mgbinspect

Tom, Do you remember how mauve the sand immediately around the drum used to become, from the heat?

My main concern isn't minor code issues. I did notice the extension being more than 6" off the floor, but didn't worry about it since the water heater needs to be relocated. The BIG problem is that 600 lbs of water heater is balanced on that front 2x4 assembly and braced by the rest of that mess. It's flat out dangerous. The 2x4 cross members that extend bac to the wall are moving down and away from the front assembly, under the weight of the water heater. So really, the brace is slowly diminishing to be just the plywood. I couldn't sleep at night knowing that such a heavy piece of gas equipment was tetering on a tight rope out in my garage.

A hint of it would be normal, and it would most likely come from tainted sand. But, the efflorescence would normally be pretty slight and would get better.

I don't claim to be an expert, by any means. And, I've been out of the game for a long time. I simply was actively involved in the masonry industry from 1972 - 1989. During that period, accelerators were learned to be the cause of conditions similar to your pics. As far as locations, I see it no differently than algae, in this regard: It's going to be most prevelant on surfaces that get the most weather and see the least sun. Those areas hold water the longest which gives stuff more time to release into the water. And, those same areas will experience the more and heavier evaporation cycles. I don't know if that answers your question, but I return to one of my original premises: Any brick or mortar manufacturer would hear about and remedy a problem like this, if it were the result of their product. The masonry materials market is HIGHLY COMPETATIVE and their key indirect buyers aren't builders or project owners, but architects. Manufacturers strive to get their product into the specifications of large projects, such as: schools, churches, prisons, malls, etc. So, if there was a problem with their procuct, they'd be on it like white on rice. I think accelerators are probably the culprit. We used them (reluctantly - just following orders) a few times and it didn't even take a season for the ugliness to start showing up. After posting, as I read on, I see that Jim K has explained it quite well. I believe that he is correct.

Well, for the second time in my career, I ran across the zaniest thing you can ever experience on the electrical side of inspecting. Foreclosure: Power company comes by and puts in a meter. I show up and start throwing breakers. Everything is dandy until I throw my first 220 breaker, at which point all hell breaks loose. Last time this happened it went like this: New home. I inspect it. Everything's fine. The folks move in and call to tell me, "half the lights in the house don't work until we turn on the stove. Then, they do. (The meter isn't pushed in all the way. The house only has 120 instead of 240 coming in. One bus is dead until you throw a 220 breaker. Then, the weirdness begins.) [:-graduat

Indeed, check out the last paragraph of this document: "Cold weather working: It is inadvisable to proceed with the construction of masonry whilst the temperature is below 3 degrees centigrade and falling. If mortar freezes any frozen material should be discarded. Any unfrozen material should not be used on frozen bricks or blocks. Water present in fresh cement may freeze and expand forcing the material apart and breaking the bond. Anti-freeze admixtures of the calcium chloride type should never be added to the mix. Their effect is minimal and they cause dampness and efflorescence."

Cap flashing would certainly be helpful. The lack of it has certainly magnified the problem. But still, the efflorescence didn't come from the brick or mortar. If it did, we'd see this condition all over the planet.

Yes, of course, it is water. But, I doubt seriously this is a "materials" problem. Any brick manufacturer would hear about it if their product did this, when subjected to unusual moisture intrusion. If the masons laid this stuff up in the winter time and used a salt based accelerator - oh yeah... it will definitely do this. And, it won't stop doing it in our lifetime. Accelerators are fine for foundation work or parting walls in townhouses etc. But, this is what happens when they're used in finish work. It's going to get worse - not better.

That's true. Probably ten percent, or more, of the time I agree to receive payment by credit card, it's kids who are on a mission to find someone willing. I don't think it's because they don't have the money. It seems they're just anxious about their bank account balance and cash on hand - supersticious that something will go wrong, at the last minute, to screw up the loan approval process. That seems to be the case with those that pay cash, as well - fright. You probably do miss business, and just don't realize it. I really dislike processing cards, but if it's that or loose an inspection, I'm all about cards. [:-graduat

When it comes to working with the public, there's truly no group that is more pleasant to work with than the "Old Money" gang. They're great. When we used to work out in Middleburg, VA, building for the rich and famous I used to jokingly tell folks, "See that guy over there in the coveralls and gum boots getting into that thirty year old Mercedes Benz? Now, he's rich - so rich he doesn't even really know how rich. He has to ask some underling." That's the way it was out there. One time we build a $10,000.00 brick serpentine wall for one of our regulars, only to have them call us the next week to announce, "OK, the garden party is over. Can you come take it down now?"

Agreed, yet, I HATED paying a monthly fee for the priveledge to process cards. That just seemed a dumb waste of money. I'm much happier paying a larger fee per transaction. It's kinday like all those lead generating web sites. I tell them all the same thing. "I won't pay for a lead, but I'm happy to pay you for a job. If you ever set up a system like that, call me." Yep, I broke all those chains years ago. Credit is the only remaining legal form of slavery in America.

The idea is to recline and relax, Kurt; not bend over and stick your butt directly over the rocks of those heaters. Jeesh, I'm amazed I have to tell you this.[:-banghea ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Mike, Mike, Mike... I needed that laugh tonight. You da man. Rough night.... er.. morning... still writing....

The label on my gas water heater tank says "May be installed on combustible flooring." Is there some rule I'm not aware of? Yeah, honestly I wasn't making a "code" statement about it being combustible, but I think resting a 600 lbs gas water heater on such a frail wood platform up off the concrete floor in a garage is a really bad idea. Doesn't steel or masonry seem a lot safer? [:-graduat

No kidding. It was actually a nice house, but this whole setup really made me uncomfortable - a disaster waiting to happen.

I'm sure you're right about that, because I've actually repaired a few few ancient fireplaces, constructed with field stone, out in Loudoun County, VA. But, don't ever pitch a big chunk of quartz into a camp fire unless you're just fond of shrapnel. I suppose it's moisture that creates steam in the material, but it will definitely come apart like a gunshot. You only have to do it once. It'll get your full attention.

The more you look at this scenario, the scarier it gets. It's kinda like looking into one of those posters to see other images within the image. Click to Enlarge 54.98 KB Click to Enlarge 48.89 KB The framing doesn't rely on a header and jack. (The cross-member is merely toe-nailed into the stud with 6 penny nails. So, in reality, the only thing holding the whole affair together is the ply-wood shelf top.) The toe-nailed joints are pulling apart as the cross-member is pushed down and away from the stud under the weight of the full water tank There is no diagonal bracing, so the whole affair can parallelogram if the nails against the outer wall pull out. The whole mess is combustible There is no impact protection, which wasn't required when the house was built, but boy does it need it now. The water alone in the fifty gallon tank weighs 417.5 pounds, let alone the weight of the water heater (probably about 600 lbs total?) As I was explaining this to the defensive macho listing agent he walks over and starts pushing at the whole thing with his foot - ("Yeah, that's it idiot. Keep that up. You'll excuse me as I inch toward the open overhead door...")

I can't say from the refractory stance, but some stone will actually burst apart when exposed to the heat of a fire - Quartz being among them. Some red brick, technically are fine in a fireplace, although not rated for the use. Victor Cushwa hand moulded brick, for instance, are fired at about 2000 degrees if memory serves. I"ve gotten an exception for using them in fireplaces many times by showing that they are fired hotter than the average fireplace temperatures. The short answer (in my book): I'd be less concerned about the code and more concerned about the temperature that slate can endure. I'd google it. The average fireplace temperature is 1200 - 1500 degrees.

Update: I'm really getting into having the ability to open books or documents on site in about 5 seconds - no bootup; searchable by key words; etc. I'm looking for recommendations on manuals worth having that aren't too technical for what we do, but are great resources. I've already downloaded Chaings Residentail Construction Illustrated, thanks to Jim K's comment on another thread. Please mention any books that you've found to be a useful resource here. Thanks.

Same here. With T-Mobile about to be bought up by AT&T, maybe now is the time to upgrade from my T-Mobile with a Windows Mobile 6 platform to an Android and get the Square interface. I can't stand AT&T and accepting credit cards will grow in popularity once people know that you accept them. Marc I hate credit and credit cards. Credit is the only remaining legal form of slavery in America. I only process card, like Kurt said, for those who forgot their check book. I think we've all learned that once a product is delivered, folks don't feel anywhere near as motivated to make the payment - human nature, I guess. So, for the forgotten check book or the folks that are tight on funds, the credit card is a necessary evil. It sure beats calling someone for a few weeks to dog them over the payment.

I used to accept cards, but the monthly fee was annoying. So, now I just accept cards through PayPal. The fee per transaction is a bit higher, but it's still cheaper than a monthly fee to process cards. PayPal's great! It's easy. You can create invoice templates with your logo. You can download PayPal software right into your Android and send the "request Payment" right from the field, if necessary. Payment is usually immediate - no waiting for things to post. I usually get paid by card about two to three times a month.

That's my thought too - condensation and evaporation? (Wouldn't a loose connection make for resistance and overheating - scorching, etc?)

(almost as hard to miss as that flying rafter or floor joist in the forefront of the last picture and the badly notched rafter?... Busy photo...)

And to elaborate, I've never encountered a house that was needy, jealous, and manipulative. And, it's outa here!... with the bases loaded ladies and gentleman... [:-thumbu]

I do know what you mean. It's going to be tough getting my copy of Architectural Graphics Standards on a Kindle. But, for me, I think it's going to work, since I don't use my laptop on site.

Were you daydreaming about something else when you wrote this? [:-thumbu]