hausdok

Hi, Hi Jodi, I'm really sorry that this happened to you but I have to agree with Kurt. Where I grew up a whole lot of salt was used for six months of the year on concrete walks, driveways, patios and steps and we never experienced damage like you've described unless the concrete was a poorly mixed batch. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Real estate agents are already getting the word out. It wasn't an accident that Washington Realtors enacted their new rule about referrals within just a few months of enactment. Over the past couple of weeks I have had two separate realtors, whom I'd never met previously and that didn't know that I sit on the state board, ask me if I was prepared for licensing and what affect I expected licensing to have on home inspectors. They already know that after July 1, 2010 it will be illegal for unlicensed inspectors to perform home inspections; the problem, as I see it, is that there is no way for them to differentiate between experienced inspectors who should have their licenses by September 1st, lesser experienced inspectors who have until July 1, 2010 to get their licenses, and new inspectors (those who got into the business since June 12, 2008) who aren't even allowed to perform inspections after September 1st until they've completed all of the requirements and gotten their license. There should have been something in law that enabled DOL to issue provisional numbered licenses with an expiration date on them. That way, DOL could have publicized the fact that beginning September 1st inspectors would all be carrying licenses and consumers shouldn't hire anyone without a license. The experienced inspectors could have all been issued licenses with an expiration date of September 1st, which would automatically renew and they'd be sent a new license when they'd completed the application process, taken the tests and paid their fee; lesser experienced guys could have been issued licenses with an expiration date of July 1, 2010 that would automatically renew once they'd completed their requirements; and the inexperienced guys wouldn't have been issued a license until they'd completed all requirements. The inexperienced guys could have been issued something like a learners permit that would have enabled them to do their 40 hours of supervised inspections only. That would have made the whole thing infinitely easier to implement and enforce and it would have helped DOL to establish the total number of inspectors in the state. Most enforcement would then come from the consumers and realtors. When a client or a referring realtor called up and asked an inspector for his state license number, inspectors would have been obligated to provide it. If they couldn't do so, the consumer would just not hire them. That would have ensured that inspectors figured out very quickly that they need to get cracking on their license. Unfortunately, the law doesn't require any of that and it doesn't appear to be something that DOL or the board can do without an amendment. Given that the next legislative section is months after implementation, any amendment would come a day late and a dollar short. Some realtors I know already realize that it's going to be difficult for them to know who's licensed and who is not for the next year, and that's why some are already talking about not referring anyone that doesn't already have a license, even though many inspectors that will be operating out there for the next year will be in full compliance with the law and it will only be the very new inspectors, if they are operating without a license, that won't be. The next year is going to be interesting. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Maybe my memory is skewed (Yeah, I know, it is.) but isn't that the house from The Omen? OT - OF!!! M.

By Michael O'Handley - TIJ Editor Deluged by phone calls from confused inspectors that hadn't bothered to look into the home inspector licensing rules until the eleventh hour - and many of those calls being rather hostile - personnel at the Washington State Department of Licensing Home Inspectors Program have initiated an outreach program in order to try and spread the word about home inspector licensing to inspectors. According to Rhonda Myers, the home inspection Program Manager, DOL is fielding calls from many eastern Washington inspectors that claim to have just only just learned about the licensing law, despite the fact that it was passed more than a year ago. Myers says that most of these inspectors are independents; although there are also those who belong to various home inspection associations, who are apparently not active in those organizations, that also claim that they never knew that a law had been passed. Myers will be traveling to Eastern Washington on July 6th, 7th and 8th to put on informational presentations for home inspectors. Topics will include: Home Inspector Licensing Law RCW's and WAC's - definitions Procedures for obtaining a home inspectors license Candidate Handbook and Examination Process Examination Application - Required Attachments License Application - Required Attachments Renewals Fees Home Inspector Website - www.dol.wa.gov/business/homeinspectors On Monday, July 6th, Myers will be at the DOT Regional Office in Union Gap, WA (2809 Rudkin Rd.) from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon. On Tuesday, July 7th, she'll be at the Best Western Hotel in Kennewick, WA (4001 W. 27th Ave.) from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon. On Wednesday, July 8th, she'll be at the Best Western Hotel in Spokane (12415 E. Mission Ave.) from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon. Time is getting short; experienced inspectors - those who'd been in the business at least two years and had completed at least 100 inspections on the date the law became effective on June 12, 2008 - only have until September 1st to submit their application, complete all of the requirements and pass the required tests. Experienced inspectors that do not complete those requirements by September 1st will see their status automatically change from "experienced" inspector to "newer" inspector, at which point they'll then have until July 1, 2010 to complete all education requirements, all supervised inspection hours and take and pass the required exams. If they don't complete those requirements by July 1st 2010 they'll effectively be out of business and won't be allowed to practice their craft until they've met all requirements. Newer inspectors, those who were in the business on June 12, 2008 but hadn't yet completed their first two years or first 100 inspections by that date, will have until July 1, 2010 to complete all of their requirements. These inspectors may have attended schools that had courses that had less than the required 120 hours and a curriculum that was not approved by the state. Myers will explain the rules that will enable these inspectors to possibly apply that coursework to the state requirements. Inexperienced inspectors, those who were not even doing inspections on June 12, 2008 are especially going to want to attend; because, as of September 1st of this year, though they don't have a deadline for completion, they will no longer be allowed to practice home inspections, period, until they've completed all of the training and supervised inspection requirements and have taken and passed the required tests. Myers will explain the possible consequences to these inspectors, should these inspectors be caught operating a home inspection business after September 1st without a license. Any inspector that knows one or more home inspectors operating in one of these eastern Washington regions - especially independent inspectors that aren't affiliated with any of the associations - should contact those inspectors, let them know about these presentations and ask them to pass the word to every other inspector they know. For additional details, contact Rhonda Myers, Department of Licensing Home Inspector Program Manager at 360-664-6487.

Here you go Brad. This is just what the doctor ordered for that little weekend retreat you and your "very" married wife have always wanted. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Why would you care? Isn't the job to report as accurately as possible and let the parties figure out what they want to do from that point on? Sellers here would also probably just refuse regardless of a code requirement or not - especially if it's been like that forever and they bought the house like that. I take the attitude that I don't care who pays for it and I just write in the imperative that it needs to be corrected and leave the question of who should pay for it up to the parties. Besides, the only one that can compel anyone to do anything is the code guy. If a buyer wants to try and compel a homeowner to fix something than they should try and get the code guy to assist them in that regard; I don't intend to become their foil - they've hired their agent to do the negotiating and I don't want to become ensnared in that. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Ich bin ein Berliner! [] OT - OF!!! M.

Jeez, You smart guys; when you guys get started I feel like a chimp by comparison. I'm gettin' a headache. Gonna go nap now. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi, Well, the distinction aside, this is good timing because yesterday's inspection had a deck secured to the overhang on a raised ranch. I knew that it's not supposed to be this way according to this document but does anyone know how far back the prohibition goes? This is a 1976 house and predates, by 20 years, my entry into this gig. OT - OF!!! M.

Uh, Crystal Lake, Illinois? No Pacific Dampwood Termites back there. All they got is those little suckers. If they saw PDWT there they'd probably have headlines about monster termite invasions. OT - OF!!! M.

Tell him to ensure there isn't any earth-to-wood contact or vegetation touching the house, remove any firewood that's piled up against the house, fix any rotten exterior components by replacing them - not sistering them - and then to put in some Termite bait stations around the house. He can get a pest guy to put in a Sentricon system or he can go online, google "termite baiting systems" purchase his own stuff and do it himself. There's a Do-it-Yourself Pest Control place down the street from me that sells all kinds of cool stuff one can use to murdalize those little suckers. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Jawohl! Ultra sticky and tenacious. Dries relatively hard but still flexible. Washes up with soap and water; unless you allow it to fully dry and then you've got a fight on your hands. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

I once sent Kurt a sketch of a way to support and flash brickwork and attach a deck to a house that had veneer. Wish I could find that danged sketch so I could ask Frank's opinion of the method. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi, Downspout receivers shouldn't have anything to do with footing drains. We probably wouldn't see footing drains for 1941 houses here but we certainly would see clay or concrete downspout receivers and most of the time they're separated below grade. OT - OF!!! M.

'83 to '86 I was stationed in Bremerhaven in NJ. Just off the autobahn, about 3 miles toward Garlstedt from Bremerhaven is a huge collection processor for garbage. The thing looks like an oil refinery and it burns trash to produce electricity and the only thing coming off those stacks is steam. I don't know how they do it, but the Germans got that trash recycling into electricity down pat. OT - OF!!! Mike

Uh Uh, I did Confusing a Cat With Lazer Pointer and Getting a Cat to Spray all Over a House with Lazer Pointer in 1997. Try it and I'm going to expect royalties. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

OK, I'll fix it. I read Madison and St. Clair and my memory bank kicked out Wisconsin. I'm pretty sure there's a Madison and St. Clair up there; it's an honest mistake. OT - OF!!! M.

I think they are delusional. Forward looking infrared (FLIR) technology was used by the military for decades before these yard birds came along and I heard about FLIR IR cameras being used for home inspections years before Homesafe claims they "invented" their so-called protocols. The fact that they have a patent means almost nothing if it can be proven that their claims aren't valid. The USPTMO does not initiate an investigation to verify claims made by inventors; they only react to challenges made by other persons after a patent has been filed. For instance, Nicko the Sicko has now patented a home inspection test house roadshow concept - as if he'd invented the idea, which is another joke because Great Lakes ASHI has been doing that for years. Obviously, FLIR and Fluke haven't seen the need to fight these yokels in court yet or they would have stopped their ridiculous posturing years ago. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Of course it's not a full news story. When lawsuits are filed, news orgs rarely have the details and only announce that a suit has been filed. All of the details won't be known until/if it ever actually goes to trial; that's when other stories are written about the topic. Until then, about all anyone will get from the parties is "No comment." As more facts are revealed there will probably be additional stories on the subject from that paper. If I see them, I'll post the links here as a reply. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, The last one like that I saw there was about a 2-inch ledge between the sill and the inner wal of the foundationl, like it appears you have there. The builder had cut a short section of sill material about a foot long, centered it and driven it in under the joist and then held it in place with one nail up into the joist. I'd thought about it for a second and then decided that it was doing the job, met the bearing surface rule and that I had bigger fish to fry. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

In this story, an Illinois couple are suing a construction company and a home inspector; alleging that the construction company hid known defects that the inspector failed to uncover. To read more, click here.

AirLock latex mastic. load a caulking tube with it and it works great. I'd never use clear plastic though. Too many things that will grow under clear plastic. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Rob, So, for 31 years a saddle flashing has worked fine, right? Any sign of leakage around below the chase? OT - OF!!! Mike

Yeah, Sometimes, they'll line up the bolt holes in a perfectly straight line and sock home those lags and washers like they're trying to split the ledger down the center. I can easily imagine a ledger splitting lengthwise and the deck and bottom half of the ledger going for a ride leaving the bolts and top half there. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, What Scott says makes sense. A tankless doesn't even come on until you turn on the tap and the pressure drops to activate it. There isn't any build up of pressure; the instant you turn off the tap, it shuts down and there is no continued heating of the water to cause it to expand. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike