by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | May 6, 2023 | Home Inspection
What is an Air Addmittance Valve (also known as a Studor Vent)? An air admittance valve (AAV) is a mechanical device that is used to allow air to enter the drainage system of a building when other options will not work. It is a one-way valve that allows air to enter... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | May 5, 2023 | Home Inspection
What is an Electrical Disconnect? An electrical disconnect is a device that is used to disconnect power from an electrical circuit. It is also referred to as a disconnect switch, isolator switch, or simply a disconnect. The purpose of an electrical disconnect is to... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | May 4, 2023 | Home Inspection
What Is Wiremolding? Wiremolding is a type of cable management system that is used to conceal and protect electrical wires and cables. The technical / code name for this product is a “surface metal raceway” and raceway is a more technical term used... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Apr 30, 2023 | Home Inspection
San Antonio Home Inspector Explains R-22 Refrigerant What is R-22 Refrigerant? R22 is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerant used in air conditioning and refrigeration systems. It has been widely used since the 1950s due to its good thermal... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Apr 30, 2023 | Home Inspection
(Almost) Everything You Need to Know About Asbestos: What is Asbestos? Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is found in rock formations all around the world. It is typically mined from underground deposits, and the largest deposits are found in... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Apr 30, 2023 | Home Inspection
As a Home Inspector in San Antonio, Here are my 9 Best Tips to Improve Your Home’s Energy Efficiency: There are many ways to make your home more energy-efficient, and doing so can save you money on your energy bills while reducing your carbon footprint. Here are... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Apr 30, 2023 | Home Inspection
What Makes a Home Inspector Good? A good home inspector should possess a combination of technical knowledge, experience, professionalism, and communication skills. Here are some key qualities that make a good home inspector: Technical Knowledge: A good home inspector... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Apr 25, 2023 | Home Inspection
What are Insulation-Contact-Rated Recessed Light Fixtures? When installing recessed lighting in your home’s ceiling during a remodel, it’s important to identify what kind of light fixtures you need to have installed and to be able to make sure the... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Aug 23, 2022 | Home Inspection
Operating a Combustible Gas Detector to Check for Natural Gas / Propane Leaks During a Home Inspection Natural gas is piped to probably only 50% or fewer of the homes in the San Antonio, Texas area, but I will commonly hear of concerns about gas leaks... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Aug 10, 2022 | Home Inspection
Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters: Protecting Property and Reducing Fire Risk Are you reading a home inspection report and finding out your home does not have AFCI protection? How big of a deal is this and how much is it going to cost to repair? Read on for more... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Mar 18, 2022 | Home Inspection
Dishwasher High Drain Loops / Air-Gaps Dishwashers, if present, are a permanent fixture that will get inspected and tested in a standard Texas home inspection. What I’ve found to be the most prevalent defciency with dishwashers doesn’t actually have... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Mar 18, 2022 | Home Inspection
What is a Sediment Trap? Why is a Sediment Trap Required? Sediment traps, commonly referred to as “drip legs” by tradespeople, are manually constructed fittings installed in a gas line that “trap” debris that may be floating or pushed through... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Mar 15, 2022 | Home Inspection
Do your bathroom electrical receptacles no longer work? Did they used to work previously? Then one day, something happened and now you plug in your hair dryer or electric shaver or charge your cordless toothbrush and NOTHING! I may have a solution! If your home was... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Mar 15, 2022 | Home Inspection
As a Texas Department of Agriculture licensed WDI Inspector, I perform a wood-destroying insect inspection on about every other home I inspect in the San Antonio area. The most common threat to a structure is subterranean termites; small little insects who build... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Mar 4, 2022 | Home Inspection
Yes, the flexible accordian-style sink drains / waste pipe are sold at the local hardware stores. That doesn’t mean that they are a good idea to install under your bathroom sink. Why are accordian drain lines bad? The quick answer is that they have a tendency to... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Mar 3, 2022 | Home Inspection
Ionization smoke detectors / alarms were first invented in the early 1950’s and became commerically available for low-cost household use in the mid 1970’s. Since their widespread adoption into residential use, they have saved countless lives and provided... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Feb 27, 2022 | Home Inspection
Ground-Fault-Circuit-Interrupter (GFCI) devices were first invented in the 1950’s with the first commercially available devices being produced in the 1960’s. By 1972 GFCIs began to be installed at bathroom and garage receptacle circuits, the first places... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Jan 20, 2022 | Home Inspection
Recently I was performing a home inspection in the north-eastern part of San Antonio, very near to the area that I grew up in. Homes in this area were typically constructed in the 70’s and 80’s, and as such, I expect to see a wide variety of home... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Jan 13, 2022 | Home Inspection
The San Antonio Housing and Real Estate Market: January 2022 The last couple years have been a whirlwind it feels like. Of course it’s no secret that the real estate market in San Antonio and the rest of the country has exploded, in no small part due to... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Sep 22, 2021 | Home Inspection
Although a lot of recent development has been taking place in San Antonio, TX, especially outside Loop 1604, much of the urban core is filled with old to very old homes that contain a host of defective materials installed with deficient and out of date techniques. One... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Sep 22, 2021 | Home Inspection
What Are Cast-Iron Drains? Before plastic plumbing such as ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) in the 70’s, cast-iron was a commonly used material for waste drain pipes installed in San Antonio, TX homes. Mankind has experimented... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Sep 22, 2021 | Home Inspection
When you live in a hot climate like San Antonio or South Texas, air-conditioning is a big deal. I don’t think I’d live here without it! Air-conditioning was first invented in the 1920’s and involves the compression and evaporation of volatile gases... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Sep 22, 2021 | Home Inspection
So you’ve just gone under contract on your new home and your realtor correctly advised you to find a home inspector. You give google a search for “home inspection san antonio” and you get about a dozen pages of results. You’re overwhelmed!... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Sep 22, 2021 | Home Inspection
The real estate market is HOT in San Antonio, TX, as it is in most other areas of the country. Options are short, and you need answers about the home now. Considering most people don’t work in the construction industry and don’t have a lot of experience in... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Sep 22, 2021 | Home Inspection
The answer to this question if you live in the San Antonio or New Braunfels area would be to call one of the home inspectors at Ensure Home Inspections of course. If you live outside of our service area, we can give you some advice as to what you should look for in a... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Sep 22, 2021 | Home Inspection
Breaking out the different gizmos and gadgets a home inspector in San Antonio would use is always fun for home owners. Considering the amount of money they are paying for the Home Inspection, most home owners want to see us show up with some specialty inspection... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Sep 22, 2021 | Home Inspection
No, I’m not talking about the price of the home; I mean, of course a home is expensive. I mean all the costs that you didn’t think about when you started your home search: earnest money, down-payment, title company fees, mortgage origination fees, and the... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Jun 29, 2021 | Home Inspection
Common Concerns with Older Homes Revealed During a Home Inspection When gathering information from a client about the home they would like inspected, one of the first questions is “how large is the home in square feet?” and “how old is it?”... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | Jun 29, 2021 | Home Inspection
There’s a reason that home inspector was cheap. Have you ever signed up for what you thought was a free service like searching for a contractor through Porch, Home Advisor or Angie’s List and gotten your phone blown up with calls for the next few days... by ensurehomeinspections@gmail.com | May 7, 2021 | Home Inspection
Spray Foam Attic Insulation Spray-foam insulation offers the best attic insulation that money can buy. There are two types: shut cell and open-cell, also known as 2-pound and ½-pound, individually. They sport insulation values with upsides of around R-6.5 and R-3.6... 
