Retaining Walls

Retaining walls have a high chance of settling, bowing, leaning or cracking; especially if the weep holes are too shallow. Weep holes allow the moisture that builds up between the wall and the dirt to escape.

Wood retaining walls can require replacing the broken or rotted boards, while masonry retaining walls can be much more expensive to repair; while you certainly can have them repaired you can also replace the broken pieces with Pressure Treated Lumber, simply because it is less expensive and more easily drained. Remember, proper grading behind retaining walls is essential.




We are the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Inspection Company. If there is anything we can ever do to help you when buying or selling a home then check us out on the web @ www.thepremierinspector.com or give us a call Hood River, OR (541) 386-3968 or in The Dalles (541) 296-0102. We also perform Infrared Thermal Imaging and Home Energy Audits. Save Money, be Green, increase your home's value, and be more comfortable. Premier Inspection Services LLC Hood River Home Inspection The Dalles Home Inspection

Roof Maintenance

Most all roofs can, and will develop leaks in them; and a simple home inspection won't guarantee to find them all.

Leaks normally start as very small crevices or cracks, without the homeowners knowledge. In the early stages of a leak only small amounts seep through the crack, this is not a sufficient amount to alert the homeowner as it doesn't travel through all the layers of the ceiling.

It is recommended that you have your attic, and roof thoroughly checked twice a year for such leaks.

The most common source of leaks is flashing as they are often overlooked when repairing/replacing the roof, so be sure to inspect your flashing from time to time.


We are the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Inspection Company. If there is anything we can ever do to help you when buying or selling a home then check us out on the web @ www.thepremierinspector.com or give us a call Hood River, OR (541) 386-3968 or in The Dalles (541) 296-0102. We also perform Infrared Thermal Imaging and Home Energy Audits. Save Money, be Green, increase your home's value, and be more comfortable. Premier Inspection Services LLC Hood River Home Inspection The Dalles Home Inspection

Smoke Detectors...Check Them Out!!

Well, we just sprung forward because of Daylight Savings. One thing you should always do is check all your smoke alarms and change their batteries. Listen to us on blogtalkradio.com and find out more about the smoke alarms in your home. Is it time to purchase new smoke detectors? Are your current detectors over 10 years old?



Here area a useful link from the State of Oregon when Selling Your Home:

What You Need to Know About Smoke Alarms Before You Sell Your Home

Check out our online radio show on BlogTalkRadio--Smoke Detector Safety

If you have older neighbors or family members, help them be more safe by checking their smoke alarms also.

Be Safe!!

The "House Detective"



We are the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Inspection Company. If there is anything we can ever do to help you when buying or selling a home then check us out on the web @ www.thepremierinspector.com or give us a call Hood River, OR (541) 386-3968 or in The Dalles (541) 296-0102. We also perform Infrared Thermal Imaging and Home Energy Audits. Save Money, be Green, increase your home's value, and be more comfortable. Premier Inspection Services LLC Hood River Home Inspection The Dalles Home Inspection

Water Heaters...

Water Heaters have a life expectancy of 8-12 Years. The two key factors to a water heater are size and recoverability. While gas and oil water heaters are more effective because they have a faster recovery rate, They have to be serviced more often.

Servicing: An oil water heater has to be serviced annually, while a gas water heater has to be serviced every four years, and electric water heaters have elements that occasionally burn out and have to be replaced.


We are the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Inspection Company. If there is anything we can ever do to help you when buying or selling a home then check us out on the web @ www.thepremierinspector.com or give us a call Hood River, OR (541) 386-3968 or in The Dalles (541) 296-0102. We also perform Infrared Thermal Imaging and Home Energy Audits. Save Money, be Green, increase your home's value, and be more comfortable. Premier Inspection Services LLC Hood River Home Inspection The Dalles Home Inspection

Don't do what I done.....Purchasing a Thermostat

One thing I forgot to mention about purchasing a new thermostat. You really have to be careful that you purchase the correct one. Here's what I mean, there are multiple different heating systems configurations. We have a lot of heat pumps with gas or electric "emergency" heat. On the back of the package it will list out the systems it's compatible with. (I had to take back the first one we purchased because it would run either the heat pump or the emergency heat, I couldn't change it back and forth using the control.)

Look for the Energy Star rating, these thermostats are typically preprogrammed with ideal temperature setbacks for efficient operation. Remember in order to save energy you have to start reducing the amount of energy you are using.


We are the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Inspection Company. If there is anything we can ever do to help you when buying or selling a home then check us out on the web @ www.thepremierinspector.com or give us a call Hood River, OR (541) 386-3968 or in The Dalles (541) 296-0102. We also perform Infrared Thermal Imaging and Home Energy Audits. Save Money, be Green, increase your home's value, and be more comfortable. Premier Inspection Services LLC

The Control....of Heating and Cooling

Thermostats are installed in nearly ever single home. They control the heating and the air conditioning along with the airflow throughout the house. There are many different kinds of thermostats, these range widely in not only shape but ability as well. It is a good idea to become familiar with your thermostat, by reading the owners manual.


While thermostats ideally keep your house at the desired temperature it is nearly impossible to keep the whole house at one temperature. A 5-10 degree difference in temperature through the house is to be expected.


We are the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Inspection Company. If there is anything we can ever do to help you when buying or selling a home then check us out on the web @ www.thepremierinspector.com or give us a call Hood River, OR (541) 386-3968 or in The Dalles (541) 296-0102. We also perform Infrared Thermal Imaging and Home Energy Audits. Save Money, be Green, increase your home's value, and be more comfortable. Premier Inspection Services LLC

Garage Door Adjustment

Remote control garage door opener's can make life easier, however when they don't work they make it harder, so how can you insure continued performance for your garage door?

This is simple, adjusting your garage door periodically will help insure performance, normally it is a simple procedure in the owners manual.

Often the Attic access is in your garage, this means that when you go away on trips you will often want to lock the garage manually instead of leaving it on remote.

Hood River Home Inspection, The Premier Inspector in the Gorge!! (541) 386-3968 or Call us our Home Inspection The Dalles Office(541) 296-0102

We will post some specific adjustments for your garage door in the near future.