Structure Talk

Today, Leonard Segal joins the show to talk about Covid-19 vaccine mandates. How will this affect the home inspection industry? Is vaccination required among inspectors? Can clients deny services from non-vaccinated providers?

Reuben highlights that vaccination against Covid-19 is a common subject among small business owners and employees. Leonard shares that the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is developing and reviewing the mandate to require vaccination of employees.

Leonard shares that it's important to get legal advice about the vaccination mandate for specific situations; what is applicable today may not be accurate in the future. Reuben asks about possible exemptions for religious beliefs or medical conditions and possible HIPAA violations.  Bill asks advice about how companies can manage the rolling-out of this mandate without harassing employees to get it.

Leonard explains how to probe and manage the vaccination status and interest of employees as well as drawing the line between being casual and harassment. He also discusses the legislative jurisdiction of mandates and the possible non-acceptance of sizable states.

Leonard Segal champions employment and labor laws. Reach him at (952) 358-7408 or [email protected].

Ryan Carey from My3quotes.com joins the show to talk about different window types and manufacturers. His company provides customers with an unbiased review of different products from different stores and contractors.

Reuben recalls one of the most popular blogs by Ryan about Andersen vs Pella Vs Marvin. Then, Ryan talks about the pros and cons of their window products. He also discusses his preferred materials and the differences between vinyl, wood, fiberglass, and aluminum. Moreover, he highlights the cost and price difference between these brands and materials.

Tessa and Bill share tips on how to reduce moisture and condensation inside the house, ventilation strategies, and window maintenance. Ryan also talks about foam and metal spacers, window U-factors, deterioration, and warranties.

Visit Ryan Carey and his team at www.getmy3quotes.com.

Today's show is about household maintenance that needs to be done before a long winter. Bill, Tessa, and Reuben talk about what to check and clean. They highlight the under-maintained areas of a house.

They start by discussing the water system from sprinklers or lawn irrigation systems; how to properly disconnect garden hoses, sump pumps, drain exterior faucets, drain traps; and how to avoid sewer gas leaks. Reuben shares his experience about what can happen when you forget to disconnect the corrugated sump pump discharge tube before winter.

Reuben also talks about maintaining the heating equipment, air exchange equipment, dryer ducks, dampers, smoke alarms, and thermostats. Tessa shares about water-stained ceiling, vents, and cleaning air exchangers like the heat recovery ventilator (HRV) and energy recovery ventilator (ERV). Bill asks about roof maintenance and AC refrigerant lines.

Also, they discuss preparing furnaces and recommend that some inspection and cleaning should be done professionally especially in fall.

Today's show talks about how home inspectors go beyond the call of duty and help homeowners more than expected.

Reuben explains wood foundations and moisture testing, polybutylene plumbing  and leaking. Tessa talks about health and safety issues such as drafting at combustion appliances, microbial growth in houses and elevated levels of moisture. Bill shares his experience with carbon monoxide during inspections. They also discuss aluminum wiring  as the worst and most expensive electrical problem that they may encounter during an inspection.

Bill asks about the quality of asphalt and organic shingles, and vermiculite insulation in attics. Reuben mentions that asbestos in this insulation causes health hazards. They also talk about balloon framing and molds in the attic.

Watch Reuben's class on water intrusion here:
Home inspector training: how to find water problems at walls - YouTube.

It's Fire Prevention Week!

Skip Walker, the owner of Walker Property Evaluation Services from San Bruno, California, joins today's show to talk about fire safety. He is one of the authors of the Code Check series and is well-rounded about home inspections and building codes, and is multi-awarded by ASHI.

Skip mentions that there are roughly 3,000 fire-related deaths in US homes. He discusses the types of smoke alarms such as ionization and photoelectric alarms. These have different purposes, criteria and performance standards, and testing standards. He highlights the failure rates of one product that cause mortality and the success rate of the other.

​Reuben shares an investigative report about challenging the government standards in fire alarm technology. Skip mentions that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) who oversees these are aware of the failure rates but are inefficient in communicating and addressing these concerns. He points out that it's not a smoke alarm problem but a systematic one.

They also talk about how to identify the type of alarms, their technology development, the stand of firefighters in the fire alarm products, and other smoke detection products. They share their preferred alarm, why it's economically convenient and safer.

Today Ryan Carey, the owner of My 3 Quotes, joins the show to talk about getting the best provider for your building needs.

Ryan shares how he provides customers an unbiased review of different products with 3 quotes from 3 different contractors. They fill the space between a homeowner and a contractor by guiding them to have an informed decision. Moreover, they discuss the differences not only in the costing but as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the building methods and practices.

Reuben remembers the blog post by Ryan regarding James Hardie vs LP Smartside. Ryan discusses the difference between Hardie and LP products as well as their warranty provisions. Tessa asks about the life expectancy for Hardie and LP products. Then, Bill clarifies the provisions in lifetime warranties.

Visit Ryan Carrey and their team at www.getmy3quotes.com.

Cladding is an exterior siding of a building. It can be stone, brick, steel, vinyl, or an Exterior Insulating Finishing System (EIFS). And it’s definitely pronounced “EEFS”, not “EEFUS”. According to Mark, the best cladding that will give the least potential for failure depends totally on how it’s installed; and there are specific instructions for each type of material. However, water problems are caused by simple details that are overlooked during installation.

Reuben asks for advice on how to deal with houses which lack a water resistive barrier behind the siding. Bill asks about the quality of cladding materials for a house during particular decades. Tessa asks about recommended materials for house cladding and the common mistakes by builders today. They also talk about weather-resistant barriers, sealant joints, and stains.

Mark discusses the responsibilities of building contractors. He also shares his experiences in consulting, attending to contractor building fails, and construction litigation.

Reach Mark Parlee through thebuildingconsultant.com.

The northern part of the USA has a different situation in terms of pests. Scott Dorn, the owner of BOGO (Buy One Give One), Pest Control , joins the show to talk about managing pests.

Scott talks about the history and foundation of their company. He hates using poison, and suggests going over a checklist of all the different things that you have tried before resorting to poison. Reuben also shares how their partnership with BOGO started, which inspired them to participate in philanthropic work.

BOGO takes care of insects and rodents. Scott shares that the problem with mice is a consistent and common issue in the northland because of extreme weather; different insects also come out from varying temperature conditions. He discusses the entry points, trails, and management of mice, bats, spiders, etc. However, their company refers the management of some rodents and wildlife to a more specialized organization.

Also, BOGO is dedicated to supporting Feed My Starving Children- an organization that coordinates the packaging and distribution of food to people in developing nations.

Today we are joined by the friends and colleagues of Rick Norling to honor and remember him.

Rick Norling was one of the original founders of Structure Tech, back in 1987. Before he passed away, he was a full-time radon technician. He also founded Operation HighGround, an organization that identifies and implements strategies to help Veterans with housing, employment, education, and transportation.

Bill is thinking about installing a tongue & groove ceiling at his cabin, but Tessa and Reuben give his idea no love.

Tessa shares that air leakage and moisture getting into the attic can be prevented in multiple ways. However, the climate zone, amount of air leakage, humidity levels in the house, size of the attic space, and the volume of air in the attic are major factors in how the ceiling will perform.. One way to test the efficiency is by de-pressurizing the house and using an infrared camera to trace the air pathways back to the gaps. While Reuben shares that condensation issues are common among tongue and groove ceiling installations.

Reuben talks about some challenges in the use of fiberglass insulation and suggests the use of drywall for a consistent air barrier. They also talk about the use of spray foam, polyethylene sheeting, rockwool insulation, and guardrails.