Richard Moore

Mike, I thought Seattle was on the 2006 (still no diagram though). See... http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/Seattle2 ... ameset.htm

You betcha we are. The quake in 2001 was an interesting and long ride. Cost me a new chimney, as well as a few cracks in the lathe and plaster.

I'm definitely leaning that way. If you look at the photo below, you can see the black on the bracing. It's like the "creosote" was slopped on as an afterthought...which doesn't bode well for it being at the cut ends. Add the flush footings, the soaked soil, etc, etc and...well, this may be my first premeditated kill. I'll update in a few days. Click to Enlarge 34.57 KB

Mike, just one small thing I noticed after a quick scan... In 6.0 Heating Systems, "7. Know which professional is most appropriate to refer a client to for correction of plumbing defects." I presume that should read "heating system defects"

No, it was a heads-up for a "normal" buyer's inspection. (Everett, not Burien) The referring agents (a couple) are good guys and I suspect they are actually concerned for the client. I'll see what I can see, but I doubt I'm going to bless much, if anything. I can't remember ever seeing creosote dipped posts around here. And...in at least one photo it looks brushed on rather than dipped. Do these hold up?

I have this 1992 townhouse inspection upcoming this weekend. Seller disclosed a crawl problem discovered during a previous inspection some months ago (deal fell through), and provided a series of photos, supposedly documenting the fix to a wet crawl discovered during a previous inspection some months ago (deal fell through). Buyer's agent sent me the photos. The agent didn't know all the details, but mentioned that what used to be a single pair of townhouses sitting alone are now surrounded closely by new construction. Also said there was something in the disclosure about "support issues"(?). I told the agent and client that they need to get full documentation on what was done, by who, and who is warranting the work, etc, etc. There's more photos, but I just posted the clearer ones (none higher res). It appears there was a sump pump originally (dunno if it was working). Wierd framing and what the hell is the black stuff on the posts. From the photos it looks like something applied rather than "mold". I'm very concerned that the footings seem to be level with the dirt and didn't get cleared before they laid down the moisture barrier. I'll be probing but I'm already not happy. And I have no idea about the adjoining home. Click to Enlarge 21.86 KB Click to Enlarge 23.39 KB Click to Enlarge 20.78 KB Click to Enlarge 22.18 KB Click to Enlarge 24.76 KB Click to Enlarge 18.66 KB Click to Enlarge 18.46 KB

Post self-moderated. [:-taped]

...evidently! Click to Enlarge 68.69 KB MLS listing had 1¼ bathrooms. This was the quarter.

Ahhh! Thanks. That splains that. You guys do do things a little different back there. [:-bigeyes What the hell you doing up at this time? I'm just finishing off a report and about to go to bed. You get up at 5:30 am?

Erby, I'm a little confused here. I see the SE-Cable exiting the service panel along with a separate copper grounding conductor into PVC conduit (pics 2 & 4). At the distribution panel (pic 3) I see only the SE-Cable entering (and it looks like a metal bushing there). Where does the copper GEC, the one connected to the pipes, split off? You say there is a GEC from the meter to, presumably, ground rods and another to the copper pipes. Are you sure the first is actually coming from the meter base and not from another "box" where the two GECs might be connected? Could it actually be a UFER ground and the connection made behind a wall plate in the garage? That make any sense?

Tried that once with mixed results... Click to Enlarge 51.99 KB

John, that looks like it is intended to keep the kids away from the appliances. It would need to be pulled out to service the furnace, so I'd guess it's just freestanding? It's not clear to me if the appliances are on the back or side walls. If the latter, as "vehicle protection" it might actually be worse than nothing. A car hitting the corner of that "fence" would push the whole thing along towards the rear of the garage, forcing the return plenum towards the furnace and then, possibly, move the furnace and damage the gas lines. If it's the back wall, and it's sturdily constucted including hitting studs, not just the drywall, I'd say it's probably effective assuming you don't mind damaging the house structure! I usally go with the following, including a photo with a "cartoon" post added... Safety Concern: Gas appliances and/or gas piping should be protected from vehicles in garages to prevent potentially catastrophic damage to the gas lines. This is normally accomplished with a sturdy, concrete filled, steel post securely bolted to, or embedded into, the concrete slab, although other methods may be acceptable. Appropriate protection should be provided in this garage. In your case I'd probably add "The current wood fencing does not provide adequate (or appropriate) protection."

"Thoughts?" I'd say it looks like she is maintaining her grade average!

Welcome aboard! In case Dr Fallah is modest, here's a brief resume. http://www.idehl.com/bio-fallah.asp

See http://www.homesafeinspection.com/index ... Itemid=107 I didn't invent the paperclip but I'm currently working on a patent for how they're used. I will be seeking licensing fees from the general public in the near future.

Looks a bit like this... Click to Enlarge 80.17 KB Seems there may be two "vintages" of Zinsco beakers(?). Most 2-poles I see have the lugs side by side (as in the 25-amp below), but then there are these.

My thoughts on pre-listing inspections are probably going to differ from others but you asked for input, so here goes… I’ve only done a few since I started. Those have usually been at the request (and often paid for) by the listing agent, not as a sales aid but as a means of convincing the seller that they really need to fix a bunch of stuff. The handful of others, directly from the homeowners, have all had major “deferred maintenanceâ€

OK, Darren, just gonna toss in a few thoughts here. Keep in mind that I have no dog in this hunt. The kit has a MSRP of $35. Other third party vendors sell this kit to the public (including the Accustar processing) for $25. I suspect the wholesale price to these vendors, including your "Radon 'specialist' company", is around $17.50. Let's assume $2.50 for parts and we have Accustar making $15 for processing. I doubt that Accustar has anyone standing by between receiving and the lab to intecept late shipments, so when the post office finds and delivers the package they will still go ahead and run the tests. Late, but not their fault. Now let's look at your "Radon 'specialist' company". Even allowing them the same mark-up as the other vendors, they are making $22 just to read the monitor print-outs ($47-$25). It seems that they are the company profiting the most and they, not Accustar, could have offered you, at the least, a discount or wholesale price on a new kit. Judging from what you have posted here and over at IN, it sounds like you had some frustrating phone calls. But, ultimately, I think you might be venting at the wrong company.

For IE? Yeah, I got that. No big deal. Kind of clever targeted marketing actually.

Thread drift... I'm being watched! After googling high wind vent caps yesterday, this ad is now appearing on my Yahoo news pages. Click to View 33.71 KB Coincidence? Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I think someone's got their hand in my cookies jar.

Darren, I changed the title of the thread as the original seemed a little libelous. I'm not necessarily defending the company. You are certainly entitled to your opinion about their customer service/relations. I do have some questions... When I looked at the AccuStar web-site, the only radon in water kit I could find sells for $35. I also found the same AccuStar kit available elsewhere for $24.95. Where does the $47 come from? Did you buy the kit directly from them or from a third party vendor? Do you have any prior history with the comapny? I.E. Is this your first use of AccuStar lab?

Had these throughout the crawl in a 1980s home. All in similar condition. Nothing actively leaking, but I recommended a plumber remove them, clean and check all pipes, and replace them with appropriate hangers. Oh, and also add insulation. Click to View 79.75 KB Those were easy to spot. Do all hangers or clips get checked when the piping is buried in the underfloor insulation? No.

HVAC isn't my strongest suit, but I'd have to wonder why this otherwise normal set-up would require anything non-normal like an extra power vent? Nixond already posted "The technician believes there could be a downdraft problem that may be causing the pressure switch to open. The technician replaced the pressure switch and installed a high wind flue cap.". I think it's quite logical to have suspected a overly sensitive pressure sensor. Evidently, that's been replaced and that does look like a Simpson high wind vent cap. Next, I would suspect something about the shape of this roof and/or the neighboring structure/roof causing an unusual high pressure vortex in the region of the termination. It might need a taller, not shorter flue. That would be very difficult to diagnose unless you happened to have the tech there at the right time. Nixond, it seems like your HVAC tech is actually a knowledgable guy. He tried the obvious. It didn't work, but I think you would get better advice on further options from him than what we can offer "off-the-cuff" from afar.

OK, I didn't find that. Thanks. I don't see anything in there about agent referrals. I also just looked through the COEs of the 3 associations and didn't see anything there either. The Q&A would suggest there was some change, but I can't find any evidence of it. I guess it does say "Realtors should provide potential home buyers...etc", not "Realtors must..."

It would be nice to see the actual regulations, but it doesn't appear that is ready yet(?). I found this little nugget on the FAQs page... Anyone up there know if this is a total ban on all agent referrals? Have Realtors been informed?