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One of the great mysteries of life; where the hell did native Americans find such long straight thin tapering teepee poles in nature? I've never really seen anything like those growing around in the wild anywhere. OT - OF!!! Mike

Last house I had with those little bottles of oil plugged into receptacles, I unplugged them all, put them all out on the front doorstep and then threw open all of the windows for about 15 minutes. The cat urine smell came back. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Left-leaning termites? Nothing new about that; both the left Washington and the right Washington are full of 'em. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Now, that's home inspector news. Any way to wangle a home inspector article out of that? Links? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike It was personally and professionally devastating for the person involved, and I don't think it's appropriate to compound his misfortune by splashing details on the internet. I'm absolutely certain that it was; I'm also absolutely certain that other home inspectors can learn something from it that might keep more than a few of them from making similar mistakes. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Oh yeah, I forgot, I've got a side of buffalo meat curing above the wet vent over the roof. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, The charcoal will absorb odors but I doubt that placing a bunch of briquettes on a cookie sheet on the floor of the return will do much good. Now, if they'd gone to a fish supply store, bought a big old bag of activated charcoal and stopped off at the big orange box for some galvanized mesh and some stop strips, and then made a charcoal filter that completely covered that opening, by sandwiching a layer of charcoal between two sheets of mesh, they would probably eliminate a bunch of odor in air returning to the home through that ductwork;.....and create air side issues with the HVAC system that will probably play havock with head pressure at the HVAC system and then live to regret it later. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Now, that's home inspector news. Any way to wangle a home inspector article out of that? Links? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Vapor diffusion, In some parts of the country crawlspace ventilation is a balancing act. In colder months you have to have plenty of vents open and air movement through the crawl to help dispel moisture buildup under the home as the humidity under the home bypasses the exterior humidity and spikes; in the warmer summer months when the humidity outside spikes you have to find a way to keep the crawl at around the same temperature/humidity as outside or you'll create your rain forest. Vapor diffusion is the process of air moving from moister to drier and from warmer to cooler. If exterior humidity in Kentucky right now is higher than what you have in the crawl, and if the interior of the home is air conditioned and the floor of the home is coolest (warm air falls, warmer air rises so the floor should be the coolest place in the home), you have warm air diving in there seeking that cold dry area under the floors. I'm guessing that the insulation isn't snug against the underside of the floor above and warm/moist exterior air is migrating into the cool place above that insulation where it's condensing to water and then drips back down through the insulation. Tell them to get a building scientist in to design a system that will keep interior crawlspace air balanced with exterior air. Check out advancedenergy.org. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Looks like some kind of cellulose wallboard. The second photo in the first post shows a thin white layer of something in the lamina. I suppose that might be asbestos but the only way to know is to take a sample, take it to the lab and hope they're using an analysis protocol the EPA says is correct. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Jeez, Wutabunch! It just seemed easier than saying a sort of deep reddish brown color. Never could stand Judy Garland. Just got a call back from Certainteed. They're stumped and wanted to know if I could go back and get a photo. Well, if the client buys the house, I suppose that won't be too difficult since it's not that far away; however, if he doesn't buy the house I doubt that the seller is going to want to allow me in there again - mostly because I dissed the roof big time. The architectural-grade asphalt roof is only about five years old; but it was installed over a plywood deck over a poorly ventilated attic. The plywood is in second stage rot and on the cusp of third stage and there's one spot where someone damned near put their foot through the roof. No way to fix it other than to strip that roof and deck, treat the framing with a fungicide, re-deck, put a new cover on and correct the dinked-up ventilation. I'm sure that'll go over like a dung beetle in a bowl of rice. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi All, I had a weird one yesterday and I'm wondering whether any of the brethren have ever found the same thing. Yesterday I found the underside of a 1976 house completely covered with a kraft-paper-faced R11 Certainteed brand insulation. The paper was the typical paper bag color but had a nice ocre basket-weave/wicker imprint on the side turned toward the crawlspace and was clearly labeled "Apply this vapor barrier side toward conditioned space" or some such. I thought, "Slam dunk, this stuff is wrong and has to be either flipped or pulled out and replaced," then I pushed the end of a batt aside to inspect the underside of the floor above to see if having the vapor barrier on the wrong side had caused any funky stuff to grown on the underside of the floors as so often is the case; nope, not only wasn't there anything growing on the underside of the floors - which were pristine, by the way - but I discovered that the other side of the batting also had a kraft paper facing applied - a black one - and that side was also clearly marked "Apply this vapor barrier side toward conditioned space." Huh?!! What the hell?!! First I thought that the stuff had been mislabeled; but that the black side probably had the asphalt emulsion applied on the insulation side of the paper that would indicate that, despite screwed up labeling, the proper side was installed toward the conditioned space. I looked closer; nope, the paper on both sides of the batting is coated with an asphalt emulsion and both sides are labeled the same way. Next I thought that maybe these were two different batts that had been installed face-to-face and I examined the end of the stuff more closely. Nope, that's not the case either; these are contiguous from side to side. I didn't know what to make of it; it's insulation with a two-side vapor barrier and if you go by the labeling there is no way it can be installed correctly, or incorrectly for that matter. I just got off the phone with Certainteed. They're baffled by it too and are going to do a little research and call me back. I'm wondering if any of you have run into this stuff over the years. It's nice looking insulation - I've got to admit that the basket-weave pattern is nicer to look at than the underside of the floor framing, but it's just too weird for words. Thoughts anyone? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

They know before I get done with the contract that the only reason I'm looking at the appliances is a courtesy to them but that I won't warranty any appliance. I tell 'em I only care if the disposal is properly plumbed and wired and if it spins up - I won't know, or care, whether it can chew up a tablespoon of jello. I tell 'em that I don't have any dishes to test the dishwasher, that I'll run it through a cycle to see if the thing leaks and if the soap thingy flips open, but I won't know, or care, whether it couldn't take the spit from a gnat off a plate. I tell 'em that I'm only interested in how a stove and fans are wired up and vented and whether they get too hot for me to touch and I won't know, or care, whether the oven can hold X° for an hour or two minues, etc.. I tell 'em that's what I'm going to do for them but that I'm not required to and that it doesn't constitute a warranty. I often say to them, "In fact," if the thing fails as I'm backing my truck out of the driveway, I'll feel badly for you but I'm not an appliance warranty provider, never have been and never will be one. If you want a warranty on your appliances, call a home warranty company. Oh yeah, and I do the thing with the wad of paper in the microwave. I have a lot of Chinese clients. When I explain that I don't care about the "accessories" in the house and they wrinkle up their foreheads and it becomes clear that they aren't 'getting' it, I tell them to think of me as a mechanic who is inspecting a car for them. I'm interested in the engine of the car, the transmission, the drivetrain, the axles and brakes and suspension and the electrics and ignition system, doors, window and body, but I don't care about the CD player or the fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror. That usually puts it in perspective for them and they then "get" it. Honestly, in 14+ years I've never had a client complain that I didn't inspect the appliances beyond that or warranty the appliances. I'd say, based on the number of customer referrals I get, that it's never been an issue. Oh, and I never run washing machines; I don't care if they're hooked up or not - they are even farther into the accessory zone than all the other appliances put together - except for a trash compactor.....maybe. Still, appliances are specifically excluded from the inspection and there is nothing that says if you inspect one of them you "have" to inspect them all - even if the client has some warped expectation that you must - and that will be the answer they get from DOL if they try to push the issue. If you inspected any of the appliances and they worked. Fine. You went beyond what you were required to. That doesn't mean that you were providing a warranty on the appliances inspected or that they should expect a warranty, or, if you inspected one but not all that you were negligent by not inspecting them all. You were not required to do so, so you could not be negligent where those are concerned - period. They should be ashamed for looking a gift horse in the mouth and expecting gold dentures. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Yeah, Politely inform them that appliances aren't covered by the state standard of practice and that, though you might have, as a courtesy to them, turned it on for a few seconds to see if it was functioning, you aren't required to provide any warranty unless it's agreed to in writing first. Point out to them that any appliance can fail at any moment; that the manufacturer warrants an appliance for a year but after that point will not repair it and that a home inspection does not extend a manufacturer's warranty nor offer a separate warranty of performance to guard against any future defect in any electro-mechanical items in the home. Explain that when the licensing board wrote the SOP they pointedly omitted appliances because they didn't want home inspectors being on the hook for appliances because they are considered to be convenience accessories and aren't germane to the home inspection process. As proof of that direct them to the state home inspector's standard of practice at www.dol.wa.gov/business/homeinspectors/ to Chapter 308-408C WAC Standards of Practice and WAC 308-408C-030 Exclusions and Limitations The Inspector is not required to: (1) Determine the condition of any system or component that is not readily accessible; the remaining service life of any system or component; the strength, adequacy, effectiveness or efficiency of any system or component; causes of any condition or deficiency; methods, material, or cost of corrections; future conditions including, but not limited to, failure of system and components. (11) Offer or provide warranties or guarantees of any kind unless clearly explained and agreed to by both parties in a pre-inspection agreement. Tell them to look at WAC 308-408C-140 Interiors. The inspection of the interior includes the walls, ceilings, floors, windows, and doors; steps, stairways, balconies and railings. Nowhere in there does it say appliances. Believe me when I tell you - that omission was intentional. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

I snap off a square of paper towel or grab a small wad of toilet paper from the powder room, dampen it with cold water under the faucet and then pop it into the microwave, set it for ten seconds and hit the start button. After ten seconds I pull it out and toss it to the client and then say something like, "I don't spare any expense for the latest testing equipment." ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Thanks Jim! OT - OF!!! M.

Hi All, Jim, et al can anyone remember the name of that PPG flexible paint that contractors were using about 10 years ago to rescue houses with LP siding and has anyone down in Oregon seen any of those houses to know how they've been holding up? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Phil, If the shingles are somewhere within their normal service life of 20 t0 25 years and have been properly maintained, they are only slippery if there's a pretty substantial layer of moss or algae on them, or in the winter when a layer of ice glazes them over. Otherwise, it's kind of like walking on really course sandpaper. Of course, when they near end of service life the protective stone granules tend to slough off underfoot and then it can get dicey. Oh, and shingles with red granules - they seem to slough off more, and sooner, than others. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I know that you folks down under have a lot of tile roofs. Can you post a picture of the type of vent you use on your roofs there? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

See woven valleys here all the time too. We have as much rain as you do; maybe more. Open valleys, cut valleys, alternative closed cut valleys, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference. If the roof is done properly, it won't leak, if it isn't done properly it will leak, or it might leak, or it might go the entire life of the roof cover and never leak despite the fact that it's been done wrong. It all depends on what was done wrong. You don't trim shingles at 45° with an alternate closed cut valley; you cut them at 90° and adjust the courses as you go so that they land where they are supposed to land and so the offsets will land where they are supposed to land. Do it right - leak free - do it wrong and it'll probably leak. It's the same with a woven valley, you have to plan each course and adjust so that you have proper offsets and so the portion of the shingle that lands on the valley will shed water - not collect it. 30+ years ago we used to lay out an entire course before setting a nail to it, study it and then adjust it left or right to get it exactly where we wanted it before we started nailing. Now they line up the offset on one shingle at the edge of the roof without even considering where they'll be by the time they get to the valleys and begin hammering away. People don't learn this stuff anymore. It's out there in print (Roofers Handbook by Johnson, Roofing the Right Way by Bolt, etc.), but nobody really bothers to read it if they learned roofing from someone who learned it from someone who learned it from someone who learned to roof while working for a roofer for two weeks one summer 20 years ago and wasn't really paying attention. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

From the ASHI standards: 11.1 The inspector shall: inspect: 1. insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished spaces. 2. ventilation of attics and foundation areas. 3. mechanical ventilation systems. describe: 1. insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished spaces. 2. absence of insulation in unfinished spaces at conditioned surfaces. 11.2 The inspector is NOT required to disturb insulation. See 13.2.A.11 and 13.2.A.12. 13.2 General exclusions: Inspectors are not required to determine: 11. the presence of potentially hazardous plants or animals including, but not limited to wood destroying organisms or diseases harmful to humans including molds or mold-like substances. 12. the presence of any environmental hazards including, but not limited to toxins, carcinogens, noise, and contaminants in soil, water, and air. From the Connecticutt law - verbatim: Sec. 20-491-11. Insulation and ventilation (a) The inspector shall inspect the insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished spaces; the ventilation of attics and foundation areas; and the mechanical ventilation systems. (b) The inspector shall describe the insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished spaces and the absence of insulation in unfinished spaces at conditioned surfaces. © The inspector is not required to disturb insulation or vapor retarders or determine indoor air quality. (Added effective July 30, 2002.) Sec. 20-491-13. General limitations and exclusions (d) The inspector is not required to determine the following: (11) the presence of potentially hazardous plants or animals, including, but not limited to, wood destroying organisms or diseases harmful to humans; (12) the presence of any environmental hazards, including, but not limited to, toxins, carcinogens, noise, and contaminants in soil, water, and air, with the exception of radon, asbestos, lead paint, or lead solder; ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, 1. Yes they are sellable - I've inspected hundreds of homes with vermiculite in the attics and very few of those transactions did not go through. In fact, one of my clients who bought one is an attorney who specializes in mesothelioma cases. Go figure. Unless someone goes into the attic or cuts into the ceiling without clearing the stuff off the ceiling first and dumps a bunch of it into the house, how would anyone be exposed to it? 2. You don't have to remove it unless there's some kind of cockamamie law in CT that says you must. Whether you will want to remove it is going to depend on cost to do so and whether it really is a serious impediment to a sale in your area. 3. What error or omission? Don't they have licensing of inspectors in CT? If so, is there a state standard of practice that says that an inspector must report stuff like vermiculite, lead, radon, etc.? If he inspected to some association's (ASHI, NAHI, etc.) standard of practice, did the association's SOP mandate that he report on that kind of thing? Look at your contract - is there a clause in there that says he won't be doing any environmental testing and if you're interested in doing that you should hire a reputable indoor air quality firm? There is in mine. 4. Around here it can be about $5k to $8K depending on complexity of the project. Most folks just blow a thick layer of cellulose (mulched newsprint) insulation in on top of the vermiculite to encapsulate it and go on with their lives. 5. Dunno, talk to a real estate attorney that's licensed and experienced in CT practices. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Nope, seems to work fine around here even in the hard driving rains; even when they don't bother to adhere the overlap with mastic - which is most of the time. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, No, I've never heard of them. Before you pay any of your hard-earned money to any insurance company that's not well known, I recommend you check with the insurance licensing authorities in your state to determine whether they are legitimate and whether they are even licensed to practice in your state. Less than 10 years ago a lot of home inspectors were fleeced by a fellow who sold exclusively to home inspectors and claimed to represent major carriers. He's now cooling his heels in federal prison. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

That's used a lot around here. In their master shingle applicator manual (Page 64) Certainteed calls that an "Alternate Closed Valley" application. Certainteed states in the manual that a closed valley is their preferred method of installation for all roofs except Custom Lok 25 and their Super Shangle products. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

"Always do the best you can with what you've got...when you've got it." Learned this one at Ft. Bragg in 1976 when I arrived at my airborne unit: "Get on your knees, beat your lips and do what you're best at, Leg!" ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike