Send us a text

The sump pump wouldn’t quit, the skies were clear, and the water meter sat perfectly still—yet the service line whispered a steady roar. We follow that mystery from the first clue to the likely culprit: a hidden water leak just outside the foundation, feeding the perimeter drains and keeping the pump cycling. Along the way, we show how a sonic listening device turns guesswork into evidence by tracing sound intensity through soil to narrow the dig and confirm the source.

We break down what matters to every homeowner and buyer: where the city’s responsibility ends and yours begins, why the location of the shutoff and meter decides who pays, and how to involve your municipality to verify ownership. We also unpack the real costs of water line repairs, why polyethylene service lines can sometimes be spot-repaired, and how saturated soil near a foundation can become a winter hazard as freezing and expansion stress concrete. Even a finished basement that looks dry can be masking continuous loss if the sump is doing overtime.

If you’re house hunting, we explain why standard inspections don’t include exterior water service testing or sewer scoping, and how those add-ons—like radon or termite checks—can prevent five-figure surprises after closing. With clear examples, we cover using findings to negotiate repairs or credits, and why proactive maintenance inspections help owners catch problems before they escalate. Forewarned is forearmed: when a pump runs on sunny days, it’s not a coincidence—it’s a signal.

Subscribe and share this episode with someone buying in an older neighborhood, and leave a review to tell us the trickiest mystery your house has thrown at you.

Support the show

To learn more about Habitation Investigation, the Three-time Winner of the Best Home Inspection Company in the Midwest Plus the Winner of Consumer Choice Award for Columbus Ohio visit Home Inspection Columbus Ohio - Habitation Investigation (homeinspectionsinohio.com)

NBC4 news segments: The importance of home inspections, and what to look for | NBC4 WCMH-TV

Advice from experts: Don’t skip the home inspection | NBC4 WCMH-TV

OSU student’s mysterious symptoms end up tied to apartment’s air quality | NBC4 WCMH-TV

How to save money by winterizing your home | NBC4 WCMH-TV

Continuing Education for Ohio Agents Scheduled classes
Continuing Education for Ohio Agents Course lis...

Send us a text

A roaring fire feels timeless, but the way we move heat and smoke has changed dramatically—from open hearths that once filled rooms with fumes to thoughtfully engineered systems that keep warmth in and hazards out. We explore how castles got away with walk-in fireboxes, why Count Rumford’s angled design still matters, and how Benjamin Franklin’s stove reinvented efficiency by keeping more heat where you need it.

We also get practical about safety. You’ll hear why clay flue liners became a turning point, how the late adoption of refractory mortar left older chimneys vulnerable, and what today’s repair options look like—from one-piece stainless liners to in-place relining systems. We break down the hidden risks inside manufactured chases, where a small misalignment can leak heat into wood framing and quietly prime a structure fire. And we draw a hard line between chimney fires fueled by creosote and full-on house fires caused by heat escaping the flue path.

If you burn wood, the big lesson is simple: avoid “low and slow.” Smoldering fires invite creosote, and creosote can burn near 2,000°F, cracking tiles and opening pathways to nearby framing. We share real-world tips for hot, efficient burns, using stovepipe thermometers, caring for catalytic combustors, scheduling chimney sweeps, and understanding the basic anatomy of your system—firebox, damper, smoke chamber, and flue—so you can spot trouble early. Subscribe for more smart home know-how, share this with someone who loves their fireplace, and leave a review with your best fire-safety habit—we’ll feature our favorites next time.

Support the show

To learn more about Habitation Investigation, the Three-time Winner of the Best Home Inspection Company in the Midwest Plus the Winner of Consumer Choice Award for Columbus Ohio visit Home Inspection Columbus Ohio - Habitation Investigation (homeinspectionsinohio.com)

NBC4 news segments: The importance of home inspections, and what to look for | NBC4 WCMH-TV

Advice from experts: Don’t skip the home inspection | NBC4 WCMH-TV

OSU student’s mysterious symptoms end up tied to apartment’s air quality | NBC4 WCMH-TV

How to save money by winterizing your home | NBC4 WCMH-TV

Continuing Education for Ohio Agents Scheduled classes
Continuing Education for Ohio Agents Course lis...

Send us a text

Fireplaces feel timeless, but the safety of that glow lives inside a dark shaft most of us never see. We pull back the curtain on chimney scopes—the video inspections that reveal cracked terracotta liners, missing mortar, offsets, and even missing tile sections that can channel heat straight into framing. Along the way, we explain pyrolysis in plain language and why wood repeatedly heated over time can ignite at surprisingly low temperatures. That one insight alone can change how you think about “just one more fire.”

We share what a Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 chimney inspection actually mean, and why a Level 2 scope is the difference between guesswork and real risk assessment. You’ll hear field stories: sixteen chimneys scoped in a historic building, a flue section gone near an attic, wildlife nests and bees blocking exhaust, and a seller who lit a “goodbye fire” after being warned—and lost the house that night. We also talk insurance: when sudden damage is covered, how long-term neglect triggers denials, and why receipts for annual cleanings can make or break a fire claim. If you’re a homeowner, buyer, agent, or short-term rental host, this is practical safety you can act on today.

Our goal is simple: keep heat where it belongs—inside a safe, intact flue—and out of the spaces that can burn. Learn how to decide when to scope, what red flags demand immediate action, and how to document maintenance so insurers, buyers, and guests have confidence. If your listing touts a cozy fireplace or you’re eyeing an older home with multiple chimneys, start here. Subscribe, share this with someone who has a hearth, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. What’s your chimney maintenance routine?

Support the show

To learn more about Habitation Investigation, the Three-time Winner of the Best Home Inspection Company in the Midwest Plus the Winner of Consumer Choice Award for Columbus Ohio visit Home Inspection Columbus Ohio - Habitation Investigation (homeinspectionsinohio.com)

NBC4 news segments: The importance of home inspections, and what to look for | NBC4 WCMH-TV

Advice from experts: Don’t skip the home inspection | NBC4 WCMH-TV

OSU student’s mysterious symptoms end up tied to apartment’s air quality | NBC4 WCMH-TV

How to save money by winterizing your home | NBC4 WCMH-TV

Continuing Education for Ohio Agents Scheduled classes
Continuing Education for Ohio Agents Course lis...