by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Jul 20, 2023 | Home Inspection
What You Need to Know About Copper-Clad Aluminum Wiring What is Copper-Clad Aluminum Wiring? Copper-clad aluminum (CCA) wiring is a type of electrical conductor that combines the properties of both copper and aluminum. It is created by bonding a thin layer of... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Apr 30, 2023 | Home Inspection
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 countries such as Russia, China, Canada, Brazil, and... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Grading & Drainage Do not allow water to stand near your home’s foundation! This is the big take-away from the grading and drainage section. Pooling water around a foundation can cause lots of problems, and is often a contributing factor to localized... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Porch, Deck and Carport Inspect deck and balcony steps and surfaces for loose fasteners, “nail pops” (nails backing out), rotted wood and proper operation of gates and latches. Replace rotted boards and framing members. Loose fasteners should be removed and replaced... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Exterior Doors Inspect door trim and thresholds for wood rot, weather-stripping or water damage. Replace any deteriorated exterior caulking with a good quality latex caulk compatible with door and wall materials. Hinges should be secure, and knobs and locks... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Wall (Interior & Exterior) Interior Walls Periodically, you should touch up any hairline settling cracks in your drywall corners. The same types of cracks occur in the wood joints around your doors and are due to normal settling of your house. These can be... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Drain Lines When wastewater gurgles and seeps slowly away from sink, lavatory, bathtub, shower or toilet bowl, there is probably foreign material in the waste line slowing the flow of water. Most of the time, clogged lines may be opened by using a “plumber’s friend,”... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Appliances Dishwasher Check the dishwasher for freely spinning washer arms, proper door spring operation and attachment to the counter. Close the soap dish door and operate the unit in the normal cycle. During the rinse cycle, open the door (washing should... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Ceilings & Floors Minor cracks may appear in the plaster from time to time, but they can be repaired easily. To repair, fill the crack(s) with spackling compound, smooth it with fine sandpaper, then redecorate the entire surface. To prevent cracks wider than a... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Branch Circuits Check interior and exterior receptacles and switches for broken or missing wall covers, broken parts, and for those not working or hot to the touch. Replace broken or damaged receptacles and missing or broken covers (for weather protection). Dimmer... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Home Inspection
Foundations and Yard Site Safety Periodically walk around the yard with an eye to safety. Have holes dug by dogs, which might trip someone, filled with soil. Are sidewalks and driveways free of clutter and tripping hazards, like raised edges? Are covers for... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
How To Your Home’s HVAC System: Heating, Cooling, and Ductwork IMPORTANT: A semi-annual service contract with a qualified HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) contractor to inspect and service your heating and air conditioning equipment will... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Roof Structure and Framing in the Attic IMPORTANT – Safety Note: Attic inspections are best conducted during cool weather or early in the morning. If you expect to spend more than a few minutes in the attic, a dust mask is recommended. Exercise extreme care to... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Windows Open and close all the windows in your house. Clean and lubricate any that stick, and straighten any bent tracks. Bedroom windows must open fully and allow for fire escape; any security bars must have safety release mechanisms that do not require a key and can... by Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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 Ensure Home Inspection San Antonio | 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... 
