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Hi Jodi, Tell us a little bit about Minot - residents?, major industries?, any major manufacturing companies?, Is there a local newspaper?, etc. OT - OF!!! M.

Check out NRCA University; you'll pay a little more than an NRCA member but there's probably no more credible source for roof info in the country than NRCA. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I don't think Jodi is talking about the conventional 3-tab. When I lived in Colorado I used to see a lot of T-lok shingles which have tabs designed to be held down by other shingles. I very rarely see them around here; when I do they're typically at least a quarter of a century old, however they were common as lice on a rat in Colorado where it's pretty windy. I'm betting that's what she's seeing. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

They have them close by. I remember reading about a young fellow from Ireland who lives in Virginia and has a business travelling around the country to install and/or repair thatched roofs. If memory serves, his biggest difficulty is finding the proper kind of thatch. Bill, It looks like a solid deck; weren't thatched roofs installed over skip? Is it possible that it was originally built to have a roof that mimics a thatched roof but with locally grown materials; namely cedar shingles? We have a couple of those here. They might have looked pretty cool when they were built back in the 20's and 30's and the roofs were cedar shingles; however, since then, some nimrod owners have swapped out the cedar for comp and to my eye's they are an eyesore. Here are a few companies that do the cedar roof "insult" thingy; the first two are the same company - they actually do thatch roofs in addition to the insult roofs. Check out these portfolios: Huber #1 Huber #2 Cedar Roof Design Inc. Ganser Company ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Huh? Oh hell, why not? Come to think of it, why doesn't everyone send me money and I'll make you partners in this great deal I just entered into with a Nigerian barrister to inherit his deposed king father's fortune. We'll all be kajillionaires by next week! ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Nothing, This is Ellen's Q & A forum. Doug asked her a question and she responded. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Pardon my saying so, but I think this is a non-issue. I'd never thought about it really, so I just walked out into the hallway and checked the stairs leading to the second floor. Guess what; they're done the same way and I'd never noticed it. I don't even want to guess at how many stairways I've done where the situation is probably identical. For the past couple of years dozens of my wife's friends have had a long procession of toddlers and small children, as well as elderly folks, in and out of this house walking up and down those stairs. Not a single one of them has ever tripped or fallen due to that gap. Probably because when you put your foot over the gap, it's not noticeable through one's shoe. Besides, if a kid is small enough to stick a foot or arm through that gap the kid is probably too small to push his or her hand past the carpet and is way too small to be on stairs unattended anyway. There are plenty of other more important things to be concerned about with stairs but, from a practical standpoint, I don't see this as one of them. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi John, Just resize them on your own computer then go back to your post, click the "edit" icon, delete the old photos, upload the resized ones, and then click "submit changes." ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Other than the time going over the contract with the client, it's all inspecting. OT - OF!!! M.

It's got a stainless steel tank. Last I heard, they were projecting 45 to 50 year service life on water heaters with stainless steel tanks but nobody knows for certain because they haven't been around that long. Rich, I don't put much stock in manufacturer's warrantees, I've seen lots of furnaces that were only warranted for less than ten years last three times as long. Most household appliances have a one year warranty and the manufacturer doesn't even want to talk to you on day 366 after the sale yet they often last far longer than one expects they reasonably should. If they could get 30 years out of one of these around here it would be 2/3 times the average service life in this region and the increased efficiency would save the clients far more than the cost of install over the life of the unit. One never knows, though; they might be pieces of crap and in a year or two we might hear that they're being recalled. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Take them to small claims court. The court will send them notice that they're being sued and give them the option of dealing with you through the municipality's dispute resolution service. Once you show the dispute resolution folks the documents and explain the situation to them, they'll explain to the client that the client has no choice, either pay up or risk going to small claims court and having to pay the fee and any additional court costs and lost time expenses you demand. They'll pay. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Doesn't seem to matter what it is I'm inspecting; I very, very rarely get done in less than 3-1/2 hours and that includes the small brand new homes and the little condos and with Yung working with me. When she's not helping, I can easily be there 4-1/2 to 5 hours. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Furnace exhaust condensate maybe but how could AC condensate be acidic; it comes from the air around you. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

I'd kind of like to see and take pictures of the guy or gal who walks so splay-footed that they'll get their toes over the ends of those treads into that narrow gap. That would be a strange sight. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Jeez, I probably haven't finished an inspection in under 3 hours in more than 8 years. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I charge an extra $30 to drive outside of a 20 mile radius. However, that's not due to fuel; it's due to the extra time involved coming and going. I believe that we should be paid for all of our time and the time getting there and getting back should be included in how we figure our prices. With the traffic hell around here, going outside of a 20 mile radius can add a significant amount of time to the overall time it takes to get there, do the job, and then get back, before I can begin to type up the final report. I believe in getting paid for that additional time. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

NRCA University has made available Roofing 101, an interactive online educational program that consists of five self-paced learning modules, including roofing basics, roof system basics, overview of low-slope roof systems, overview of steep-slope roof systems and overview of roof flashings and accessories. Animation, graphics, videos and interactive learning activities combine to create an effective learning experience. For more information, click here.

State has recently debuted a new through-the-wall power-vented high-efficiency water heater with a stainless steel tank. Called the Polaris, it won't be long before inspectors begin seeing these in residences. To download or review a copy of the installation manual click here.

According to an article in NAHB's Nations Building News, the California Housing market is in serious trouble. To read the entire article click here.

According to a recent article in the Washington Post, the high cost of fuel has got many companies passing along the costs to consumers in the form of fuel surcharges. Consumer advocates point out there are no laws regulating how fuel surcharges are calculated or implemented and no way for customers to tell if the charges are fair. At the same time, some states attorneys general are looking into fuel surcharges from a consumer protection standpoint. A recent article in NAHB's Nation Building News points out that, without a contract specifically spelling out how and when surcharges are added, adding them might be problematical. Do you add a fuel surcharge? To read the entire Washington Post article, click here. To read the NAHB Nations Building News article, click here.

Maybe it's the enamel the manufacturer uses to coat the wire before the insulation is added. I was taught to always carefully scrape the exterior of copper wiring before making connections to remove the enamel. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Just thought you'd all like to see a rare photo of the latest addition to Mexico's war on drugs - the Mexican Navy Seal. Image Insert: 18.52 KB Thanks to Jim Simmons (User name - Mr. Electric) for this contribution.

Remember, The name of the photo must not have any spaces or special symbols. Rename your photos, go back to your post, click the edit icon, and then delete the old codes and try again. OT - OF!!! M.

NRCA University will offer Exploring Roof System Options, a course geared primarily toward the low-slope market, Oct. 6 in San Jose, Calif. The class provides an overview of commonly used low- and steep-slope roof systems, the design issues involved in selecting a proper roof system and requirements necessary for maintaining a roof system's expected life. It will benefit building owners, facility managers and roofing contractors new to the low-slope roofing market as well as inspectors. For more information, click here.

According to an article in today's Louisville Courier-Journal, a survey done by the National Federation of Independent Business indicates that soaring fuel and energy costs rank second only to the cost of health care among the problems facing small-business owners today. To read more click here.