Chad Fabry

Over 40 years ago, the first roof I installed leaked buckets at the closed cut valleys. It fixed it completely when I clipped the tops (like the shingle bundle instructions told me to)

Did you clip the tops of the top shingles at 45 degrees?

Yes, I'd mention what I observed on a previous inspection.

I was looking at the diagonal blocking too. My first thought was, "that's a good idea, it's easier to nail". It's also possible they had a bunch of cut-offs from some other aspect of construction and rather than cut two ends square they just cut the other end at an angle. Very cool building. I'm a little jealous of the buyer.

I assume that's what happened. I liked all the exposed wire the best. It made it super easy to determine the service entrance wire type.

Too congested? Don't you think that's harsh? I mean, you can see the required light over the panel still. It is a Wye configuration.

All except 2 were 3 phase. Jim, not a flip. 20,000 sf facility w/ bar, restaurant and party room, now being used as mercantile.

One of 7 panels at a former VFW. And then there's the 3-phase service 3-feet above the flat roof.

It's also not a 16x20 hole.

I've seen rated assemblies. That's not one.

R302.4.1.1Fire-resistance-rated assembly. Penetrations shall be installed as tested in the approved fire-resistance-rated assembly. R302.4.1.2Penetration firestop system. Penetrations shall be protected by an approved penetration firestop system installed as tested in accordance with ASTM E 814 or UL 1479, with a positive pressure differential of not less than 0.01 inch of water (3 Pa) and shall have an F rating of not less than the required fire-resistance rating of the wall or floor-ceiling assembly penetrated. R302.4.2Membrane penetrations. Membrane penetrations shall comply with Section R302.4.1. Where walls are required to have a fire-resistance rating, recessed fixtures shall be installed so that the required fire-resistance rating will not be reduced. Exceptions: 1. Membrane penetrations of not more than 2-hour fire-resistance-rated walls and partitions by steel electrical boxes that do not exceed 16 square inches (0.0103 m2) in area provided that the aggregate area of the openings through the membrane does not exceed 100 square inches (0.0645 m2) in any 100 square feet (9.29 m2) of wall area. The annular space between the wall membrane and the box shall not exceed 1/8 inch (3.1 mm). Such boxes on opposite sides of the wall shall be separated by one of the following: 1.1. By a horizontal distance of not less than 24 inches (610 mm) where the wall or partition is constructed with individual noncommunicating stud cavities. 1.2. By a horizontal distance of not less than the depth of the wall cavity where the wall cavity is filled with cellulose loose-fill, rockwool or slag mineral wool insulation. 1.3. By solid fireblocking in accordance with Section R302.11. 1.4. By protecting both boxes with listed putty pads. 1.5. By other listed materials and methods. 2. Membrane penetrations by listed electrical boxes of any materials provided that the boxes have been tested for use in fire-resistance-rated assemblies and are installed in accordance with the instructions included in the listing. The annular space between the wall membrane and the box shall not exceed 1/8 inch (3.1 mm) unless listed otherwise. Such boxes on opposite sides of the wall shall be separated by one of the following: 2.1. By the horizontal distance specified in the listing of the electrical boxes. 2.2. By solid fireblocking in accordance with Section R302.11. 2.3. By protecting both boxes with listed putty pads. 2.4. By other listed materials and methods. 3. The annular space created by the penetration of a fire sprinkler provided that it is covered by a metal escutcheon plate.

Why would they refer to such substances as inert when the reason they're objectionable is the fact that they are not inert?

If the material was inert, it wouldn't be an issue. It'll settle as it rots. The uncompacted fill will settle too, but unless the site plan specifies "clean fill" or for compaction rates, it's OK to bury wood if it doesn't affect the structure(s)

I believe it was Jim Katen who stated something like, "they're for when you absolutely, positively do not need to know for sure if the wire is hot". I use a Wiggy- it tells the entire story reporting voltage and proving a level of current capable of operating a solenoid. No switches, no batteries.

But still...Read "The Martian"

RTG... another esoteric bit of knowledge every home inspector should possess- just in case they should encounter one.

I traded it to my brother-in-law, I don't remember for what. It served duty plowing a long driveway for a while, and then the kids traded it to a mud enthusiast. I'm sure various parts of it still survive.

Working on cars for fun... that's an oxymoron.

Windblown snow is usually like windblown dust- the flakes have been bashed about and they're very small. It's usually not a big deal because it melts and spreads through the insulation layer and the resulting huge surface area encourages rapid evaporation. The snow in Mike's picture, lacking insulation, may leave a mark.

If the house is occupied, I insist they be there. If it's vacant and empty, I'll stay alone. 90% (maybe more) of my inspections have an agent present once I enter the home.

I tell my clients, "I can't get the panel cover off because it's caulked/painted shut. I'm afraid if I remove it it will damage the paint and the surrounding areas. It is very important that we inspect the panel." Then I ask` the agent if they would care to incise the paint around the panel cover. If they decline, I ask them to contact the seller to see if it's alright if I do it. I remind both the buyer and the buyer's agent that my agreement specifically states, "if the panels are painted/ caulked shut, I cannot open them without the owner's permission." I think performing a house inspection without inspecting the interior of the panel borders on negligence. It's exactly the same scenario when I encounter a closet full of clothes below the attic hatch. When I explain if I can't get access that I'll have to come back and that there will be a fee, the realtor is usually tossing clothes faster than a commercial laundry.

Welcome back, John. Happy new year!

What number bulb did you get? Many of the automotive bulbs are 20 W and more.

The report looks to be a bunch of crap. I'm curious why they didn't highlight the numbers where the counts are higher outside than inside. If the resident is having health problems, perhaps the dander count is the most important.

Like Tom, I was buying insurance from Slack and RLI. It was cheap- less than $300 for a million in liability. Now I pay twice that much- I changed for two reasons: 1) I wasn't feeling warm and fuzzy about actually having coverage because the policy is intended for inspectors like insurance adjusters, it didn't say "building inspector" or "home inspector". 2) They wouldn't name an additional insured and it cost me money because builders won't let you on site to perform phase inspections unless you name them as additional insured parties. New construction phase inspections pay $350 per visit so it makes sense for me to buy insurance that gets me on site. My carrier is Dryden Mutual. It's a very good policy-2 million in coverage for $670