hausdok

Hi, If I saw erosion like that I'd be looking in the toolshed and garage for a pressure-washer. It's shot. No sense calling for "evaluation," say it like it is, "The roof cover is worn out. I don't know why. Get it replaced." ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

IRC E3304.11 Identification of disconnecting means. Each disconnecting means shall be legibly marked to indicate its purpose, except where located and arranged so that the purpose is evident. The markings hall have the durability to withstand the environment involved. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

According to an article in today's San Francisco Chronical, on Thursday California became the first state in the U.S. and the first in the world to approve new green building standards to cut energy and water usage. The new rules, which will take kick in on July 1, 2009, require that all new construction - from commercial buildings to homes, schools and hospitals - reduce energy usage by 15 percent, water use by 20 percent and water for landscaping by 50 percent. To read more click here.

Hi, It looks to me like that elbow is nearly completely rusted through. I'd recommend they replace it. OT - OF!!! M.

Until July 31st, i-Course Online Learning is offering ASHI members a 25% discount on CEU-earning courses. According to i-Course, inspectors who purchase an annual subscription will get unlimited credits for the next 12 months and can garner all of their CEU's online. With the discount, 40 CEU's earned over the next two years will cost less than $5 each. Inspectors can determine whether their own state accepts coursed from i-Course by going to the company's website, clicking on the "State Info" link on the home page, and then choosing their own state. For more information click here.

TUCSON, AZ--(MARKET WIRE)—July 17, 2008 CDEX Inc. (OTC BB:CEXI) announces its first sales and deliveries of ID2 Meth Scannersâ„¢ for methamphetamine detection to U.S. clients in the Law Enforcement and Home Inspection Markets, and to U.S. and international distributors. The ID2 Meth Scannerâ„¢ is a hand-held, battery operated device that detects trace amounts of methamphetamine (low nanogram range) on virtually any surface while in the continuous scan mode. It employs the same CDEX patented Enhanced Photoemission Spectroscopy technology used in the ValiMedâ„¢ System, currently saving lives in hospitals today. "We are excited about the commercialization of the ID2 Meth Scanner following two years of extensive R&D, beta testing and market research by the CDEX Team,â€

PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Jul 17, 2008 (PrimeNewswire via COMTEX) Environmentl Service Professionals Inc. (ESP) announced today that it has acquired the inspection industry's leading software developer, Porter Valley Software, Inc. (PVS), makers of the InspectVue line of Professional home and commercial inspection report-writers. Founder and President, Mr. Lorne Steiner will continue on as the Managing Director of the new Porter Valley Software Division of ESP. Environmental Service Professionals President/CEO Ed Torres stated, "We are very excited about the opportunity to acquire the industry's leading inspection and report creation software. This acquisition is in keeping with our commitment to excellence and leadership within the Indoor Air Quality industry. We are very pleased that the acquisition of Porter Valley Software, Inc. also brings to our team Mr. Lorne Steiner, whose experience and reputation will be a tremendous asset as we strive to become the leader in this emerging industry." "PVS inspection report-writers compliment the ESP business model by creating an integrated software solution for the next generation of Real Estate Inspectors that includes residential, commercial, environmental inspections, testing and laboratory analysis," noted Mr. Lorne Steiner. About Environmental Service Professionals, Inc. ESP is the first publicly-traded company established to consolidate the highly-fragmented home inspection industry and to specialize in environmental inspections. ESP's Healthy Home Assurance Certification mission results in the mitigation of risk across the board for homeowners and for mortgage, title and insurance companies. ESP, through its wholly owned subsidiary Environmental Safeguard Professionals, Inc. ("Safeguard"), has developed a standardized training, certification, inspection, and results reporting analysis program which forms the foundation of a suite of services that together comprise our Certified Environmental Home Inspector ("CEHI") program. This business unit provides annual subscription-based moisture maintenance and energy use awareness programs for addressing many environmental issues in the Building, Residential, Commercial and Real Estate industries. ESP, through its wholly owned subsidiary National Professional Services, Inc. ("NPS"), offers annual trade memberships and management services for industry related associations. NPS is currently a conglomerate of seven individual associations and maintains annual paying members. The focus of this business unit is to establish cross-training on CEHI programs and to provide information concerning residential environmental issues, to establish training for underwriters, loan officers and appraisers, and to educate these groups about CEHI inspection protocols. Training programs for insurance companies, underwriters, loss control, and risk management personnel educate and emphasize the benefits of using a CEHI on the initial inspection and then establishing annual inspections. The company's motto is "peace of mind for your family, your home and your health." Visit www.espusa.net for complete information on the ESP family of services offered and http://www.evsp.com for investment information.

Hi, I'd tell him that I bought a new home and I didn't buy it expecting it to be delivered to me with a furnace that's so badly rusted that it looks like it's 30 years old. It looks to me like that air handler cabinet has been under water. Was there any flooding in your vicinity over the past 3 years? Demand a new furnace. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

I've resized your photos; next time resize them before you post them. If you don't have an image resizer tool go to Powertoys for Windows and download one - it's free. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Yes, Frank, please resize them next time. I resized them for you this time, but go to Powertoys for windows and grab yourself a free image resizer or search for one on the internet! About the roof; everything about that job - lousy weave job, improperly installed drip edge, etc. - says, "Look at me, I was put on by my homeowner and he didn't have the slightest #@%$^&* idea what he was doing. Please tear me off and have a pro - not my homeowner - redo me before I leak all over the interior of this building." ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

I think that the only possible argument that might hold water is that this could be construed to be considered a "wet" location and anly type 3 and type 3R panels are approved for installation in a "wet" location. The panel is obviously not original to the home. If you can prove that it's post-1993, you have a case for moving it because since 1993 the working space must go all the way to the floor in front of the panel. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

According to an article in today's WTOP Radio News, more than half of all of the municipal building inspectors employed by the District of Columbia have lost their jobs because they failed to obtain necessary certifications within a specified time limit. Some of these "inspectors" have been on the job for more than 20 years. To learn more click here.

Hi, I was thinking exactly the same thing as Richard. To me, it looks like concrete backer board with a layer of mortar troweled onto the face. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Has ice and water shield withstood the test of time in your areas that have ice damming issues? I just installed it on a roof I am working on, and am just curious. Mike, I don't disagree with you on that matter, especially if 3 tab shingles are not used (more of a blow off issue). Are there some shingle manufacturers out there that do allow a 3 inch reveal? I just want to read their instructions, etc. Also, as far as I am concerned they should quit manufacturing 3 tab altogether. Dunno, I was weaned on 3-tab and my father taught me to reduce to a 3-inch reveal for anything between 2:12 and 4:12 and never to use comp for anything under 2:12. Decades later, that's also what I was taught when I went through the "training" provided by the franchise outfit I used to be with. The old man marked off with a story stick from the eaves, snapped lines, and then used 3-inch or 5-inch shingle gauges made from a piece of furring to make sure that every shingle was properly positioned. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

My response to the attorney would be, "Have you ever tried to burn a piece of drywall?" then I'd offer to do a demonstration if the judge would recess for an hour or so while I go to get a piece of drywall and a torch. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Except if you put a large pot on either of the left burners on high you will probably start the wall surface burning. I would have called it as poor planning and a potential safety issue. In fact, can you even get a large pot on the left side? Hi John, I certainly dont disagree that it's poor planning. Be that as it may, it looks like it's not a new home and has been around for a while; so it apparently hasn't been an issue. It's hard to say though by looking at a photo taken from that angle. I've seen quite a few cheap condos in what we call the "low rent district" around here where this arrangement is pretty common. Usually, there's a nasty layer of grease spatter on the wall adjacent to the stove but I've never found one scorched. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Don't see why not; the wall is gypsum. What do they use for firewalls between a garage and a house? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Cary is right, the type is irrelevant. It sounds like you think that by 100% of the surface you thought I meant 100% of the roof the first 6ft. from the eaves, which is not what I meant. The entire surface of the roof is supposed to have a layer of ice and water shield on it when you install a comp shake at that pitch. Something else I should have mentioned; a comp shingle at that pitch should also only have a 3inch reveal; not the typical 5inch reveal. Hell, even Malarkay, which makes composition roofs out of modbit that are specifically designed for a low pitch application, requires the entire roof to be covered with ice and water shield. The bottom line is that the roofer screwed up. Did he even bother to install drip edging? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Steven, I think you're right. Sorry, the type of wiring went right over my head until you'd mentioned it. Some old insulation batts have brown paper on both sides. However, when you peel back the paper, there's often a black asphalt emulsion on the side of the paper that you can't see - on only one side of the batt. The side with the emulsion goes down on the ceiling and the other side is left exposed. Back in 1955 nobody was worrying about the exposed paper; that didn't become a concern until years later. However, you'll need to be careful to make sure that the vapor barrier side of the original batts (the emulsion coated paper side) is against the ceiling and not on top of the insulation when you add more on top; otherwise, you'll place a vapor barrier in the middle of the insulation. You'll also want to use either unfaced insulation or permeable sheath encapsulated insulation on top so that moisture can move freely up through the insulation and can't become trapped. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, A roof at that pitch should have 100% ice and water shield underlayment - not just 6' from the eaves. Read the manufacturer's instructions. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Yes, 1. If the paper side is facing up, and it's coated on one face with an asphalt emulsion and the paper on the other side of the batt is ordinary paper with no emulsion coating it, than it's upside down. 2. Exposed paper is, as you've observed, a fire hazard. 3. If the wiring is 40 years old it's the old 60°C stuff and shouldn't be buried. Raise it and install the batting beneath it; keeping the wiring on top so it can cool. OT - OF!!! M.

According to a CNN.com/technology article, in Germany, where green roofs have been very popular since the early 1990's, green roofs are supposed to contribute to cooler urban temperatures, reduce global warming, and also reduce water problems caused by excess runoff. Be-that-as-it-may, despite the current "green" construction fad in the U.S., green roofs have been pretty slow to catch on in the U.K. and in North America. Green building advocates want government to get more involved in pushing for green roofs. To learn why click here.

Chicago IL When it comes to tankless water heaters, it's the questions that are endless. A new website is the first to provide straight talk on tankless vs. tank water heaters, aimed at helping construction professionals advise their customers which system is best for different circumstances. SmarterHotWater.com is a product of Rheem Water Heating, the only U.S. manufacturer of both tank and tankless water heaters, as well as a provider of solar systems. "Being water-heater agnostic makes Rheem a credible resource to help professionals sort out the claims and counterclaims about tank and tankless water heaters," said Bob Hitchner, Director of Rheem Tankless Sales, based in Montgomery. "We designed SmarterHotWater.com so professionals could feel confident in their ability to recommend the best solution based on performance, project budget and long-term operating costs." Throughout the site and in a downloadable chart, Rheem summarizes some of the differences: Product Cost: Tank water heaters typically range in cost from $350 to $550, while tankless water heaters are roughly double that amount. Operating Cost: Average annual operating costs for tank water heaters are in the $230 to $285 range. Average annual operating costs for tankless water heaters are about half of that, at $165 to $170. Installation Cost: In new construction, installing any type of water heater includes running fuel lines or electrical connections and allowing for adequate venting, so there is little difference in costs between a tankless water and a tank water heater. In remodeling, however, it will cost more to replace a tank water heater with a tankless unit. Installed costs to replace a tank water heater with a tankless unit are typically between $1,200 and $3,000, compared with a range of $500 to $800 to replace a tank with another tank. Size: Tank water heaters are typically four to six feet in height, and up to two and a half feet in diameter. Because of their size, tank water heaters are usually located in the garage or basement, which sometimes places the hot water far from the point of use. Tankless water heaters, about the size of a medicine cabinet, can be wall-mounted indoors or even outdoors. Experience: Tankless water heaters never run out of hot water. A properly sized unit allows for use of multiple fixtures and appliances at the same time. Tankless is especially ideal for luxury spa bathrooms, where one large whirlpool tub can empty a 40-gallon tank-type water heater before the tub is even filled.Long the standard mode of water heating in Europe and Asia, tankless water heaters have captured the imagination of Americans looking to defray rising energy costs, as well as those concerned about having enough hot water for today’s luxury bathrooms and busy lifestyles. While the site is open for all, including homeowners, Rheem offers a white paper and bi-monthly newsletter that is strictly limited to professionals. For more information, visit www.smarterhotwater.com.####

Sorry, Didn't notice that it was a post from last year. OT - OF!!! M.

You mean like these? OT - OF!!! M.