hausdok

Also those Lennox ribbon burners with the broken buttons between sections. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi, Are you sure it was an ASTM document that addressed it? CPSC did a study in 1987 that identified significant issues with homes that were more than 40 years old and as a result of that asked the Fire Protection Research Foundation to do a study. That results of that study were just published and can be found here. This should be required reading for anyone getting into this business; especially those who are minimizing issues with wiring in older homes in order not to upset the referring realtor's applecart. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Yeah, I would have said something similar. Probably something like "These electrical panels are a good example of jackleg work done by a non-professional. There is simply so much wrong with them that trying to explain it all to a non-professional is pointless - the bottom line is that you need to have a licensed electrician clean this mess up as soon as possible and, until that's been done, it would be a good idea not to sleep in the house." ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, You're asking the wrong people Mr. Expert Witness; you need to go to the APA-Engineered Wood Association and ask their technical people those types of questions. Go here: http://www.apawood.org/ ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

From CertainTeed's Master Shingle Applicator Manual WHEN UNDERLAYMENT IS REQUIRED - Page 45 The installation of standard underlayment beneath shingles is required by many shingle manufacturers. Generally, CertainTeed recommends that underlayment be installed but does not require it except as noted below. LOW SLOPE: All roof shingles applied to a low slope deck (2" to 4" per foot) require the used of CertainTeed WinterGuard Waterproofing Shingle Underlayment, or its equivalent,* applied over the entire deck surface. Consult the WinterGuard and individual shingle application instructions for details. *For low slopes, underlayment equivalents to WinterGuard include: 1) waterproofing shingle underlayments meeting ASTM D1970; and 2) two layers of 36" (915 mm) wide felt shingle underlayment lapped 19" (485 mm). Shingle underlayment should meet ASTM D4869 Type I or ASTM D226 Type I (except when applying Ambassador, Presidential or Presidential T/L Shake shingles.) COLD WEATHER CLIMATES (ALL SLOPES): WinterGuard Waterproofing Shingle Underlayment, or its equivalent, ** must be used wherever there is a possibility of icing along the eaves causing a backup of water. **For ice dam leak protection, the equivalent to WinterGuard include: 1) waterproofing shingle underlayments meeting ASTM D1970 and 2) two layers of 36" (915 mm) wide felt shingle underlayment lapped 19" (485 mm) and fully adhered to each other with asphalt roofing cement meeting ASTM D4586 Type II, Shingle underlayment should meet ASTM D4869 Type 1 or ASTM D226 Type I. VALLEY FLASHING (CLOSED-CUT AND WOVEN VALLEYS): Line valley by centering 36 (915mm) wide CertainTeed WinterGuard, or equivalent, ***in the valley and applying directly to deck. Consult the WinterGuard and individual shingle application instructions for details. *** For valley liner, the equivalents to WinterGuard include: 1) waterproofing shingle underlayments meeting ASTM D1970; 2) one layer of 50 lb. or heavier asphalt coated roll roofing; 3) one layer of mineral-surfaced roll roofing; and 4) two layers of 36" 9915 mm) wide felt shingle underlayment. Coated roll roofing should be ASTM D224; shingle underlayment should meet ASTM D4869 Type ! or ASTM D226 Type I. Water resistant underlayment is a product that consists of organic felt impregnated with asphalt saturant. Some water-resistant underlayments, such as CertainTeed's Roofers' Select, also contain a fiber glass reinforcement which increases tear strength and reduces wrinkling. Water resistant underlayment was originally invented to keep the roof decking dry until shingles could be applied. Applying this underlayment was originally called "drying in the roof." It was also useful as a separation sheet between the roof sheathing boards (before OSB and plywood sheets were used as roof decking) and the asphalt shingles. This as important because resin pockets in the pine planks caused the asphalt to degrade prematurely unless the underlayment separated the resin and asphalt from each other. Water resistant underlayment is made to shed most of the water that falls on it unless it is torn or punctured. Its ability to be water resistant is temporary. As the sun degrades the exposed asphalt the minerals begin to dry, absorb more moisture, lose its strength and eventually begin to tear. The less asphalt used to saturate the underlayment sheet during manufacturing, the shorter it's life. Since asphalt is the most expensive component of shingle underlayment, lower priced materials will have less asphalt and a shorter life when exposed to the sun. Lower priced shingle underlayment, for the same reason, is also subject to severe wrinkling when it gets wet or even just damp. Underlayment is used under asphalt shingles for a variety of reasons, such as providing: Backup for water-shedding protection of the deck if shingles fail from wind-driven rain. The lower the slope, the more important underlayment is, since water flows more easily under shingles on low slopes. A protective barrier to the elements between the time the old shingles have been torn off and prior to the new shingle being applied. However , the underlayment should not be relied on as a temporary roof system, especially when the drip edge flashing is not yet in place. It is unlikely to prevent leaking in the event of heavy wind and rain. An agent to hide minor imperfections of the decking material and reduce "picture framing" of deck panels. Fire ratings (Class A or C) when used in conjunction with shingles. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

I can't tell you how many times I have had a client say " man , your house must be dialed in" after tearing apart the house. It actually makes them feel better when I tell them my house has more issues than the one they are looking at.......... The next time you roll by a BMW or Mercedes dealership, drive around back to the employee parking lot where the mechanics park their cars and see what kind of stuff is parked there. You'll be amazed at the crap some mechanics drive around in. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi John, Might I gently suggest that you write the comments then post them here for folks to help you tweak; that way you will have been the one that puts the effort into it. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I joined NAHI in 1996 and stayed with them for 4 years. I joined ASHI in 1999 and stayed with them for 4 years as well. In all of that time, I never received a single referral from their websites; however, I wasn't concerned with getting referrals from their websites, I was interested in becoming the best inspector that I could be. I joined those association for the chance to meet in-person and online as many other experienced inspectors as I could, so that I could pick their brains and learn as much as I could, as quickly as I could. I wanted to shorten the time it would take me to go from being just another mediocre inspector, that didn't know what he didn't know, to one that was competent, thoroughly informed and could conduct this business independently, without the need to constantly lean on others, and without the constant fear that I'd screw up so badly that word would get around that I was a greenhorn and didn't know what I was doing and end up getting me sued. By the time I felt I was there, I'd learned that, though there are many extremely competent and honorable inspectors in these associations, there were just as many independents with the same attributes and the majority of inspectors who remain in business, whether members of an association or not, do so because they do superior work - not because they have a pretty website that gets more "hits" than others or because their association has been around longer than another or because their association is more "inspector friendly." The thing about the association sites is that the association must remain neutral and ensure that all members' information is given out for any given area. That means that your name is always displayed with a bunch of other folks who are allegedly, because of their affiliation, at least as competent as you are. From my point of view, that's not the way to stand out from the crowd and get those referrals coming. You can get your name around lots of other ways without spending hundreds a year to help fuel the coffers that contribute to the never-ending association wars and try and give folks the impression that, because you have joined an association, you are somehow more knowledgable or responsible than other inspectors and to give you an excuse to pound your chest and trumpet your alleged dominance over the rest of the profession. If your sole interest in joining an association is driven by a desire to get referrals from a website; don't even bother to join any association; just hook up with a programmer that can do a decent website for you and really, really knows how to work your site to the top of the internet search heap. However, if you want to join an association to learn, then join one where the majority of its members' time on their site is spent helping others learn the technical and professional aspects of this businessand where the bullshit wars for association dominance are a minor distraction rather than the overwhelming theme of the day. Oh, wait a minute, that's TIJ and we aren't even an "association;" imagine that. Personally, I prefer independence. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Vegetation touching a house is not just about moisture; it's also about wood-destroying insects that will use the vegetation to bridge any chemical barrier treatments. I first read the vegetation thing before I got into this gig when I was still in the army stationed at Ft. Carson in Colorado. I drove down to Pueblo to the US Government Printing Office Bookstore one afternoon to browse the shelves and while there found a copy of Subterranean Termites - Their Prevention and Control in Buildings which is authored by the USDA's Forest Service branch. In the section that talks about inspecting for subs, there's this paragraph: Under sanitation, it lists 7 control measures and the second of these states If you're looking for this, it's known as Home and Garden Bulletin 64. I don't know when it was first published, but it was revised in 1989 and then slightly revised in February 1994. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

It needs to be installed from the bottom up and configured so that it drains from one piece to another. You can miter that last horizontal piece at the top of the window so that it looks like mitered trim but the side upright pieces should not be mitered at the top and the mitered piece should overlap the side pieces to give the appearance of a mitered butt joint. No goop is necessary if it's done right. Kurt is right, if they don't have the tools they aren't competent to be doing the work. If they don't have the right tools to properly brake the coil stock, how can you have confidence that they've installed the new windows so they won't leak? There could be a lot more there that you don't see that will have even worse consequences for the home down the road. Go here and look at some of the stuff in this search string. You'll be able to read the first 100 words. If you want an article, send it to the shopping cart and then pay with a credit card at the end. http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlconl ... emplate/44 ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Jim, I suggest calling Grundfos and asking one of their tech reps. You could also call Kolyn Marshall at Watts Radiant at 417-447-8031, tell him the guys at TIJ told you to give him a call, and ask him if he can explain it to you; he's an engineer and Watts Radiant's National Training Director. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I don't know what basis there could be for a lawsuit. I don't know about most of the brethren, but I sure as hell don't try and verify whether all of the receptacles in a house are on specific breakers or even whether the breakers are all accurately labeled. Who the hell has time for that? I sure as hell don't and my inspections are generally about twice as long as the average inspector's. Half the time, the breaker configuration in panels has been altered several times by the time an inspector looks at the panel and by then, as Jim states, the labels are mostly fantasy. If the house was remodeled, the owners likely relied on the "electrician" to accurately label the panel and the city inspector to verify that everything was done correctly. Most owners don't have had any way of knowing that certain receptacles are incorrectly shared by other unrelated circuits. Of course, we all know that anyone can sue anyone for just about anything. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

I guess I miss under stood what you are talking about. It sounds like you are talking about the duct line that installed inside of the duct. It black on the top and fibers under the bottom and most of the time it is glued to the metal ductwork along with a few insulation nails to hold it in place. Yep, Often damaged by a homeowner that's careless when replacing the filters. Never hear anyone complaining about it though. I remember one lady that claimed to have all sorts of allergies. I ended up doing 4-5 houses for her until she'd finally found one that she claimed didn't irritate her sinuses. That house had a bunch of this stuff inside the furnace plenum all damaged by an owner that was careless when replacing the filters. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Brad, Exactly what is the vent in the foreground supposed to be; their fresh air intake to that area? Where is the water heater you mentioned above in relation to this furnace? OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Brandon, No, I'm not talking about duct board I'm talking about 1-inch thick fiberglass batting with a thin hard face that is otherwise nothing more than a 1-inch thick batt. It's not any harder than the stuff in the walls and it shreds the same way. It's in a humongous percentage of systems up here. If it were so hazardous, I'd expect to see lines out the door at the hospitals. OT - Of!!! M.

The next time you open a furnace, look up or down into the air plenums above and below the furnace to see if there are any black panels about an inch thick attached with glue or rivets to the inside face of the plenums. They have a smooth thin facing; want to guess what the rest of that 1-inch is made from? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

So, in your world, the HVAC guys don't glue sound-deadening panels to the interior of the air plenums? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Chris, I agree. I guess it's a local cost of living issue but maybe the folks charging these fees just don't have any idea what they need to be charging to make a profit and are winging it. I won't even get in my truck to do a 1-item inspection within a mile from home for less than $150 anymore - it just isn't worth it. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Check out the Resource Management Office at your nearest military base. The military is constantly upgrading and replacing computers and you can normally pick them up for about $25. Get on the base's mailing list and they'll let you know what's for sale and at which base. Lots of good deals there. Buy 4 or 5 of them, set them up to use your program and keep a couple in the car so you'll always have a spare. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Yep, Evil Knievel kinda leap. OT - OF!!! M.

Go to the recalls forum and look at the archives. When we become aware of a recall that home inspectors should know about, I post it there. Also, go to recalls.gov and look up recalls under the product category and then look at boilers, furnaces, and air conditioners. They have records going back to the late 1980's. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Randy, Yes, you did complete the job illegally but who is the one that decides that - an private inspector looking at the house, a muni inspector whose been given the authority to make that determination (AHJ), or a judge at trial? When you accuse someone of breaking the law you are supposed to make that accusation to the authorities in the form of a complaint - you aren't supposed to make it to the public. There's a process; you see something illegal and then you report it to someone in authority. That someone in authority then investigates and determines whether you are correct in your allegation; if you are, then that someone has an obligation to act - to either cite the transgressor or to arrest him or her. At that point, the person has been arrested but still hasn't been accused. The person is taken before a judge and arraigned - that's the formal accusation - and the judge decides whether there is evidence to go forward with a trial. If the judge decides to take it to trial, you'll be called as a witness to support the prosecutor's accusal of the violator. What happens if you write in your report that ABC Construction illegally built an addition without getting permits and it turns out that where you live it might have been illegal but where the house is located you didn't know that the municipality had a rule in place allowing an addition under a certain square footage to be built without permits? The answer is that, if you cause the buyer to back out of the deal by libeling the seller and the builder, you could find yourself on thin ice. Call it wrong, call it incorrect, call it jackleg (I do that a lot), call it foolish or illogical, call it poorly thought out, call it idiotic, call it lame, or just call it dumb - here you are simply stating your opinion - but don't use illegal, because illegal it is a term that requires that certain things be proven by those in authority before one can say conclusively that it was in fact illegal. We give those in authority the power to tell someone that they've done something illegal and to use broad judgment when doing so. For the most part, those in authority are immune from defamation, libel, or slander lawsuits, but you and I don't enjoy the same privilege. If we say something is illegal we in essence are saying that it got that way because someone - either the homeowner or the trade - committed a crime. If we can't prove it we place ourselves in jeopardy. To answer your question: If Kenmore requires permits for such work, you were wrong to have done so without permits and this could have unforeseen consequences for anyone who buys your home and later applies to the city of Kenmore for permits to do additional work. Whether it's "illegal" or not is for the AHJ and the city of Kenmore and a judge to decide. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike P.S. Whoops, I see Walter got a better explanation in here before I'd finished typing my tome. Oh well.

Hi, I don't think using illegal as a descriptor is proper either. If you say that someone has illegally spliced wires outside of an electrical box you've in essence defamed that person and called him or her a criminal. You could say that someone incorrectly overstuffed J-boxes; or left NM cable exposed to damage, which is wrong; spliced wiring outside of electrical boxes, which is prohibited by the electrical code; or used an extension cord as permanent wiring when there's supposed to be a receptacle within reach of the cord on the appliance; but characterizing it as illegal goes overboard. Yeah, it might be dumb thing to do, it wasn't according to code, and there're lots of reasons why it shouldn't be done that way, but if your client goes around telling everyone not to use ABC electrical service because Randy says they did a bunch of illegal things on a building, and word gets back to ABC, I think you've left yourself wide open for a defamation lawsuit. OT - OF!!! M.

I wish it won every time but sadly not. Image Insert: 92.54 KB Hi Charlie, I think that could be an opportunity for you. Gather up the various published information that affirms the fact that a manufacturer's specs trump code and that muni inspectors can't arbitrarily rule by decree and then show up for a town council meeting with copies in hand to distribute to the council members and clue them in to what's going on right under everyone's nose. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I'm on the same track with Jim. However, if it's a newer home without any K & T and the insulation is more trampled down with little trails here and there and there isn't a lot of evidence of droppings or urine, I recommend they re-loft it (fluff it back up) and go on about their business. During my non-compete period back in 2001, I put the word out to agents I knew that I was available to do repairs on homes within 25 miles of my base for a year. I ended up getting quite a bit of work from sellers after homes were inspected and sellers and buyers had agreed on terms. Some of that work dealt with rodent exclusion and cleaning up attics and crawlspaces. There's usually one or two nasty nesting areas plus a toilet area in an attic, where some insulation has to be completely removed, but the rest of it can normally be fluffed back up and leveled out pretty easily. A kid sized leaf rake works great for that. It's not hard to re-loft - it's just a matter of time and patience working in a sweaty, dusty, itchy place getting itchy fibers in your eyes while wearing an uncomfortable mask and usually stooping or crawling around on your hands and knees. If you know what you're doing, it goes fairly quickly, but I'd never try it or recommend it for a home with K & T and one has to watch out for DIY electrical hack work. Do you re-loft insulation that you've trampled down when you leave an attic? I do. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike