Today’s session revisits the purpose of the show and discusses the plan to realign its focus to more specific and technical topics. Reuben shares that the show was originally designed for diligent homeowners who want to learn more about their house, real estate agents, and home inspectors. We're considering a new target audience of just home inspectors, but we'd like to hear your input. Please email us at [email protected] to let us know what you think.

Reuben also shares that StructureTech will be partnering with Majordomo. This is a third-party vendor who will be an additional option for homeowners to contact and request a repair estimate. Bill also highlights that this partnership will be a great help for homeowners to arrive at an informed decision.

The gang discusses the finer points of testing GFCI devices, and then Reuben shares his book summaries, which he just made public last week. To find these book summaries, visit https://structuretech.com/reubens-corner/.

Andy Schreder, Chief Building Officer of Rum River Construction Consultants joins today’s session to talk about ‘’Structural Insulated Panels’’ or SIPs. These are insulated foam cores with an OSB or plywood glued on each face; it acts as a structural component as an exterior wall assembly. Currently, their company is raising funds to erect SIPs buildings in Haiti.

Andy shares that SIPs are becoming more prevalent in the modern building infrastructure because of the energy efficiency; the way SIPs seal the buildings tighter to meet the present energy cope. He also discusses the peculiarities of the SIP building designs and their advantages.

Related Link

https://www.gofundme.com/f/mango-community-family-farm?member=9634004&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

For today’s episode, the gang will talk about the checklist one should consider when moving into a new house; what is important and what should be fixed?

The show starts off with Tessa sharing her experience when she went under inspector duty to assist her parents when they moved into a house that was built in 2006. In 15 years, some mechanical equipment must be replaced such as the furnace, water softener, etc. Going through her parents’ punch list, they discovered serious concerns such as debris, dead bugs, wasps, and ants!

Then Reuben shares about carpenter ants as a red flag as they are a sign that you have a water problem and a rotting wood problem. He also shares a cost-efficient tip when he worked on replacing his HVAC. He shares how he processed the electrical permit and did a very small amount of electrical work.

Reuben shares a recent water disaster with his kitchen water heater. He tapped 24Restore, a service company that specializes in emergency damage caused by water, fire, biohazards, and storms. He then shares the process and his full experience with the dispatch team of Jesse and David.

Jesse Jackman shares that their company's primary goal is to help, to secure the property and belongings, and ensure team and customer safety. They assess and recommend what to do, then restore and reconstruct the affected area. 24 Restore also works with insurance companies which makes claims run as smoothly as possible.

May is the National Deck Safety Month.

In Today's podcast, Reuben shares his experiences in building decks and home inspections. He explains the attachment methods, how to prevent deck failures, maintenance and deterioration, and safety.

While decks are good D-I-Y projects to add living space, some components must work together and some building codes must be followed.

Related link https://structuretech.com/minnesota-deck-inspections

Building and renovating houses is getting expensive!

In today's podcast, Bill shares that the cost of materials has been rising. Capacity, logistics, and tariffs issues contribute to the increase in prices. Reuben shares about the current prices of lumber in the market.

The use of structural insulated panels, even a 100-year old iron bathtub may aid the expenses. However, Tessa shares that passive houses may do more because of their standard in energy efficiency in buildings.

Today’s episode digs into the topic of electricity. Tessa leads the technical talk about the difference between grounding and bonding: “why we have it,” “what it means, ” and “what it does.”

At the same time, Reuben explains the distinction between being electrocuted from being shocked. He also explains the difference between Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter and Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. These are important to reduce the risk of electrocution and to keep a safe home.

Dan Sibinski with Keller Williams Classic Realty joins the show to discuss whether or not we’re in a housing bubble. Dan discusses the housing market trends in Minnesota, with a deep-dive into inventory, interest rates, and how those affect the market.

There are a lot of numbers and trends discussed during this podcast, and it will greatly help to follow along with the graphs and charts posted on the podcast section on our website at https://structuretech.com/podcast-structure-talk/housing-bubble/.

Daniel Felt, the owner of Kura Home Maintenance, joins the show for the second time. He catches up with Bill, Tessa, and Reuben about the secrets to the thriving success of their business. He shares about providing the various needs of their clients as they are expanding in promising states nationwide. He also highlights the importance of having a customer-focused team and how this culture has helped them increase their clientele.

Brendan Ryan, the president of the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (EBPHI) joins the show to talk about the National Home Inspection Exam (NHIE). Brendan explains the complexity and importance of taking a psychometric exam for a home inspection license.  Passing the high-stakes examination is an advantage in the market as well as a requirement in various associations such as the American Society of Home Inspectors. He then shares how the exams were written and how often they are updated.