Deutsch Home Inspection

09/15/2026

I love inspecting old houses. Back in the day, when a house was brick ... it was brick! Most people today are surprised to know that their brick house is veneer. Also - veneer doesn't mean bad! LOL

📖 Terminology Tuesday is your weekly architecture vocabulary lesson. Let’s return to the different types of brickwork, and this week we’ll cover the 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝. Common bond brickwork has multiple stretcher courses (brick laid the long/horizontal way) between header courses (brick laid the short end). Many Cincinnati 19th-century buildings use common bond, such as this house in the West End. You’ll note there are 6 stretcher courses between each header course. Can you spot it?

07/20/2026

This is one of the most common problems I see on modern (post 1940 or so) brick homes. After 25-30 years, the steel lintel/support above the window corrodes and expands – pushing the brick, creating a gap. Filling this gap with sealant or new mortar doesn't solve the problem and can make it worse.
Always get a pre-purchase inspection! Understand what you are buying so you can plan appropriately!

07/17/2026

Thank you to Lance Song of Keller Williams Seven Hills Realty and to our clients for the chance to inspect this great home recently. It was a pleasure working with you!

07/16/2026

Hey, the listing says the roof is new. You don't need a home inspection, right?

07/15/2026

Thank you to Stephanie Kirby - Coldwell Banker Realty for the opportunity to inspect this historic property recently. I love and I enjoy helping my clients understand what they're buying!

05/30/2026

What would be the optimal design to catch hair in a drain? This.
I mean, I don't enjoy plumbing either, but these make me sad.

05/27/2026

Thank you to my clients for the opportunity to help with their purchase of three commercial properties in West Chester. I enjoyed my long walk on the roofs before the rain began!

05/01/2026

Thank you to Sheila McIlvaine - Real Estate Agent and to our clients for the inspection opportunity in Hamilton today. It was nice meeting everyone and helping them get a good look at the house!

05/01/2026

More is NOT more. (Well, maybe it's more money...). In almost any home and for almost any person ... (Here I go, out on the limb ...)
- You do not need 200 amp electrical service
- You do not need that giant AC compressor with "more tonnage"
- You do not need a bigger furnace
For at least the HVAC examples above, there are good reasons why you shouldn't kick it up a notch in size when you replace it.
You MIGHT need a home inspection, though, if you're wondering about how and why your house works the way it does.
Oh, and unless you are hauling a bed full of gravel while pulling a bulldozer on a pintle hitch up Ebenezer, you DON'T need an F-350. Even then, you might not.

04/09/2026

Thank you to The Cagney Group - Coldwell Banker Realty and to our client for the opportunity to inspect this great home in Lebanon! I enjoyed being able to ferret through the place and answer your questions on site.