Our inspectors are Missouri licensed pest control applicators, however we do not apply chemicals and are not affiliated with any pest control company. We strive to give you a professional and unbiased insect infestation report.

Wood Destroying Infestation (WDI) Inspection – A thorough examination of all accessible areas of the house and surrounding area, including inspection for structural damage related to infestations – $50

Ant or termite, can you tell the difference?

Carpenter ants swarm just like termites. In fact, it’s very hard to tell them apart. Although carpenter ants bore and nest in wood, they don’t eat wood. Get this…they can actually eat termites! Either way, we can identify the difference and recommend the proper treatment.

Some interesting facts about Termites…

Workers represent the majority of the colony population and are responsible for caring for eggs, constructing and maintaining tunnels, foraging for food and feeding and grooming of other caste members. They are white and soft bodied.

Soldiers are responsible for defending the colony. They are white, soft bodied with an enlarged, hardened head containing two large jaws, or mandibles, which are used as a weapon against predators.

Winged reproductives produce the offspring in the colony and swarm at certain times of the year. Colonies can have both primary reproductives (one king and one queen), and hundreds of secondary reproductives to assist in egg laying and colony growth.

The King termite assists the queen in creating and attending to the colony during its initial formation. He will continue to mate throughout his life to help increase the colony size.

The Queen termite creates the colony by laying eggs and tending to the colony until enough workers and nymphs are produced to care for the colony. She can live for more than ten years and produce hundreds of eggs each year. Colonies can each several million termites with the help of secondary queens who also produce eggs.

a CLOSER look home inspections

“Did you look at the furnace?”

“The furnace comes on for a while and then shuts back down. Didn’t you notice that in the inspection?”

“How do you know the furnace was working during the inspection?”

These are all questions that I have been asked through the years (more than once). This post is designed to allow anyone to look at how a CLOSER look home inspections performs an inspection of a traditional gas furnace from a procedural perspective.

Sections on this page

1. Exterior condition, make and age
2. Flue, make-up air and combustion ventilation
3. Combustion chamber and inner cabinet
4. Temperature output

Exterior condition, make and age

We start the inspection of a gas furnace by first looking at the outside condition of the unit itself. We look for signs of rust and leaking from the flue or condensate drains. Rust on the exterior can be a sign of a past or current water leak that may have affected the heat exchanger or combustion chamber. These same water leaks can, if left unrepaired, damage the flooring under the furnace. We also look at the furnace inspection covers to ensure they are present and are securely attached (hence they will not rattle when the furnace is running).

• We report any abnormalities that, in our opinion, would require repair or replacement of the furnace.
• We report the make, age and size of the furnace.

Flue, make-up air and combustion ventilation

Next, we evaluate the flue of the furnace to ensure that it has a positive slope (meaning that gasses will be continually pushed upward in the flue), there are no breaks or deterioration and it is made out of an appropriate material. It is very common at this point to notice a stain on the ceiling around where the flue exits a finished room or closet. This is a common point of leaking and usually not active (oddly enough). Many times homeowners will fix a leak around the flue on the roof or re-roof their house, but forget to repair the stain around the flue. Since this is usually not a living area and people don’t see it and thus is not a priority. We then visually inspect all gas supply lines and then “sniff” each connection that is physically accessible with a gas leak detector to ensure there are no small gas leaks. Finally, we ensure there is an air vent on the ceiling and one on the floor. Most houses in Springfield MO and Branson MO are single level ranch style houses that have furnaces either in a closet in the hallway or in the garage. Either way, these vents allow you to seal the room and the gas burners will not run out of oxygen. The make-up and comnbustion vents are necessary for the proper function of the gas appliances and should never be blocked.

• We report on any flue problems in need of correction, and any safety hazards.
• We report on any gas supply leaks or anomalies.
• We report any blocked or missing air vents in furnace rooms.

Combustion chamber and inner cabinet

We visually inspect the inside of the furnace cabinet for signs of damage, water leaks and overheating. Additionally, we inspect the filter system on furnace units with filters inside the furnace cabinet. Next, we evaluate the gas combustion chamber for signs of rust build-up, leaking or visible cracks. Cracks are hard to visually detect, but if found show that there is a safety hazard present as this will allow carbon monoxide (CO) into the house. However, we do not guaranty against heat exchanger cracks and do not provide a camera scope of the heat exchanger, which is a specialist inspection. We then turn on the furnace and inspect the exhaust fan (if equipped), ignition source (pilot light, glow plug or sparker), and flame to determine if it is burning with the correct color and not pulsing or weak.

• We report any anomalies with the flame or combustion chamber that would, in our opinion show possible cracks in the heat exchanger.
• We report problems with the floor structure, make-up or combustion ventilation and physical condition of the furnace.

Temperature output

On all furnaces, the final determining factor that it was functional during the inspection is that it produces hot air. We look for an air temperature at any air supply register of over 100 degrees. Additioanlly, we check for a heat source in every room of the house.

• We report on any furnace that can not produce a temperature of at least 100 degrees.
• We report any room of the house that does not contain a heat source.