimney inspections, stucco testing, and mold testing. They also plan to offer pool inspections and engineering services in the near futu...

Phil Whiteford , the owner of Omega Force Appliance Repairs, attends the show to talk about the proper use of appliances and their company's warranty program. They go over the common issues with refrigerators, front-load washing machines, dishwashers, microwaves, clothes dryers, and dryer exhausts. They also discuss how to test and inspect appliances. Reuben talks about the confusion he exper...