Richard Moore

I'd never seen these before, but it was very obvious they had issues. It was only about a 6:12 roof, but I wasn't even slightly tempted to walk it. Frankly, I don't know how they initially installed the darn things without damaging the lower courses. Anyway...I did get some more info from my client. They were indeed Cemwood. Seems that my client and the seller couldn't come to terms on the remedy and the deal fell through. I just looked up the county files on the place and saw that it did eventually sell (close) in late September. I hope that new buyer had an inspection.

Yup, that's the puppy. Looks like more of a class action settlement than a recall. http://www.cemwoodclaims.com/ Thanks Jim (you're the best).

Just got a request to do another inspection for a client from July. Evidently, the first deal fell through, in large part, due to the roof damage. 1981 home with concrete/cement/asbestos tiles, MANY of which were cracked or damaged (reported in need of repair as well as full roof evaluation). Now I knew enough not to try to walk this particular roof but the client says the roofer said the tiles were defective and recalled. I don't know the actual name of the product and I've tried googling and searching for the recall with no sucess. For my future information, anyone familiar with these? Thanks. Image Insert: 83.41 KB Image Insert: 71.67 KB

And that looks like the "downstream" side of the filter. What did the other side look like? If the house had a crawl space, especially a damp one, with the return duct running through it, I would suspect a disconnected section. Or...some idiot installed a new range hood and vented it into the return? What Mike said about about a good cleaning. It looks like month old bread I have sometimes found buried in the pantry.

Mike, I had trouble finding the article, nowhere on the front page, but I did eventually by using their search feature. Here's a more direct link... http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs ... /810050367 If you change your post, feel free to delete this one.

So...if the average roof "mushroom" vent has a free opening of maybe 6"x6"(?), then a 1000sf attic would need 27 vents to meet the IRC 1/150 rule. Did you have that many? I'm not sure what the free area of the various continuous ridge vents is but the biggest I can find after a quick search online are 18 sq" per foot. 1000 sf attic would require 53 feet of that ridge venting (for 1/150).

R806.1 Ventilation Required. Enclosed attics and enclosed rafter spaces where ceilings are applied directly to the underside of roof rafters shall.... Kurt, I read that as "enclosed attics" and "enclosed rafter spaces" with the subsequent "ceiling applied directly to the underside of roof rafters" only applying to the bit after the "and". In other words, enclosed attics and/or cathedral ceilings are required to have ventilation. I agree that R806.2 doesn't require eave vents for any attic IF the the 1/150 rule is followed...but at least 20% would be for 1/151 to 1/300. Still stupid not to have it though.

You mean that everyone doesn't take every doorknob apart during an inspection? Hmmm...well, that will save me a couple of hours, and I've never been sure what the hell I was looking for anyway. Now, if I could only get rid of the bit where I tear off all the drywall to check on the in-wall wiring.... [] Seriously though, after realizing the lady (admittedly sexist guess) was not actually locked out, I was just trying to save her the expense of a locksmith. Had camera, screwdriver, a handy deadbolt and, after giving away my Monday inspection, way too much time on my hands. No big deal!

Or... I'm assuming the deadbolt used to withdraw and I'd therefore guess the "stem" has rounded off. So...using a phillips screwdriver, remove the inside cover plate. Image Insert: 111.18 KB Use a pair of pliers to turn the stem, and if that doesn't work by itself, you might also push on the flange in this photo... Image Insert: 104.69 KB Then go and buy and install a new deadbolt. To keep them keyed the same, It would probably be simpler to buy a "set" and also replace the dorrknob at this time, if it's not an expensive model. It's a very easy job but, depending on your level of "handiness", you might want to call on a neighbor(?). Excuse me. I have to go and put my "model" deadbolt back together.

Image Insert: 75.14 KB "We might save you an arm and a leg on your next home purchase!" ??? []

Damn Walter! I like it...but your post was just a little too late for me to use "boogered" in the report for yesterday's mess. Image Insert: 121.04 KB Yeah, I know about the insulation.

I'd go at it with a cold chisel and hammer and try to work the whole damper assembly loose.* I've seen enough old fireplaces where the damper is missing and, so, I suspect it wouldn't take much. You would go through a lot of sawzall blades and the torch idea sounds a bit scary! *Based on you not really caring about future use.

The technical term I've used for such areas in the past has been: "The plywood under the exterior of the dining room bump-out at the east side of the house...". The photo helps! "Soffit" might be correct, but it would probably confuse me too. Sometimes, a little extra verbosity is required to be concise(???).

Not Mr Katen by any stretch of the imagination, but here's what I use... I have a line at the top of my electrical section stating that all repairs or improvements should be performed by a licensed electrician...so I don't have to repeat that for every item. Up to you on the GFCI bit, but they are required nowadays.

That's ridiculous! Tell her to keep the siding and change her insurance company.

I just found this, issued today. http://www.ohsonline.com/articles/67869/ Next time I get asked "Can you test the granite countertops for radon?", my answer will be... "No, but as a safety precaution, I do suggest you drink more red wine." I think I'll recommend a fine 1986 Cab. Download Attachment: winebottle.jpg 40.15 KB While I might be joking, I suspect there is more real science in that one, single study than in the whole granite scare.

Really...No question at all? What are the rules here...and where should the limits be posted on an SFR? Tough to tell from the photos, but I'm guessing the deck is around 300sf (20x20 with one 10x10 section missing where it joins the house. The estimate of people on the deck varies from 50 to 70 so let's take 60 as the average. That's one per 5sf. Even if they were all members of the football team and weighed an average of 200lbs, that's still only 40 psf, which I think might have been the minimum live load requirements(???). Now...I have to say a drunken student every 5sf (2'3" x 2'3") is well under my comfort level, even on terra firma. That was one crowded deck! How many more were in the house? I certainly won't argue that lack of flashing and subsequent rot may have contributed but, looking at the photo, I notice the right ledger is still in place with the joists cleanly pulled away (no hangers?). Which went first? My guess is that there was a lack of diagonal bracing, both at the posts and under the joists, that allowed the sway in the first place, that then pulled the deck away from the house. It also wouldn't surprise me to find that some of the inebriated crowd deliberately got the deck "swinging". Even a sound and bolted ledger may have eventually succumbed to that. Cause of the collapse...too many drunks (possibly), poor design with too little bracing (probably), and poor construction methods (certainly). Well...maybe. But did the students inform the evil landlord they were going to be over-stuffing the house and deck with party animals when they signed the lease for this SFR? I doubt it.

Cisterns (water tanks) in attics were the norm in England when I lived there and we had one in our house. Strange...the gravity fed water pressure in the house must have sucked by the standards I'm now used to, but I don't remember that. Of course, we didn't have showers. You took a bath once a week, whether you needed it or not. Or...was the cistern just for flushing the toilet? Long time ago and I wasn't really paying attention to house components back then.

Mike, I've got some relatively thin copper sheet left over from my kitchen remodel. It's flat right now, but it's a good malleable material and I'd be more than willing to hammer it into a close fit around your head.

I don't see anything outlined in red, but I asume you mean the middle pair on the right. It looks to me like you have a split-bus panel. Instead of a normal "main" feeding the bottom section, they have jumped directly from the main lugs to the lower section lugs. Those short jumpers (the red and black) do not look like they are attached to the breaker, but to bus bar lugs which happen to be behind. I don't believe there's anything attached to those breakers at all. And, then the sub is also jumped directly from the main lugs. Hopefully, you have a service disconnect elsewhere, because the way that is set up would require every breaker to be thrown to shut off all power. I have no idea how you could tell the amperages without pulling the thing apart. It's a mess, and needs upgrade!

Presumably the panel is fed from a 120-volt single pole breaker at the main panel? Looks like he wanted 4 120 volt circuits in the subpanel and jumped the main lugs to get both bus bars energized, albeit both on the same phase. If the terminals (lugs) were rated for the small feeder conductors, and if the feeders were rated for the breaker feeding the panel, and if that bolt was a proper terminal for the grounds...well...that would be a lot of ifs! Give the guy credit though, he did actually keep the neutrals and grounds separate, at least as far as I can see.

Had these casement windows in a 2007 townhouse today. Image Insert: 83.21 KB Image Insert: 99.88 KB Height to sill and opening about 13" and almost a 20' drop to concrete outside. No tempered glass (not required because each was less than 9 sq ft). I could easily see a child running around the room and crashing through the screens and the open windows. the 2006 IRC has a new segment in R613.2... Frankly, I was a bit surprised to find that requirement only started in the 2006 version. I also can't find anything about a guard rail required in this situation (????). This is not a big deal for my client as he's a single adult, but I'm tossing in a "Safety Concern" anyway. Don't ask me how you would open the hinged screens to operate the windows with a rail in place. It's not my stupid design! Other than common sense, is there any "official" requirement for guard rails for low-silled, opening windows?

Never trust a man with a 3-dollar bill or a copy of the 2004 NEC!

Thanks guys.

"Ahh, but the master bath sink ALSO did not have hot water until primed by the hall bath." Then, I guess I'm still confused why the "priming" in the guest bathroom would make any difference to the way things worked in the master, other than the timing of the hot water eventually arriving. Odd!