ASTAR Home Inspection

01/27/2024

We see a lot of viewers checking out our webpage and if you are in the market for a new or pre-existing home please give me a call. Even if you haven’t got a Realtor or found the home yet, I can give you some tips or information to hopefully make the buying process more understandable or easier. We can explain why you should or should not get a home inspection, termite inspection, hydrostatic test and the foundation inspection. The call is free and I can answer most of your questions or help you find the answers.

Scott
Astar Home Inspection
254-717-6971

02/26/2023

Be careful this spring when the snakes start to come out. This copperhead was found in the basket of a swimming pool skimmer here in Texas when the owner was cleaning it out.

09/20/2022

Had this happen a few times

07/24/2022

05/04/2022

FLIR
If you have not read the part of FLIR on our webpage I highly recommend you do so (astarhomeinspection.org). About 1 in 3 homes have suspected moisture pe*******on in the walls, ceilings or around windows. Missing this on your home inspection could result in mold growing in those areas. We also find missing insulation and just last week a leak in the HVAC ducting system. It is included in the price of your inspection with ASTAR and very few inspectors use FLIR.

About ASTAR Home INSPECTION ASTAR Home Inspection, is minority owned and employs a retired military veteran (ARNG) as our Professional Real Estate Home Inspector. Our Home Inspector, Scott Wiley, was a former Real Estate Agent who is a Corpus Christi Association of Realtors affiliate member which gi...

02/17/2022

Inspections:

Now that the seller has accepted your contract and you are in your option period here are a few tips.

1) Ask your Realtor when is the LAST day of your option period since it is calendar days. If you decide NOT to purchase the home your Realtor needs to advise the seller or Listing Agent BEFORE 5pm (in Texas) to get your earnest money back.

2) Immediately book your inspections; Home (general), Termite (WDI), Hydrostatic (drain leak test), Foundation and Pool (if installed). I recommend choosing your own Home Inspector.

3) Call ASTAR, we can book all your inspections for you at the same time (need 2-3 days notice) and we don’t charge extra to do it. There are Home Inspection Companies that charge an extra fee per other inspections booked. One company was charging a total of $1000 for everything while WE book it and you pay each Inspector directly which was $750 total. Size of the home will make the amount vary.

4) We only do 1 inspection per day and ALL inspections are 3 hours minimum, if it takes longer there is NO extra charge.

5) Are they using FLIR (thermal imagery), certified on FLIR?

ASTAR uses the E-5xt, certified by Monroe Infrared and our Inspector used FLIR for 3 years on board the Army OH-58 helicopter he flew.

02/17/2022

This is a great video (and short) to determine if you have a load bearing wall.

Tom Silva explains what load bearing walls are, how to identify them, and what needs to be done in order to safely remove them.SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: h...

12/27/2021

If you are looking at our page please check out our website

www.Astarhomeinspection.com

Our FLIR camera is finding moisture in the ceiling or walls in about 1 out of 3 pre-existing homes and is included in our price.

10/09/2021

Why water heaters need to be properly installed by a licensed plumber.

Water Heater Explosionhttp://youtu.be/d5-L3JtjtD0Stampede Plumbing is your trusted Chandler plumber! No matter what your emergency plumbing needs may be, our...

10/03/2021

ASTAR highly recommends getting a hydrostatic test for your new or existing home purchase they normally run about $100.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE TESTING

Pipes don’t last forever. While they are made from materials that can last for several decades, in time, joints can come apart. The weight of the soil and the building above can cause buried pipes to crack and start leaking. Tree roots can infiltrate and damage the pipes. The problem is, when a leak is deep underground, you may not know you have one for a long time.

Hydrostatic testing is actually a drain leak test since no pressure is used.

How Does Hydrostatic Testing Work in a Home’s Sewer System

Trees are always searching for reliable sources of water. They send their roots in every direction to find moisture. Sewer pipes are an attractive source. The tree sends microscopic root tendrils into the tiniest opening. If it finds a place to get inside, the root will start drawing moisture from that source. This triggers the root to grow bigger, which forces the opening to become larger. In time, the roots can crack the pipe and cause it to break.

Hydrostatic testing helps plumbers find these hidden leaks. It starts by finding the drain line’s cleanout. The plumber inserts an inflatable test ball into the cleanout. The ball gets inflated to block the sewer line, usually close to the foundation’s edge.

With the main sewer line blocked, the plumber fills it with water, up to the slab’s top edge. Then, it’s a matter of waiting. The plumber waits to see if the water level starts to drop. If it does, there’s a leak under the building’s slab.

The next step is to find out where the leak is called an isolation test. One option is to feed a video camera down into the sub-slab pipes to find the location of the leak. It also offers the ability to inspect the general condition of those pipes.

Another option is to use inflatable plugs to isolate and test different sections of pipe. The plumber uses the video camera to position the plugs to different points. This makes it possible to isolate and test different sections of the pipe.

Why Use Hydrostatic Testing

Hydrostatic testing is performed to determine if a house or building a sub-slab sewer system contains leaking piping. Test plugs are inserted into existing cleanouts to block and fill the 50+-year-old cast iron sewer system with water. The water is observed in an exposed toilet drain – a loss in water level indicates leaks in the aged piping.