Reuben's Home Inspection Blog

Follow me
By
Home Inspector - Structure Tech Home Inspections
Home inspection topics in the Minneapolis / Saint Paul area.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
While most attic spaces in Minnesota are insulated with fiberglass or cellulose insulation, there is a relatively new product that provides superior performance:  spray foam.  On old one-and-one-half story houses, foam insulation can be an especially nice way to cut down on heat loss, air leakage...
10/16/2012
In a recent blog post about fall maintenance for Minnesota homeowners, I mentioned having your furnace inspected / tuned up by a qualified heating contractor annually.  One reader sent me an email asking if this was really necessary - here's his original question: I have a question about furnace ...
10/09/2012
While the hazards associated with aluminum branch circuit conductors in homes have been known about for the last 40 years, there still seems to be a lot of disagreement about what should be done when aluminum branch circuit conductors are found during a home inspection.  I'm writing this post to ...
10/02/2012
"New construction homes get inspected dozens of times by municipal inspectors as part of the permit process, so there is no need to hire a private home inspector if you're buying a new home." I hear that a lot.  I do my best to convince home buyers otherwise, but when I'm on the phone with a pote...
09/18/2012
I've discovered a dryer transition duct that is far superior to anything else I've ever seen - it's called DryerFlex.  I found this product while writing a recent blog post on dryer transition ducts, and I actually mentioned it at the end of that post.   The DryerFlex dryer transition duct is a c...
09/11/2012
Without a doubt, the sexiest new siding being used on the front of houses is stone siding.  I say stone siding because that's what everyone calls it, but what I'm really referring to is Masonry Veneer.  This is a man-made product that's meant to look like stone siding, and is installed in a simil...
09/04/2012
If you own a newer home or you've recently had gas lines added to your home, there's a good possibility that Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing, or CSST, was used.  This is a relatively new material that is approved for the distribution of natural gas inside of homes.  The best analogy I can think...
08/27/2012
Have you noticed any foul odors in your basement that you just can't get to the bottom of?  It might be sewer gases coming in to your home.  Every plumbing fixture needs to be equipped with a trap, which is basically a dip in a pipe that water fills up.  This water sitting in the trap is what pre...
08/21/2012
Last week I blogged about clothes dryer ducts, and this week I'm going to follow up with information on dryer transition ducts.  As I mentioned last week, a dryer transition duct is the flexible material that can be used to transition between the dryer and the duct.  Transition ducts should be us...
08/13/2012
According to Underwriters Laboratories, clothes dryers are responsible for approximately 15,000 home fires each year.    It's not hard to believe.  Improperly installed and improperly maintained clothes dryer ducts are one of the most common issues that home inspectors find, but it's not that dif...
08/06/2012
Rainmaker
234,061

Reuben Saltzman

Delivering the Unbiased Truth.
local_phone(952) 915-6466
smartphone(612) 205-5600
Contact The Author
Home inspection topics in the Minneapolis / Saint Paul area.