Mark P

Good thought, but no. This pipe comes through the front foundation wall under the windoes to the right of the front door. There is living area above.

by the way that roof is 19 / 12

I have no idea what form this goes under. House built around 1933, in the basement utility room were the HVAC equipment has always been there is this small pipe coming through the front foundation wall. A funnel has been places under it along with a garden hose that leads over to the sump. What is / was this pipe for? My only guess is perhaps something left over from an old oil burner or old furnace system. I really don?t know but told the buyer I would try to find out. Thanks Click to Enlarge 57.43 KB Click to Enlarge 42.41 KB

A few times I've shown up at a house like the one you describe (maybe worse) and after looking around I turn to the buyer and say "What is it exactly you want me to tell you about this house that you don't already know, this house needs everything redone, everything, HVAC, elec, plumbing, roof, siding, etc. So if you want me to do a full inspection and write a full report I'm going to have to charge you quite a bit more then we discussed on the phone. Another option is that I provide you with a verbal consultation, which is not a home inspection. I will go through the house and tell you everything verbally, but I will not write a report. Since your buying the house "as is" and you already know it needs a lot of work, and you plan on gutting the kitchen and baths, etc we can go through the house together looking at all the major components and you take notes. Understand this is not a home inspection because there is no written report, just your notes.? They often like that idea, because it saves them some money and I like it because I don?t want to spend 8 hours writing a report. Twice I?ve arrived at a house and the refused to perform the inspection because the house was in such bad condition. One house had a hole running all the way from the roof through 2 floors and into the basement. The basement stairs had collapsed?, it was just to unsafe. Here in Illinois we are licensed and a written report is required as part of the home inspection, that is why I make it crystal clear that I am not conducting a home inspection, but a verbal consult. I provide a similar service for an occasional rehabber in the area.

I once did an inspection and the buyer was with me the entire time. A few months after buying the home he called to complain about a sewer gas smell, After he complained a bit I asked him if he had smelled anything during the inspection? He stated no, but.... I should have somehow known, because his friend said.... blah balh blah. I understand he was upset he had a smell in his house, but I had to help him understand it was not my issue, and I cannot not miss an odor that is not present when I'm there. This is one of the reasons I always want my clients to attend the inspection, If he had not been at the inspection I'm sure he would have made my life a bit unpleseant.

I made the mistake of pulling out a fridge like that once to get to the panel. I broke off the water line connection on the back of the fridge. Cost me $50 or so.

I just bought a pair of those, but without the word "cargo" in the discreption. I figured I did not need the built in knee pads. They are absolutly great!

I wear a tool pouch on my left hip that has one big pouch and several small ones all built together. I keep my outlet tester, camera, a screwdriver or two, temp probes, voltage tracer, and maybe a few other small items. It just makes it easier to have these frequently used small items right there. I recently attached the lanyard to my Olight and hang it around my neck. I know it sounds stupid, but now that I've tried it I really find it useful. Everything else stays in the van, and I go get it if I need it; except the power screwdriver which I carry in a leave on the kitchen counter top until I find the electric panel. If it looks like I may need a lot of stuff I'll carry in my tool box, but not to often anymore.

Can you describe what is directly under the vinyl that is going up. Is it exposed wood? A material that looks like an old wool blanket? another type of siding (perhaps wood)? A picture or two would be great and get you will get a better answer. By the way it is nice of you to look after you elderly neighbor.

I'm sure a lot of us got the e-mail from ASHI yesterday "Disaster Inspectors Needed" - it seems the two companies that got the contracts (Partnership for Response & Recovery (PaRR) and Parson Brinckerhoff Disaster Services)) for the mess Sandy made need inspectors. I would not mind doing it just for a change of pace, but like Scott said I'd have to close my doors for awhile. Besides my wife is not a fan of the idea. A lot of traveling while I was in the military leaving her at home with 2 kids left a sour taste in her mouth.

As Tom said you need to locate the source of the humidity; stop it at the source is better then trying to remove it once it is already there. It could be a potentially serious issue such as improper venting of a gas appliance (furnace, water heater, etc) or not so serious such as just not running the bathroom fan during / after a hot shower.

If I've ever seen this before I don?t remember and if I?ve ever know anything about it I have forgotten. It is a reflective radiant barrier covering the attic floor of a 1967 ranch. There is 3-4 inches of fiberglass underneath. My initial reaction is someone wasted a lot of money buying a product that provides little or no benefit. Is there an R-value calculation for this product? Anyone have some boiler plate on this product they would like to share? Opinion, Thoughts?.? Click to Enlarge 44.34 KB

Yes - keep us posted. 1st two thoughts are how will it work on windy days and what is the picture resolution?

Feb 2001 - and that is a guess.

They will measure of a 10 x 10 (100 sq Ft) area (maybe more then one area) and count the number of strikes within that area. Every company will have a different standard, but if there is something like 6, 8, 10 strikes within that area then they will replace the roof or do whatever the policy states. We had a very large hail storm in my area back in April. Thousands and thousands and thousands of roofs, gutters, vinyl siding, decks, window screens, etc all being replaced, some roofs are only a month or two old and they get replaced. Roofing companies are combing the neighborhoods like locusts. I have written up a lot of roofs this year saying the sellers should file a claim with their insurance company. I have had a good number of jobs just inspecting a roof after the insurance company declined a claim. Sometimes every house on the street will be getting a new roof and then there is the one house where the insurance companies say no. I?m the independent guy that gives an unbiased opinion.

Have you ever heard of paragraphs? Ha Ha HA LMMFAO, HA HA HA HA ROTFLMMFAO HAHAHAHAHA HA HA HA Ha Ha HA LMMFAO, HA HA HA HA ROTFLMMFAO HAHAHAHAHA HA HA HA Ha Ha HA LMMFAO, HA HA HA HA ROTFLMMFAO HAHAHAHAHA

I always thought it was so the fire department can find it easly if there is a problem.

I found an AHMS-90 by Airco manufactured in 1987 and AHCS2-90 manufactured in 1988. As a matter of fact everythng I see by them was manufactued in 1987-88

I was going to guess washing machine too. So instead I'll guess it has something to do with the plumbing system. Maybe a holding tank for well water that is then pumped up to a bathroom or kitchen.

I?ve bought and installed more then a few sinks and I have no idea what the questions is asking. The sink itself has nothing to do with the configuration of drainage / vent system.

Thanks Les, Kurt, everyone... The house is not in a low spot compared to the neighbors, pretty flat lot on the sides and the back yard slopes down to a lake, but it is a fair size lot and the lake it not to close to the house. I get a fair amout of work from a rental management company, in this case I was brought in as an "unbiased expert" just to give an opinion. If I ever learn more I'll post it. I think I might sue the builder if I were in the owners shoes.

A 3 year old house with a mostly finished basement floods repeatedly. Infrared scan found no moisture in the drywall. The renter stated "it (water) seems to be coming up through the floor". The sump pump works, the renter said that even during the flooding the sump was working and the water level inside the sump stayed the same, down around the pump. There is a floor drain about 6 - 8 feet from the sump and the renter said it looked like water was bubbling up from it the last time the entire basement flooded up to 1". The flooding does not always cover the entire basement, several times it only partial flooded, but not in the area where the drain / sump are located. I believe it is a partially clogged drain tile. Does any one have experience with ?Iron Ochre Bacteria?? I don't think this is iron bacteria because I noticed no odor, but I can't say I'?ve ever been properly introduced to Iron Ochre Bacteria. This felt like very fine mud / clay. What looks like little rocks are just balls of this stuff that smushes easily into mud. What puzzles me is that it has collected at the water line inside the sump. The only thing I can think of is the silt is so fine it floats and builds up? Thoughts?. What is the product name of the flat drain tile entering the sump? It is not the round 4? perforated drain I typically see. This is flat plastic product (covered with fabric) with little cones that keep the two sides apart. Because of its design I was not able to see into the drain tile. I'm thinking of what to recommend. What do you think of opening up a section (3-4 feet) of the floor next to the sump to dig down to the drain tile to verify what is going on. Of course the clog could be isolated in another location so this may not be helpful. Would installing an exterior drain tile be effective or is the only fix to rip up the perimeter of the basement floor, dig down to the footer and replace the drain tile? Other thoughts?. Click to Enlarge 65.15?KB Click to Enlarge 45.74?KB Click to Enlarge 35.07?KB Click to Enlarge 60.78?KB

It has been discussed here before, do a search and you should find it. I would not spend my money on one, but that is just me.

In IL a passive radon system will be required in all new construction homes starting June 2013. http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1461 ... wners.html

Thanks for the replies all. Walking the roof was not the question or concern, I was just wondering if you would have set up an extention or telescoping ladder on the lower roof to get to the upper roof. I did not want to approach it from the rear because I would have had to set the ladder up on a wet deck; I don't like wet decks. From the rear it was close to 20' from the deck to the roof. Mike's idea of tieing off to the windows was someting I did not consider; however, I don't think I could have gotten to those windows, they are at the top of a very very tall and fully furnished room. I imagine that when the house was sided / reroofed something like a 2x4 was nailed to the garage roof to keep the ladder's feet from slipping. It sounds like some of you routinely set up ladders or lower sloped roof's to get to upper roofs and have no problems with the feet of the ladder slipping. Maybe I just need to grow a bigger pair. Click to Enlarge 48.72?KB Click to Enlarge 56.24?KB