Brewer Inspection Services

10/21/2022

Our lastest blog post is up on our website! Check it out here!

Is Your Roof Getting Old? - Here You'll find answers by professional ASHI home inspectors relating to the home buying questions, maintenance tips, inspection checklists.

10/11/2022

Be sure to check out our newest blog post on our website. You can find it here👇

What is an Expansion Tank - Here You'll find answers by professional ASHI home inspectors relating to the home buying questions, maintenance tips, inspection checklists.

09/30/2022

I must say, we have been enjoying some fantastic fall weather in St. Louis this week! Beautiful days and nice evenings, but these past few mornings are getting pretty chilly!

Now is the time to call your HVAC company and schedule a time to have your furnace checked and serviced. You're going to need your furnace sooner rather than later, and you'll want peace of mind knowing you can safely turn on your system and not have to worry about any safety issues. Carbon monoxide is nothing to mess around with.

And, as long as we're on the subject, test or change the batteries in your CO detector(s). Or, if you don't have any, this would be a great time for me to encourage you to consider installing a couple in all the appropriate areas of your home.

09/22/2022

Fall has arrived!! Finally getting a chance to give our air conditioners a breather!

08/31/2022

Last week we talked about blisters and pitting on your shingles. Today I'm going to talk about hail damage.

Hail damage can be hard to determine, and it doesn't always show up right away after a hail storm. It may take a few weeks before the visible evidence of "bruising" occurs.

These pictures give an example of what hail damage or bruising looks like. If not noticed or addressed in a timely manner, other conditions may occur like granule loss, exposed fiberglass backing/matting, etc. Damaged shingles can negatively impact the integrity of the roof, possibly resulting in leaks.

If you do experience a hail storm, contact your insurance provider or a qualified roofing contractor to determine if damage has occurred.

08/22/2022

Today we are going to talk about a roof condition you may or may not have heard of....blistering and pitting of the shingles.

The first picture below shows the "blister" and the bottom picture shows the eventual "pitting"

So, what cause this to happen? The two main causes are...1) a manufacturer defect - basically a poorly made batch of shingles, or 2) lack or or inadequate ventilation in the attic. Heat gain from no or poor ventilation can cause the shingles to blister and pop, causing the pit.

If you see this occurring, contact the manufacturer of the shingle material. They can send a representative out to determine conditions and the best method of remediation.

08/02/2022

Have you ever heard the term "street creep"? What is street creep?

In simplest terms, it's the action of concrete driveway slabs being pushed or shifted in the direction of your home.

It starts in the street. As cars drive by, day after day, that puts pressure on the street, and causes a movement, which in turn puts pressure on your driveway. It's a ripple affect that, if not caught in time, can ultimately result in damage to the foundation of your garage and/or your house.

Ideally, there should be at least two expansion joints at your driveway. One between the street and your driveway, and the other between your driveway and garage floor/slab.

The easiest way to watch for street creep is to monitor these expansion joints. Take a base measurement, and then re-measure annually. In most cases, it's a slow moving condition, so if you do see movement, you likely have time to budget for repairs before damage to your house occurs.

07/22/2022

Is your basement finished, or do you have plans to finish your basement? Do you have storage in your basement? The last thing you want to worry about is your basement flooding.

As stated in our inspection reports..."water pe*******on into the basement area is commonplace." Most basements will leak at some point in time.

Your best line of defense is a properly sloped gradient adjacent to the foundation wall, downspouts diverted out and away from the house, and a properly installed sump pit and pump.

I know, I know...we've hardly had any rain recently, why are we talking about this now? Well, in my personal experience, drought means dry soils. Dry soils shrink out and away from the foundation wall. We get one of St. Louis' short but torrential rains. Next thing you know, water is leaking into the basement.

Ground water collects in the sump pit. Once it reaches a certain level, the float switch activates the pump, which then pumps the water back outside. Ideally, the discharge pipe should be diverted out and away from the structure.

Also recommended would be having a dedicated electrical outlet installed within reach of the sump pump cord, and a battery backup in the event of a power failure.

07/11/2022

Did you know you exterior condensing unit needs to "breathe"?

For your air conditioning system to function properly, there must be adequate clearances around the exterior unit for proper air flow. This includes vegetation.

Be sure to keep ivy, vines or weeds trimmed away from the unit. If you are trying to hide the unit (we know they aren't exactly esthetically pleasing), leave 2-3 feet between plants and the unit, find variations that grow upward not outward, and avoid thorny plants or plants that leave "debris".

06/07/2022

Summertime is here and that means more time spent outdoors. If you have a wooden deck, annual maintenance will go a long way in extending the longevity of your deck.

Mother Nature can be hard on a deck. Here are a few quick tips that will help extend the life of your deck.

1. Replace any damaged or deteriorated floor boards.
2. Reset any loose nails or fasteners at floor boards or rails, to prevent injuries.
3. Clean the deck with an appropriate cleaner or use a power washer. If using a power washer, be sure to follow instructions to prevent damaging the wood.
4. Stain or seal the floor boards and rails with an appropriate material. This will protect against the weather and rain/snow.

Decks can be a great gathering place. Make sure yours is ready for enjoyment.

04/15/2022

Usually "spring cleaning" means a good deep clean. But how "deep" do you actually clean?

Chances are, your appliances have been used way more in the past couple of years due to the pandemic. When was the last time your pulled out the refrigerator or stove to clean under and behind them? So much dust and grime can build-up in these areas, and that whole "out of sight, out of mind" premise makes it easy for us to not realize how dirty it can actually be.

When you finally decide to tackle this part of your spring cleaning, we have a few tips and precautions.

🔹️ Move appliances slowly and carefully
🔹️ Be aware of electric lines, gas lines and/or water lines
🔹️ Be mindful of the weight of the refrigerator to avoid tipping
🔹️ Pay close attention to the anti-tip device at the stove. If there isn't one installed, this would be a great time to take care of that.
🔹️ Change or service filters at the refrigerator water service/ice maker, dishwasher and range hood/exhaust

As always, if you are not able to do this yourself, you can contact a qualified handyman to handle these tasks.

04/01/2022

Spring is finally here, although the weather yesterday tried to convince us otherwise!

It's not too early to be starting yard work. Before you get out the lawn mower, it's a good idea to do yard cleanup.

Winter can be hard on your yard. Rake up any twigs and leaves from your yard, thin out dead grass, and remove any dead vegetation and leaves from flower beds and planters. This will allow the new growth to pop up.

You may also want to check your hose spigots for leaks, both exterior and interior, before reattaching the hose.

Finally, clean the gutters to prevent overflow and an assortment of related issues. Throughout the spring months, your gutters will likely need to be cleaned multiple times. Always exercise precautions when using ladders.