Lewis Capaul

Here's a link to an online book that you can order for free, it doesn't have all the answers but it is very informative, it can at least provide you with questions to ask your attorney when setting up a plan to protect your assets as best you can. There are other information sources available online, the trick is, at least it was for me, to learn enough about the subject so that you can ask half way intelligent questions. http://www.rjmintz.com/apptoc.htm

I believe some FHA/VA Appraisers are using our inspection reports to save them time and effort, hence drive by Appraisals. As FHA/VA Appraisers they have the power to call for a complete home inspection, most buyers gladly give them a copy of the HI report to avoid paying for another one.

Why think Small, go all the way....30" http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.as ... 80&topnav=

State Senator Spanel wrote and sponsored a bill that was passed by the legislature. That's a notch in her political bedpost, which seemed to be the driving force behind the legislation. When the time comes for HI licensing in Idaho, go ahead and make your wish list of everthing you want in the law. Hand it over to your favorite legislator and see what happens. Good Luck. Over the past three years I have spoken with Spanel and her people several times regarding HI Licensing, I have also sent her and others in the Legislature letters and emails regarding the subject, and have followed the various proposals and less of what was recommeded by the Sunrise Review. Washington Inspectors had at least 32 of State Hi Regulation/Licensing Bills to look at, yet instead of coming up with something better you ended up with just another piss poor Bill written and decided by a politician and a few who had her ear. Part of the problem was the secrecy in which groups like the WHILAG Operated, which was their right, but the closest any Statewide movement to get a meaningful Law came from the meetings conducted by the Sunrise Review Committee. You opinion of those who live and work East of the Mountains is typical of the I-5 population in the State, the only time the East Side is needed is when someone needs a vote or you come begging for money to build a new Football Stadium. n North Idaho we run into the same attitude when having to deal with Boise and Southern Idaho. There's a difference between having to travel to get "higher" education and having to travel to get education "required by law", if the State is going to pay for HI Education in State Schools like Western WA, and Community Colleges on the West side then they should pay for the same at Central and Eastern WA schools. They won't, but they should. So far the only discussions that I have been involved in with politicians here in Idaho have been about regulating HI's the same way the State regulates General Contractors, registration and proof of General Liability Insurance for $300K, and workmans comp insurance if the Inspector has employees. They brought up the subject and the idea, no one I know is pushing the idea at all, of course. like in Western Washington, we have all those "important" people in Southern Idaho. It's not just the 40 hours of "supervised" training that will lead to more vendors offering "education" in WA, there's the 120 hours. Look around you at some of the names in the HI business over there today, and compare them to those who operate HI Schools in a couple of years, then you'll be able to Identify the people who had Spanel's ear, it certainly wasn't the WHILAG or Sunrise Review Committee was it? I've followed Washington Politics since 69', I've been involved in a couple of Eyman's projects, and have seen many , many Bills passed by special interests and individuals, the same happens in other States, WA is better than most but a lot worse than some, I've always been amazed, and disgusted, by politicians like Spanel, who smile and tell you how they are listening, and then pass just what they wanted in the first place, the amazing part is that then they get reelected. It's your Law, if you're happy with it then that's good, me I'll just watch and see what kind of fiasco arises out of such a poorly thought out Bill. The WHILAG's recommendations from last year, even if I didn't agree with some of them, were a hell of a lot better than what you got, Mike O's ideas are even better but, regrettably, will never become law anywhere. Have fun.

The 40 hour requirement may not be difficult for someone in your area, the I-5 corridor, to obtain, but most of Washington is very rural. Individuals seeking to enter the HI field from small communities several hours away from any population center will have a much more difficult time finding a "Mentor" to provide the 40 hours of training. My bet is still on some enterprising individual coming up with a "Hands On HI Training School" that will provide the 40 hours of "supervised" training, probably as a class of trainees, which will still require a lot of travel along with food and housing expenses for the rural wannabe. Which, in my opinion, has been the goal of those behind licensing in Washington since the effort began. I'm for Licensing or Regulation, but only by a Law that makes some kind of sense, is fair to all applicants, provides some kind of protection and recourse to the clients, and requires that ALL inspectors, including those who have been in business for years, are required to demonstrate competency by peer review of their inspection reports and at least one peer supervised inspection and passing the required at sometime during the first licensing period. The present "40 hours of supervised training by a LICENSED inspector is going to be a nightmare to control. What standards are they going to train to? How is the HI Licensing Board going to verify both the training and the competency and ability of the "trainer"? A weak unenforcible law is worse than no law at all, the one you have, or may have, now is almost worthless, it provides no benefit to Home Buyers (clients) and sets up a system ripe for abuse by education vendors and unethical inspectors. Idaho may be next so I will be watching what happens next door, so far Oregon my other neighbor, provides a lot better example of regulation than Washington's

Lewis (and Raymond), You guys seemed well versed in the Nachi 'drama'. Tell us why people who leave that organization (forced out or otherwise) seem to go back. There must be something over there that draws them back! Darren www.aboutthehouseinspections.com I have no idea why anyone would go back to Nick's Club once they had left for what ever reason. Me I was kicked out for being disagreeable, argumentative, and non=supportive of Nachi policies and programs, really it was for posting and link on another inspectors message board that embarrassed the Nachi Great Ones, the reason they gave for kicking me out was one of the very few things I ever agreed with them about. Nick offered me two years free membership to come back, I asked him why would I do that, seeing as I wouldn't last two days if I did seeing as my opinions of his marketing scams like CMI and the policies and hypocrisy of his appointed leaders wouldn't change. I worked pretty hard to get kicked out and it took me longer accomplish than I'd bet on. s far as why would someone rejoin the circus over there, you'd have to ask Ray or one of those who have done so in the past, most of the inspectors I know who have left, either by letting their membership expire or being kicked out have not rejoined, one who was kicked out got his membership reinstated and then quit. I think some allow Nick to lour them back because it makes them feel needed and important, at least that's my opinion. There seems to be three individuals who have left Nachi over this last feeding frenzy, all of them previously great Nick, Nachi, CM supporters, my bet is still that all three will be members again within a year.

Sorry Mike but gross hypocricy sometimes sets me off. Anyway what Raymond says happened to him pertains to the subject of this thread and offers the answer to the original question. Yes some associtions "stifle" dissenting opinions, one in particular.

Now that's funny Ray, as a past defender of everything Nick/Nachi and as a former member of Bushart's Attack Pack don't you think that you may be acting like a hypocrit after attacking others and defending Nick, the ESOP Committee, CMI who have had the same thing happen to them? I do understand you dismay at what happened to you but myself and others have been warning Nachi members not to disagree with the Great Ones for years. You and Cookie both attacked me for my views on your "Free Speech" message board, as I have explained repeatedly the only rule in Nachi is "Don't disagree with the Pack". Now you and Cookie are crying about how unfairly you were treated, after you both spent many months defending Bushart/Farsetta/Caffero treating others in the same way. Your offense was posting an email on the message board? Ask them why Burkeson is still a member, or Nick for that matter, along with other members of the "Committee" and their Pack who have done the same many, many times..... I understand your dismay, me I had to work very hard for more than a year to make them kick me off the Island, you thought you were immune, but you forgot Nachi Eat Their Own. You and Cookie are better off now, my bet is still that you will both be members again within a few months (days).

Here's a couple of things I find interesting in the House version NEW SECTION. Sec. 26. LIMIT OF LIABILITY. The home inspector 8 shall be able to limit the home inspector's liability by mutual 9 agreement with the client. 10 NEW SECTION. Sec. 27. STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. All actions to 11 recover damages for any act or omission of a home inspector relating to 12 a home inspection that the home inspector conducts must be commenced 13 within one year after the date that the home inspection was completed. It appears that the House is attempting to enforce Liability Limitations, which may lead to many legal challenges. It cfould of course save Washington Inspectors a few thousand $$$ a year in E&O. The Sunrise committee Review was a pretty good document, it doesn't seem that either the Washington Senate members or those of the House bothered to read it though. Both these Bill proposals are worthless, it reminds me of that piece of crap that came up 3 years ago.

It's difficult sometimes to just buy the motor, and not much cheaper, if the housing is okay, just buy a new unit of the same type, remove the new fan from the housing, and install it in the old housing, a screw or two and a couple of wire nuts. Easy job.

I've been surfing the APA Website again, it's amazing the amount of useful information that can be found there, and the amount of time you can spend following very interesting links. Here's a good one to add to your websites if you don't already have it. http://www.freefrommold.org/

Here's a link to APA's "Customer Service Tip: Assessing Water Damage After A Flood". Very timely for those living in Western Washington and other flood areas. Every time APA sends me an email, I end up spending an hour cruising their website, a great knowledge base made available to all by APA. You do of course have to register, I've never received any spam from them, just an occasional email. Here's the link, look around the website, there's a lot more info available for the amazing price of $0.

And that suggests what??? Fooled Twice but not Three Times? Actually Joe, for once you're fairly accurate. I was "fooled twice" but not the third time. Once I fell for a marketing scam that told me if I set through 16 hours of classroom lectures I would be an Expert in Mold Testing, then I fell for the $200 off testing equipment only during the "Convention.....yep, I was fooled twice. Then I got home and started thinking about it, why would I use the scare tactics taught at your Convention to sell unnecessary Mold Inspections to clients who were purchasing homes that had no evidence of mold or moisture problems, and if I was performing a Home Inspection and found evidence of possible mold or conditions why wouldn't it make more sense to refer the possible mold to someone who specializes in its detection and remediation, someone with more than a simple Air Testing Kit and good intentions. Then I took a few more classes in both WDO and Mold, and Mr. Connel began posting on your Message Board, where he was not very well received by your IAC2 Experts, several of us did read and agree with his posts and the articles he provided, although to carry on an intelligent conversation about mold and the liabilities you assume when you test for it, we had to resort to e-mail to get away from the "Experts" and all their "FU" comments and replies to Mr. Connel and those of us who agreed with him. So my testing kit lives under my desk, I've been trying to think of a good use for it. It does make a pretty good foot rest, I'm using it now, but I was thinking of something more practical, like using it as a vacuum pump for laminating fiberglass and when doing inlay work on wood working project, maybe as a "home made" Seal a Meal? I believe most Home Inspectors who offer Mold Inspections are honest, and that they offer the testing AFTER they find evidence of possible mold, but many, just like the Mold guys in this video, use "MOLD" as a scare tactic for nothing but profit, and they're never wrong, they will always find Mold spores, and there will almost always be a higher spore count indoors than out. What a deal their clients get. $450 for a Lab Test?? You'd probably have to be a "Certified Master..........." to charge that, right Joe?

I have a ProLab Mold kit, pump etc. that has been living under my desk for two years and has never yet made it out of its box. Once I thought mold inspections might be a good idea, then I studied the subject some more and decided I didn't want anything to do with it, helped along by many posts from Caoimhín P. Connell the Industrial Hygeinist who has posted here quite often, and has been very helpful to those who have read his posts and the websites he provided. Here's a link he posted that these Mold Guys in the video should have read. Great information, thanks again Caoimhin! http://forensic-applications.com/moulds/habits.html

Do you mean the newspeople, setting people up, claiming false headaches; or the mold guys? I'd say it was the guys who wanted to charge $450 for a lab test and several thousand dollars to re-mediate mildew and mascara. Who else is going to keep business like these, including Home Inspectors, honest if not the media? Most homeowners would have paid these guys what they asked from total lack of knowledge, the same goes regrettably for the Home Inspection business, where in many States all you need is a business card, a flashlight, and a screwdriver.......some may save the expense of the flashlight because they never look anywhere that's dark. Here's another link about mold that could be used on HI websites. http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/siteinstruction.html

Here's an interesting link to a KNBC investigation of Mold Inspection Companies, unbelievable http://video.knbc.com/player/?id=189429

I agree it's a great looking vest, but it reminds me of my old back packing days. I was always looking, and buying bigger and bigger back packs, then one day I realized that no matter how big a Pack I had, it was always full, usually with stuff I really didn't need. Today I don't do the long trips I used to, but I have the same "bigger is better" problem now with Sailboats.....Just a couple of feet longer just has to be better. During inspections I used to carry everything I could on my belt, now almost everything is in a tool bag, and I have a special bag with a drawstring closure for dragging into crawlspaces, and life is easier.

... And I'm adding more years. I was removed from member's access at Nachi (... err ... I-Nachi) this past week all without any type of notification, advisement, e-mail, phone-call, carrier pigeon, semaphore flags, etc.. I sent several messages asking what was going on as my "free membership" was valid until February-2008. I got a message from Nick that an "audit" was done of my website. Oh well ... it is what it is and not something to loose sleep over. ... Thanks Les for the comment on my "Cheers" .... I started using that many, many years ago when I was with The Associated Press in NYC and dealing with co-workers and clients in the UK. It has stuck and also helps me address each/every day in a very positive manner. As I explained to you over there in "Nick's World", that was bound to happen, you can't post anything there the "Pack" could take as being derogatory to Nick and His CLub. Bushart and Farsetta's policy is that as a, now ex-member, you are not deserving of an explanation. On their loudly declared Freedom or Speech Message board, you violated their "rules" by posting something they didn't like, so they had to find another reason to remove you, before you corrupted the sheep.

I just saw an ad on TV by Group Health I believe, they say that laughter can add 8 years to your life, Nachi/InterNachi and its corps or "faithful worshippers" are going to make me an old, old man.

In his letter Rick may have been better off if he had asked the editor who these "experts" were who recommended the use a "Certified" Home Inspector instead of a Licensed Home Inspector like the Illinois Law requires. He might also have pointed out that one of these "experts" appeared to be Nick Gromicko, the founder and sole voice of an Association based on the word "Certified". Instead of claiming that a 12 year old could pass InterNachi's online exam, which, easy as it is, I doubt, he could have pointed out that a 12 year old or a TV News reporter could become a Certified Home Inspector by having someone else take the test or aid them in passing it. True as Gromicko says, that is fraud, yet he has no provisions in his requirements to prevent such fraud, thereby making the term Certified Home Inspector meaningless. "licensed" would have been a much more appropriate word for the "Experts" to have used.

I've used epoxy to repair both structural white oak and non structural teak, in a couple of sailboats with good results. Teak, redwood, Cedar are all pains in the butt because the are "oily", but long lasting repairs can be made. The trick I was shown to strengthen structural white oak frames was to remove as much rot as possible, very difficult at times because there is little room to work, and then inject penetrating epoxy completely around the damage, even drilling very small holes up to several inches into good wood in which to inject, sometimes, thinned epoxy, this helps to eliminate the seam between the repair and good wood. For the portions of the wood that have been removed don't just fill the area with epoxy, use a filler like silica micro spheres, or others which can form a patch strong enough to drill and tap, or make the patch similar in flexibility to the wood, sometimes it may help to wipe or inject a thinner like acetone, MEK, Toluene, or xylene and let it evaporate a couple of times before applying the patch or filler. A hint use a forced air respirator when using these thinners in an enclosed area, the voice of experience. Epoxy repairs work, but like everything else they only work as well as the quality of work put into doing the job. I'd only use them in a house in situations where the effort and expense of replacing the wood would be prohibitive and not involve a structural member. Just thinking about this makes me remember how much I love Wooden Boats, experience though has taught me to love other peoples wooden boats and to enjoy the benefits of fiberglass.

If I leave my vents open in the winter here in North Idaho, then it takes half the summer for the snow in the crawl space to melt. That's mostly to do with where my house sits and the constant north wind and drifting we experience during the winter. Usually I just close the vents on the North and west sides of my house, leaving a little cross ventilation between the south and east vents. I recommend the same to my clients in areas that look like they may get drifting snow and where there may be plumbing close enough to a vent(s) that could be effected by freezing winds.

Here's a link to the Installation Instructions for HardiPlank http://fstservicesatlanta.com/hardiplan ... nstall.pdf I inspected a two year old two story home today, who ever built it should have read these instruction or the ones from CertainTeed, almost every plank is loose, no caulking, many planks where the bottom edges were not stained, 1/8" and bigger gaps at butt jonts, corner trim and windows, it must really rattle when the wind blows, just tapping my finger along the edges of the planks makes a pretty loud clicking noise. The siding was blind nailed, now someone will have to hire a competent sider to probably face nail and caulk the whole house. The house is in Bonner County Idaho, a no Code Zone, it's always an adventure and educational experience to work there.

My wife got a new desktop last week, it shipped with Vista. After 10 minutes with it I promptly reformatted the hard drive and loaded XP Pro on it. A good move. I have Three different versions of Vista setting here in their factory packages, I'm waiting for SP2 to come out before Vista goes on any of my computers. My son teaches Computer Science at a local College and he won't touch it yet either.

"But this is Buffalo, so I'm considering indoor tennis for the winter months." Gary The last time I was in Buffalo was back in the 70's when we came up from Ft. Bragg to dig you out of the snow. We dug out a Semi that had been buried for 3 days, we could hear country music blasting away and when we opened the door a bunch of beer cans, potato chip bags, and Pot Smoke rolled out, the driver was so drunk and stoned he wasn't too happy to be rescued, but he was really funny, we had to hide him from the cops until he sobered up. It was a great trip, a lot of really good people there who treated us great. If I lived in buffalo though, I would consider Golf in Florida or Arizona for the Winter months, which is 9 months out of the year isn't it?