StevenT

Would glueing the wood to the concrete be a problem when it comes to expansion and contraction?

I have never seen anything like that before, but if I had to take a wild guess, I would plug a light into it and see what happens when the doorbell or the phone rings. Or, blow smoke in it. Could that knob be some type of volume or sesitivity control?

Nice toy. I can think of at least a few times it would have come in handy. With age, it is becoming more diifficult to read serial numbers and other small things. I wear my reading glasses and try to focus in with a lighted magnifying glass and a mirror. And with my third hand I hold a pad, But I still can't figure out how to hold the pen. I just bought a magnfying eyeglass visor with sidelights, but my head no longer fits into the spaces. Boy, what problems. I'll put this on my want list. I've considered a full size model in the past, big investment, for the amount of times I've needed it I just hire someone to do it. If I bought one, I would have to push it... whole 'nuther business.

Bob, Just looking at the picture, I would say there is main breaker elsewhere, probibly somewhere near the meters. Is it wired through bx or emt? there are your grounds. I don't see a green or copper grounding wire to an earthen ground. In essence, to me it looks like it is a remote panel. I would also like to see alot more of the neutral leg wraped in white tape.

Does this mean that metal joist cross straps are no good?

I understand everybody's feelings about reinspections, and I'm sure most of you guys have your reasons. I agree that there should be a charge for a reinspection, although there may be times we feel the appropriate thing is to not charge, that will be our choice. Unless you are so busy, that you can abuse people, how can you possibly tell someone, whom you just convinced to hire you because you are the best inspector since Moses (he was a home inspector too), that they will have to hire someone else to reinspect what you have found. Especially if they are willing to pay for it. OK, you may want to add a disclaimer stating that since it is a superficial inspection, you can not determine the condition or extent of the underlying repair (or something to that effect, you get my point). You may want to include that it is impossible to determine who made the repair and as to their qualifications. And if you don't call it a reinspection, but instead a "limited" inspection, limited to the following items... then it would be a whole new inspection and wouldn't that work? Like I said, alot of you guys have been doing this longer than me, So I respect your experience and wisdom. I hope someday to be as busy as some of you are so I can also be as independant.

Too bad you didn't get pictures, it sounds like the house ofthe year!

PHEW!!! I'm almost afraid to ask for some feedback on my new site... but I will. Some of the pages are still being worked on, I just wanted to get it up and running. But, please feel free to tear me a new... tell it like you feel it.

There seems to be a lot of reference to SOP, and although I recongnize their limits and values, I wish to offer services that go beyond them, If one was certified to do chimney inspections, would it be considered a conflict of interest to recommend such an inspection and then do it? Of course there could be no involvment in the repair.

Reporting on recalls is not part of the Standards of Practice, but since most of us go beyond the basic standards, if we are aware of a recall or class action lawsuit and we include it in our report, are we leaving ourselves liable for the ones we don't mention? I am drawing up a disclaimer for my contract in an attempt to protect myself from this exposure. But I wonder if I'm overdoing it?

That is so kewl!

I have only seen them installed on copper.

I am trying to promote my new website, and came across this listing organization. I would like some opinions regarding joining and it's possible value. Steven, Membership requires the signing of the attached pledge. There is a small cost to get listed on the IHINA web site. Since other home inspector organizations such as ASHI, NAHI and NACHI have testing and educational requirements, IHINA does not attempt to compete with other home inspector organizations in those regards. (There are a number of IHINA members who also belong to one or more of those organizations.) What makes IHINA unique is the fact that all the other organizations are resigned to the status quo of real estate agents controlling the home inspector selection process. IHINA challenges the status quo and seeks to eliminate the control real estate agents have over home inspectors. Active solicitation means giving "sales" presentations to real estate agents about your service and / or rewarding agents for referring clients to you. Handing out a business card to an agent at an inspection is not considered active solicitation. Dropping off marketing material designed for the real estate agent/s at real estate offices that promotes your services is considered active solicitation. If the material you drop off to real estate agents is generic material touting home inspections in general or is a list or flyer with most of the names of the inspectors in the area, that would be okay. The rule of thumb is if the marketing material is designed for the real estate agent rather than the potential inspection client, then it would be considered marketing to the agent. IHINA members are not prohibited from accepting referrals from real estate agents. Brochures would be prohibited if the material was designed for the agent/s rather than the prospective homebuyer. An example of this would be if the brochure touted that the inspector was not an alarmist or that the main message in the brochure stated that most stuff found during an inspection is just regular maintenance items. Brochures would also be prohibited if the real estate office/s controlled whose brochures were displayed. If all inspectors are allowed to display brochures in the office then it's okay (but the guideline above would still have to be followed.) If only certain inspectors are allowed or certain inspectors excluded, then having brochures in that office would be against the pledge. IHINA is the only organization that promotes the concept of home inspectors "really" working independently of real estate agents. In MA, soliciting real estate agents is now a non-issue due to a new home inspector licensing law that went into effect in 2001. The real estate licensing law was changed the same day the HI law was enacted. Real estate agents (seller's agents) are prohibited from referring any particular home inspectors to home buying customers or giving out a limited list. They are only allowed to give out the list of all licensed home inspectors in the state. "True" buyer's agents do not fall under this prohibition. The results of the law: good independent Inspectors have more client leads and inspection fees are up. BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP: Your web site listing lets viewers of the IHINA web site know that you consider the homebuyer not the real estate agent as your client. It gives you a resource that you can direct your prospective clients to, to show how you differ from other inspectors in your area. It gets you listed on a web site that comes up within the top 10 positions on the web search engines. On Google: A search for "home inspection fees" brings up http://www.independentinspectors.org/ #1. A search for "home inspection legislation" brings up http://www.independentinspectors.org/ #2. A search for "best home inspectors" brings up http://www.independentinspectors.org/ #3. A search for "home inspectors" brings up http://www.independentinspectors.org/ #7 (1st page.) A search for "home inspectors" on MSN brings up http://www.independentinspectors.org/ #6 (1st page.) (These results vary a little from week to week.) The search results are usually slightly better (anywhere from #1 to #10) (1st page) when a search for “your state home inspectors" (ie: FL home inspectors) is entered. These rankings will continue to inch downward as more IHINA members place active links back to IHINA on their own web sites. I am constantly tweaking the web pages to obtain good search engine placement. # As a listed member you have the opportunity to gain additional web exposure (at no additional cost) by getting additional links to IHINA web site articles you have written, photos that you have taken, comments written by your clients and news media articles that you are highlighted in. # It gets you someone who works on a regular basis to keep the issue of the inspector / agent relationship in front of the home buying public. This has resulted in news media articles that have highlighted IHINA. # It gets you someone who will help educate your legislators that the inspector / agent potential conflict of interest issue is worthy of real estate licensing law changes. # It gets you someone who updates your listing info within 24 hours without additional charges. # It gets you someone who monitors and updates the IHINA web site and the over 900 links connected to it. # It gets you someone who answers e-mails from viewers who contact the IHINA web site and someone who tries to answer all e-mails sent in by IHINA members. # It gets you someone who does interviews with news media outlets which result in media PR for IHINA. # It gets you a 17% discount on report writing software from Porter Valley Software by a fellow IHINA member who is also an Authorize Dealer for http://www.pvsoftware.com/index.shtml (members are sent the dealer's contact info upon request.) # It gets you a 5% discount on inspection tools and equipment at Home Inspector Essentials http://hi-essentials.com/ # Many IHINA members have sent me letters and emails informing me of client leads they have received from the IHINA web site. The following are from a few of those letters. "Also to let you know that being a member of IHINA has enhanced my business. I have had several clients comment about my membership playing a part in their decision to hire me. Thanks again!" and this one: "I have been getting as much business from my website through IHINA as from any other source. and this one: "By far, best advertising for the money" COST: The web site listing fee is $100 per year (US funds.) This is one of the lowest fees around for a home inspector listing web site. The billing cycling starts on the first of the year and for new members signing on after the first of the year, the fee is pro rated for 2 years. So the fee to be covered until 12/31/08 would be $165. I would also need to have the attached pledge form signed and faxed or mailed back. I If you believe real estate agents should not control the inspector selection process and you can uphold the pledge, mail a check and signed pledge to: Able Home Inspection, Inc. 29 Elmwood Ave, Saugus, MA 01906. If you want to pay by credit card (only Visa or Master Card are accepted) include your credit card number, the 3 digit security code number and expiration date on the bottom of the pledge. If you would like to fax the pledge and CC info, first call 1-800-640-2253, to check to see if I'm in the office to receive the fax. You can also convert the signed pledge to a pdf. document and send as an e-mail attachment. The charge will appear as Able Home Inspection, Inc. on your credit card bill. You can claim your web site listing fee as an advertising expense for your business. FYI - IHINA Membership and the web site listings will be closed to home inspectors in any state or province once it appears certain that particular state or province is going to restrict selling real estate agents from referring home inspectors (anything similar to the MA law.) Phone 781-231-0236 The only way things will change is through public education and legislation. IHINA helps provide that education, but members must work to enact legislative changes. Thanks, Dennis Robitaille P.S. I have attached some marketing tips for you.

I'm also a new inspector, so I can only tell you what I do. First off, I don't write reports in the field, I don't know if I ever will, time will tell. I prefer to do it at my own pace, composing my comments until I am satisfied. I save them so I canbuild an archive of boilerplates. Although we see many different things, we see alot of the same things over and over. If I can pull up an existing boilerplate, it saves me alot of time. If you write your reports at your office, even if it takes you the same amount ot time, your client won't be watching you, and wonderingwhat is taking so long. This will be a relief of a tremendous amount of pressure. And, finally, as Gary mentioned, how do you handle issues that you are unsure of? I run into numerous things that I'm not sure about and prefer to research before I comment on.

You may be right about the wedges being temporary, but I'll bet you fifty cents that if you check back in a year from now they will still be there or laying on the ground below. Maybe I'm wrong, let me know.

What do they do with all the "accidents" they had during the development of this thing? Make Chilli?

If that's a toilet, won't the excessive amount of bends cause stoppages? Where is the vent?

That is really amazing. Too bad it's so expensive. I realize that if it saves even one accicent, it's worth every cent. But, since it is so expensive, most guys can't afford it.

Any idea what makes it tick?

I've seen particle board used as sub-flooring. Lays pretty flat. Sucks when it absorbs water.

Jim, I never imagined you as controversial. By the way, are you an old camera buff. (old cameras). I have some equpitment you might like(good stuff), I'll email you a description. If you have interest, I'm sure we can work it out.

This is not an inspection tool, but I'm sure as tool addicts go, this place is loaded with them. I watched this video and was amazed. By the way, I have two friends that wish the had this baby. Neither one can "gimme five". One guy can only do 4-1/2 and the other less than 5/2's. http://www.sawstop.com/ Check out the Hot Dog demo.

Hi Bob, How ya doin' today? I have never inspected a townhouse, but I have watched a few being built. I have seen a few different techniques regarding the firewall. I've seen double 5/8" sheetrock, on each side of a single demising wall (usually in conversions), 1" sheetrock on both sides of 2" fiberous sound proofing panels, between separate demising walls, and CMU's. I've seen F-walls that go up to the roofline (or q-deck) and through the roof line. I've also seen some that don't do either. How did "your " townhouse address where the cmu's meet the roof? Or did they go through the roofline, creating true separate units? Check out this photo, You can see into the ceiling of the next unit... and every unit on the floor. Download Attachment: IMG_0348rs.JPG 67.74 KB I realize that this is not a townhouse (it is a hi-rise building that was converted to a condo in the 70's), but it is something to watch for in any building that shares demising walls between units. Here is a picture of one of many unrepaired fire penetrations between floors. These "chaseway" holes originate in the basement and continue 14 storys to the roof. Download Attachment: mad1a.JPG 51.09 KB When you consider both situations, Do you think this building stands a chance in a fire?

Yesterday, while driving to work, I got a phone call from a friend telling me about this segment being aired. Unfortunately, I couldn't get to a TV, so I'm glad it was posted. When my friend called me, he explained it as "improper HOMEINSPECTORS". I went so far as to ask him if the segment was about municipal inspectors or homeinspectors, he insisted HI's. Having read the article, I see he was wrong, but wonder how many other people were confused too? I wish they put more emphasis on the need for private inspectors. This is an unfortunate situation. It is a fact of life. For those that are buying the "results" it is bad. BUT, I also know when the folks are raising thier roofs or adding an addition, they pray for such inspectors.

I would also think that if the active side of the slider is on the outside, it would create a pinch point for one's hands when opening the door. It's easy enough to install them backwards, although there would be a problem with the latch aligning.