Konrad

It is my understanding that the last date for making a claim with this stuff was a year and a half ago. I may be wrong, but that's what this web site says. See this link. http://www.lpsidingclaims.com/

I cannot wait until long distance phone companies are forced to face the truth. About 4 years ago, my best man was deployed to Wake Island, then on to Japan (this was all before 9/11). He called me several times from Wake Island over the internet, and we talked for free. The quality was not good, but hey, it was free. I'm sure it's much better now. BTW, He's now out of the combat jets (F-18) and training others in Mississippi, thank heavens. Having him in Kosovo, Afghanistan, AND Iraq has been enough for me. [V] I've been flying that flag in front of the house too damned long for him. [:-indifferent] Sorry for the thread drift.

Wow, you guys are fast. Backflow valves inside those little spray heads, huh? Ok, so what about the shower wands then, are they the same? (I do confess I've never disassembled either of these items.)

There are inspectors who call out shower wands on a hose-end fitting falling into the tub, and cross contamination. Isn't the nozzle at the kitchen sink just the same thing? [:-banghead]

I was initially hung up on your sixth sentence until I re-read it. My first interpretation was that you were refering to THAT particular siding, but you're not. You're talking about pressboard siding in general.

Is it just me, or is his tan darker in the first post vs. his second post??

I've only done 1 and 1/2 inspections (the roof one yesterday). I think the buyers from my first inspection several weeks ago walked away. The roof needed to be replaced, it was 17 years old and showed it.

I basically stated what I saw at the time, that the roof appears to be aging faster than it should. I wrote that it's possible that this is from ice dams. I didn't say it was from ice dams, so hopefully I'm not sticking my neck out. I do know this: My roof on my house is 14 years old and looks a lot better than this one at 5. She called me while I was at Davis, and I explained to her that I could show up in two hours, but I wouldn't have any tools or a ladder or be wearing the proper clothing to enter the attic. She seemed more gratefull for the quick turnaround rather than me bringing my stuff. They did have a ladder there, but one look at it made my spidey-sense tell me not to use it. (I may be developing that low-grade radar warning that you vets are always refering to) So anyway, that's why I wasn't actally on the roof.

Just what exactly is that tpr valve connected to/protecting? Is that a boiler, or a square water heater, or what? And just how far (legally) can the tpr valve be from it? That's a new one I haven't seen posted before.

I did a roof-only inspection this afternoon for a homeowner who is fighting with their insurance company about damage to their roof. Brief history: The winter was harsh here last winter, and there were ice dams everywhere on practically every house in Lincoln. The owner states that the asphalt shingle roof is 5 years old. She says the curling shingles were not like that before last winter. Owner also states there was a great deal of water infiltration into the house. So... She wants a letter from me basically stating that there is damage to the roof. I know the pix are hard to view well because of the lighting, but my feeling after being there in person is that this roof needs some help. A roof that's only 5 years old should not have any curling. There were multiple tabs that have lost their tar strip adhesion, perhaps you can see them near the plumbing vent. I'm only going to charge a minimal fee, and I can't (and won't) state things I'm not certain of (because I wasn't actually there in Feb when this happened). I am addressing the letter to the homeowner, and it will basically state that I feel this roof covering has aged prematurely, and could have been caused by ice damage. I explained very politely that I'm not there to represent her, I'm not her attorney, I'm simply going to report on exactly what I see today. I'm still new to inspections, am I approaching this with the right philosophy? Does the roof look premature to you? Comments welcome. Download Attachment: DCP_0690.JPG 79.78 KB Download Attachment: DCP_0691.JPG 111.67 KB Download Attachment: DCP_0692.JPG 83.89 KB

"Ask, and ye shall recieve." [:-bouncy]

By no means am I a heat pump expert, but shouldn't every heat pump have a high head-pressure over-ride shut off, to prevent damage as described above? We don't have a lot of them here, I wish I were more versed with heat pump theory. [:-indifferent]

Can anyone point me in the right direction for one of those sheet metal gauge thickness checkers? They're sort of the inverse of a spark plug gapper. (This isn't actually for HI's, I need it for my A/E work) But if anyone knows where to find one of them, you guys will. [:-angel]

I'm takin tomorrow and Monday off, so this is my Friday night! I drank an entire pitcher of margartitas an hour ago, and just ate a bowl of Lucky Charms. Toasted. Nicely toasted. [)] Where's my wife and my CR500?? I wanna rip! And then see some nae-nae's... [] [:-jump2] [:-censored]

Mr. Woehl, I work for an engineering firm in Nebraska, and each state has their own way they do things. In Nebraska, it is required for the firm to submit their prints to the local authorities before a building permit is ever issued. They will review the prints and make comments and return them to you, sometimes asking (demanding) certain changes, other times simply asking for clarification. It is very rare that a set of prints gets approved with no red lines (corrections). They usually find something they don't like. Often, if you show a willingness to comply (instead of fighting them) they are more inclined to have some leniency. If you make them mad, you will never ever see the light of day, and alles kaput. The previous replies will also be helpfull to you. Sincerely, Konrad

I'm a little unclear about the hearth requirements for gas inserts. IRC appears to defualt to the manufacturer's listed installation requirements. The Code Check flip book (HVAC) calls out 16" for gas inserts. Is there an industry standard, or have I misread the IRC?

I grew up playing in feedlot runoff, does that count as mold?

Slight thread drift, but... During the final stages of construction on the commercial side the finish grade guy will come in with black dirt and a box scraper and sometimes finish the grade above the brick course with the weep holes in it. A hole in the brick just inches below the surface is asking for water to go into the wall cavity. Keep them weeps above the finish grade. [b)]

To revisit this topic, I traded e mail this morning with an abatement/testing lab in Omaha and asked him some questions about home inspectors and mold inspections. The three questions are my questions, the replies follow each question. See the following pasted text below... 1. Are the testing methods used by home inspectors much more than hardware-store quality testing kits? Some inspectors are using highly qualified labs in the bulk , tape, and air sampling to perform the analysis. The liability resides in the method of sampling, the training of the individual performing the sampling, and the lack of calibration equipment (very expensive) for the air samples. I've had home inspectors tell me how and where they sample air and it was against current guidelines and standards. 2.) What does it REALLY take to test for mold/IAQ? Indoor air samples should be collected using equipment, which is maintained, calibrated, and set at an optimum flow rate for the target contaminate tested. Air samples need to be collected where there are health concern, where there are litigation issues, or in some cases insurance issues involved. Do not collect air samples if mold is obvious and the home owner wishes just to remove the damaged surface. Moisture intrusion is the culprit behind fungi growth so a protimeter is essential ($500) to obtain internal and surface moisture levels. A real time humidity meter is necessary to determine existing levels ($2500). Liability is involved if the air samples are not collected after remediation. I better stop at this point as this gets involved. 3.) Training, training and training is necessary. Air quality, HVAC, mold sampling, mold remediation, aerosol dispersal, and building mechanics are topical areas. Organizations need to be joined and mold certifications need to be obtained. Error and omission insurance is a must (unless you want your client to take over your business and possibly personal possessions). E & O costs 1% of gross receipts and takes awhile to obtain. End of quote. I won't post the firm's name here, because I'm posting it without their permission. I can drop someone a name privately if they wish. I think I'll just steer clear of this whole thing, even though my competitors are doing it. [b)]

This irritates the living crap out of me. They're required for all the commercial work that's done around here, complete with mortar net and flashing. But residential?? LAHJ has deemed the unnecessary. [:-banghead] [:-banghead] [:-banghead] Stupid idiots. With all the "mold is gold" people running around, you'd think they'd enforce a construction standard that allows water to leave a wall cavity.[]

I'll endorse Crusty's comment. I went on a big dissertation back in January over on ASHI's board about using the C-word. I have boiler plate that says "modern standards". Now... I've only done one inspection (done today I might add [:-bouncy] [:-bouncy] [:-bouncy] ) but I had an old salty inspector explain it to me basically just like Crusty did above, and he cited court cases. [:-boggled] You cross a line of liability exposure when you start using the C-word.

Ok, NOW we're getting somewhere. Scott, if a REAL IAQ test is in excess of $1,000.00 (and I believe you), just precisely what are they doing during those evaluations? Going back to my original post, I'm looking for an answer as to why my competitor is offering mold testing and I'm not. If I were to reply to a caller that a "real" test costs that much, (and my competitors are just performing hardware-store quality sampling) they'll ask what the "real" IAQ test involves. For me to really sound like I know what I'm talking about... What is done in an IAQ evaluation? Thanks for all the replies, guys.

I don't want to get involved with mold testing. First of all, I don't have any technical training in it. Second, I'm only doing this on the side of my full time career, and I'm spooked by the potential high-liability exposure by getting involved with mold testing. I've heard of some big dollar lawsuits surrounding it. No thanks. But what's the best thing to tell a potential client that calls and asks about mold testing? I know some of the established HI's in my area are advertising for it, and it makes me look as if I provide less of a service. I don't even know if the calling client really knows what's involved in mold testing, and I personally freely admit that I don't. Nor do I want to. I feel like I'll lose callers because of this. Can someone suggest a good reply to this question? Is my stance on this issue wrong?

After following several HI resource sites over the last 12 months (mostly from the outside looking in) and reading that thread... I remain firmly entrenched right here at the "association-nuetral" TIJ. Thank the Good Lord there's *someone* in this industry without an agenda. I can't imagine what the commercial side would be like if AIA, EJCDC, or NSPE had these feudal issues that HI associations are engaging in. Crimony, what a distraction!

Yeah, me too. I'm taking our skid loader down to Hallam today to help him demo the remains of his garage, I'll ask him again what this guy was talking about.