Structure Talk

The three-legged stool talks about new ideas from podcast feedback and projects and opposing perspectives.

They talk about a listener’s feedback about the science of EMF. Bill gives an analogy about accepting new ideas and how Nate Johnson is ahead of his time. Reuben opens the discussion with an e-mail he received about water problems and saturated soil that affects the foundation.

Tessa discusses beta-testing Healthy Homes Assessment, their services, processes, and reports. She shares their case study and finds out how it’s far removed from home inspections. Reuben highlights that this service is focused on the homeowner’s health rather than the building.

Reuben also talks about the market update, how home inspections are lesser this year, and walk-and-talk inspections.

Reuben shares how his Whoop strap has helped monitor his physical activities, sleep, and stress levels. Bill shares about leaving Structure Talk.

Keep sending your feedback and show topics to [email protected].

Today we reconnect with a client to talk about their first home inspection experience and their path to becoming a diligent homeowner. Alex bought his house 10 months ago and has learned so much since.

Alex shares about having zero knowledge about home maintenance and discovering Structure Tech. He also talks about his experience from purchasing his house, the home inspection process, the defects they found, and the challenges they encountered. They discuss walking through the inspection reports and how Alex used them to improve the house.

Alex also shares advice about home inspections, maintenance, and tips before buying a house. They talk about the current comfort condition of Alex’s house, moisture levels, dehumidifiers, radon testing, and installing a thermostatic mixing valve.

For show topic suggestions, please e-mail us at [email protected]. Visit structuretech.com to subscribe to our blog and structuretalk.com to listen to the show.

Sun Badger Solar president Trevor Sumner and lead electrician Eric Grimes join the show to discuss solar energy construction.

Trevor starts by talking about the motivators for going solar. He talks about the installation processes and the different technologies they are using. He highlights the amount of savings homeowners get. Solar Badger provides an in-depth analysis of the solar system that is best for homeowners online, without visiting their homes.

They talk about the type of roofs that make the installation effortless, the panel’s life expectancy, and its proper disposal. Trevor explains that there are precious metals in the modules and there is a logistical challenge in getting them to a place where they can be recycled. They also talk about how the solar system works, uses batteries, and why it typically doesn’t make sense to transfer the panels from one house to another.

For more information about Sun Badger Solar, visit sunbadger.com. For your suggestions for show topics, email [email protected].

The home inspection industry is subject to lawsuits. Attorney Steve Laitinen, a litigator and a trial lawyer from Larson King Law Firm, joins the show to discuss home inspection legal issues.

Steve discusses the typical lawsuits against inspectors. He mentions that cases vary in different jurisdictions- some have specific statutes of limitation for the type of claim. Reuben highlights that some of the claims don't come from direct clients.

They talk about the role insurance companies play, the financial terms of the claims, and the time and effort spent on the process. Reuben shares Structure Tech's experience with a lawsuit. Steve confirms that setting expectations is vital before doing an inspection. He discusses the important limitations stipulated in the inspector's and client's signed agreement. Steve also shares experiences when it was difficult to defend clients.

Today's show was requested by one of you! Send your questions and topic suggestions to [email protected].

Bill sits with Rob Thomas of Sussel Garages to talk about garage works.

They discuss replacing and rebuilding garages, ideal sizes for multiple cars, trusses, heating, and cooling. They also discuss installing solar panels in garages and building accessory dwelling units. Rob mentions that they build around 150-200 garages in a year and discusses the timeline for completing one project.

They also talk about the challenges in building garages, costing, and the process of planning and designing them.

Rob can be reached at 651-587-4078 and [email protected].

Today’s conversation with Bill Oelrich and Nate Johnson, consultant for electromagnetic frequency issues is part two of the EMF assessment process.

Nate discusses the four categories and exposure concerns that Newlight EMF looks at in the assessment. He talks about electric fields, magnetic fields, radio frequency, and the sub-categories of energy. He also shares that the assessment may take 4 to 8 hours. Then, Nate talks about the assessment process where he encourages homeowners to join during the assessment.

Bill asks about Nate’s electrical training, reverse polarity, gaming computers, wireless technology, and bedroom service panels. Nate discusses how they construct their reports. He mentions that they provide a written and audio summary of the evaluation. He also shares the feedback from clients who slept better after following his recommendations.

E-mail us at structuretech.com for show suggestions.

Today, the owner of New Light EMF, Nate Johnson and Bill Oelrich talk about electromagnetic fields, where they come from, how it affects our bodies, and how to remediate and reduce exposures.

Nate describes what EMFs are and where these high frequencies and energies mostly come from. He highlights that there has been an exponential increase in these energies in the last 20 years due to wireless technology. Nate then shares about the medical condition that led him to discover man-made EMFs and dirty electricity.

They talk about the mechanism that affects our bodies. They discuss energies from cellphones, 5G technology, Bluetooth, wifi routers, wiring and powerlines, and electricity. Nate mentions that our bodies don't need extremely powerful energy to disrupt biological functions. He talks about the disruption in the nervous system and body minerals. Nate then shares the process of assessing and some recommendations on how to control energies in the house.

For topic suggestions, e-mail [email protected].

Today the team digs in on some highlights about home warranties. They break down some topics from a discussion with Shelley Johnson with Home Warranty of America.

Reuben discusses the basic and specific coverage for a home warranty. They talk about coverable cases for PEACH: plumbing, electrical, appliances, cooling, and heating. Bill highlights that home inspections help the warranty situation; warranty companies need to know that these units and equipment work before they provide warranty coverage.

They talk about testing and documentation for furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, and air exchangers. . They also talk about ice makers, dishwashers, microwaves, washing machines, and clothes dryers. They also discussed the recommendations for these units. Reuben mentions that some of these are excluded from home inspection standards of practice.

They revisited other surprising topics and home warranty options discussed by Shelley Johnson. She can be reached at 763-221-1098.

Vickie Swenson, from Minnesota Mold Inspection joins the show to talk about smells and odors in houses.

According to Vickie, the most common triggers for a mold inspection are molds found by inspectors, the homeowners seeing or smelling something, flooding, or getting sick. She mentions that they are mostly called for musty odors, mouse urine, cat urine, and sewer gas.

Moreover, Vickie shares about materials, insects, and household areas that can produce strong odors, and why and how they develop an odor.

They talk about other factors that cause the development of odor. They discuss cleaning the house, the ducts, and the use of humidifiers; Vickie and Tessa highlight that high humidity and moisture cause the odor to worsen.

Vickie shares the process of going about the inspection. They also talk about various tests that can be done to find sources of odor and deodorizing techniques in the house.

For show topic suggestions, please email us at [email protected].

Jessie Green, former president of the North Star Chaper of American Association of Radon Scientist and Technologists (AARST), and present owner of American Radon Mitigation joins today's session to discuss radon systems.

Jessie mentions that there is radon in every house, but the levels vary. Tessa highlights that high levels of radon can be present even in houses without basements.

Jessie talks about the difference between a radon system and the American Radon System, installation, and how it works. He highlights why periodic testing should be practiced. He also talks about digital and mobile monitors. They talk about how to mitigate the radon levels in the basement and in different foundation types. Then he shares the cost for installing the mitigation system.

To suggest show topics, e-mail [email protected].