mgbinspect

Gasp! You're right, but hey, Daisy, Ellie, All I know is SHE WAS HOT! Call her anything but late for lunch...

Hm. OK, you win. I haven't seen aluminum siding stripped off a home yet. That's a new one.

Is that grammatically correct? If something is missing, can you replace "it"? I know what you mean and it's understandable, but is it accurate to replace something that isn't there? Yes, I'm being a wiener, sort of......... "Licensed general contractor to cause the missing dishwasher to re-appear or install a new Hotpoint unit." [^]

Amen! I believe we fail to give people some credit for common sense. Tongue in cheek. It was more about the fact that someone would actually take a built-in dishwasher than the fact that the dishwasher was missing. The customer knows that the dishwasher is missing and they need to install a new one. Nevermind... nothing that a good shower won't cleanse. Here in Richmond, I've pulled up on some foreclosures where they took the condensing unit and all the copper pipes too. [:-bigeyes

Anything under 12 degrees in differential is low in my book (measured at ceiling grille, not at the plenum), but an air conditioning system is far too complicated for a home inspector to even begin trying to diagnose. Air leaks in the ducts? That's just the beginning. When you touch that system by taping it up, you effectively put your name on it. Your name will pop up in the owner's mind as soon as any problem with the unit manifests itself. He won't understand how your work is not to blame. I've pissed off more HVAC contractors than I can count on the fingers of both hands. Mostly because I'm so sick & tired of their funky workmanship that I just don't care for them anymore. Drew the battle lines a long time ago. Marc Yep, wouldn't have done it if it wasn't a vacant relo - nobody to connect me with it, thankfully. And, the HVAC contractor STILL has to come back out and finish sealing up the swiss cheese ducts and low differential. I'm good. Normally I just report it. I was just feeling particularly awnry and blew a gasket. Eh.. as Terence so eloquently put it, "got pigheaded." Yeah, that's the ticket... [:-banghea PS. But, hey Marc, I usually draw the line at 14 degrees and below as needing attention. Talk to me...

You sound like a pig headed Irishman [] Eye, a touch, maybe... Kinda makes me think of the Family Guy Episode where Peter travels to Ireland to see his long lost dad, and they have their drink-down... "Mhe..mhe... mhe... mhe... me.. me.. me.."

Well, Terence, looking on the bright side, AT LEAST Les beats YOU up... I'm apparently not worthy of it... [:-weepn] [:-jester]

Amen to that Tom, and the performance of sun tubes is flat out astounding - tough to beat on the energy side.

Mostly venting, and your point is well taken, Dr. McCann. I'll stop. Oh, I get paid good money every time I come back out, but it begins to become an issue of who's right and who's wrong. And of course the inspector is ALWAYS suspect. So, I just gave the listing agent a little demonstration regarding careless work and its affect on differential. Normally I put don't put that kind of time into it either. I was making a statement that is going home to roost with this HVAC guy. That stuff is inexcusable, I think.

Relocation inspection: First visit: I find gaps in ducts and low differentials at both systems. Second visit: HVAC Contractor shows up, throws a little refrigerant in the unit and leaves without addressing gaps in the distribution system. Differential barely fifteen downstairs and only ten upstairs. Third visit (today): HVAC contractor has replaced an evaporator coil that the maker informed them was not up to snuff - and the HVAC contractor is, according to hear-say getting smart and uncooperative. Differential on both units low. I go into the attic and every junction taken apart to replace that coil is un-sealed. Just for the heck of it (vacant house now), I pull out my aluminum duct tape and start sealing it up. I'm tired of coming back! TWENTY-SIX FEET of duct tape later, I am able to get one unit to muster fifteen and the other still does only ten - both suction lines are nice chilly and sweating. When I left I handed the twenty-six feet of duct tape backing to the listing agent and told her to tell the HVAC contractor where to put it. [:-censore

Click to Enlarge 67.13 KB "Jethro, come up out of the ceement pond and fix that skylight like I told you to so the listing agent can say it ain't leakin'!" "Gee paw, Daisy and I fixed it yesterday. You didn't even look... Click to Enlarge 28.26 KB Click to Enlarge 53.06 KB I don't know... is it just me or does this seem like a lot of work when you can get these lenses in the box for about $150.00. Of course, maybe it was Mr. Drysdale's idea. Yeah, that's the ticket. This was one of those homes where every repair and improvement de-valued the house...

Well, rats, Terence! I was looking forward to Pittsburgh - fun town. I may still go. Don't need the CEUs. I'm aready over at about 25 or so...

I believe it was Certainteed that had a Master Roofing Certification course a few years back, that was pretty cool. They sent you a course reference manual, which was useful. I had forgotten about Certainteed. Thanks for reminding me. I don't suppose the Cerainteed courses offer credits do they?

Does this mean I won't see you in Pittsburgh? I've done three of their courses and have three to go. The courses are just OK (barely stimulating), but I suppose if you need the CEU's it works. That's never my case. As I've said, I'm a learnaholic. I do crap like that just for sh*ts and giggles, averaging about fifty to 80 CEU's a year. At the very least, just for an excuse to travel, I seem to do twice the seminars I need to. If I'm not hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding or traveling, I'm doing a course or watching Discovery or History Channel. You know you wanna take one... and I could use a fellow closet McKissock Online junkie. "Input, Stephanie, Input."

Myself and a few others have been toying with the idea of starting a competing organization for some time. The problem is that so many of those we like and respect are involved and heavily vested in other associations that are already losing membership numbers to the soap opera and state associations. Starting another organization could threaten the survival of those respected orgs and we could end up being the villains. Still, with this latest mold is gold thing, maybe it's time to rethink that position. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Well, I'm THERE with a passion I've never had for any other organization. Keep us posted.

What does that mean? It means I'm on my phone in the field and had to type the smile symbol I wanted from memory, which doesn't work well when you're flirting with Alzeimers... Scott, We've managed to keep state licensing voluntary here in the Old Dominion, which is a real testimony to the clout of our local ASHI Chapter here in the capital and the Virginia Association of Real Estate Inspector's (VAREI) lobbyist. (Virginians never have taken too kindly to the government telling them what they can and cannot do.) Since, I'm aN ASHI Member and NAHI CRI, I've never bothered to volunteer to jump through the state licensing hoop. It's no biggie. I was more suggesting that the TIJ braniacs will come up with a test a bit tougher than the current ones out there.

I don't know if I could handle that much excitement in one day, Grant...

Aww, Jim, the chance to be Charter Members is just too much to pass up - kinda like being plank-owners on a ship. C'mon Mike... Let's do it... [:bonc01]

What's particularly fun, if you have a few moments, is breaking a tube and watching the workers show up and rebuild the tube. Yeah, I don't get out much....

Well, frankly, it was first teed up in jest, but based upon the caliper of guys running and moderating this outfit and the seasoned vets that loiter here, if you all formed a society, I'd DEFINITELY join it. [^] Uhh.. that is if I can muster a passing grade for ya'll's brutal certification test. [:-graduat

Again, I have mixed feelings about every aspect of home inspecting. Both the public and professional perception of who we are and what we do has always been clearly out of focus (no pun intended). We can't possibly be certified specialists in every field, although it would be fine to see the bar raised in areas. I suppose I see us relative to certified specialist as similar to what mediators are to attorneys - capable of helping people make educated and grounded decisions and yet knowing when it's time for the specialist. I find myself curious - wanting a better vision of the more regulated and educated home inspector - not a question of SOPs, but in more general professional image terms. We've hammered away at what we should not be, but how about a more defined image, inspired by the afore mentioned woes and concerns regarding what we might be would be both insightful and inspiring. The vision of a home inspector has, even in our own minds, has, at best, always been murky and open to considerable debate.

However, they do have the latest state of the art weathershields. [:-thumbu]

I find old stuff like that fascinating (pre-nerd era publications?) [:-propell. I have a particularly soft spot for Esso. May pop was insanely loyal to Esso.

It's really rather amazing that nothing has sprouted in there yet.

Jeez, It never occurred to me that the 2/3 of us who don't choose to participate in interorganizational squabbling and ego flogging were a bunch of unprofessional ner-do-wells. I'm going to go out in the woods now and have a good cry at what an awful unprofessional person I've become. Jimmy, care to join me? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Normally, I'd offer to come join you guys just for support, but I find myself suddenly overwhelmed by a curious sense of professional entitlement and empowerment... [:-batman][:-tophat] No, Mike, to continue Kurt's kudos - You sir, obviously have "a home, a brain, a heart and dah neuve." [:-graduat