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Hi Bill, It's hard to see without enlarging and altering the contrast, but is that a mortise and tennon connection at the ridge? If so, that's a new one on me. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Rob, What happened to the photos? Having trouble posting them? If so, shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can do to help. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Chris, I write them all the time and, so far, haven't had a builder call me back screaming about it. I also write up the use of single-walled exhaust vent material in unheated garages. I think it's a common screw-up among builders that, once they're educated about, they correct immediately and don't forget to do next time. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Well, I guess there's a market, or two inspectors as smart as Charlie Wood and Jimmy Morrison wouldn't be down there, but this kind of surprises me. Somehow I'd never pictured it as a place where I'd expect to see Americans or Canadians building new homes. However, I've never been to Mexico. I guess my perception of it is skewed by old westerns and cheesy Chuck Norris films. So, are these new homes built in exclusive neighborhoods or foreigner enclaves that are walled off from the rest of the population, like one sees in Saudi Arabia, or are they mixed in with the rest of the housing? What kind of quality are we talking about? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Yeah, I do. Prof. Paul Fisette, my predecessor on the Building Science forum over on the Journal of Light Construction, runs the Wood Technology Department and is the Director of Building Materials Technology and Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He once told me - on JLC, I believe it was - that the idea that old growth wood is somehow stronger and more durable than new timber is a myth. He said that research has not substantiated any provable improvement in strength/durability of old growth timber over new timbers. Now, I'm not an educated guy. Hell, I barely made it through 1st year math in high school. So, when Paul Fisette tells me something about wood, I tend to take it to the bank and make a deposit. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco - January 9, 2007 Veteran home inspectors Charlie Wood, of Atlanta, GA and Jim Morrison of Boston, MA have chosen beautiful Puerto Vallarta as the headquarters for their new home inspection practice. Wood is excited about the new business, explaining: “Americans and Canadians have been buying vacation homes here in record numbers in recent years and now they have a means to find out more about those properties before they buy, and can keep surprises to a minimum.? Many American and Canadian home buyers naturally find the differences in Mexican laws and construction a bit overwhelming. Home inspections from Casas del Mar PV empower homebuyers with the information they need before they buy. Says Morrison: “There are substantial differences in construction techniques and expectations here. We educate our customers and they are better able to care for, and enjoy their new homes.? Casas del Mar performs home and condo inspections for prospective homebuyers in and around Puerto Vallarta. You can visit them on the web at: www.CasasDelMarPV.com or call them at: 011.52.322.779.6476 CONTACT INFO: Jim Morrison,Casas del Mar PV. Visit http://www.CasasDelMarPV.com or email to James_morrison@earthlink.net.

Hi, I see it on older homes a lot too. Around here, it's common to find a piece of 1 by 4 tongue-and-groove planking used for the ridge board with the heels off the board. Most of those old houses have 2 by 4 rafters spanning more than 16 ft. that are overloaded with several layers of roofing and sagging more than my gut in the center. I've found maybe, if memory serves, 3 rafters that have split out at the end because of this. Doesn't make it OK, I know, but I wouldn't expect to see a roof collapse because of it......ever. Could be wrong, have been many times, still.... ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi All, Erby and others. Please, when you post something that refers to something written in a previous post in the same thread, use the "reply with quote" icon over the post in question when formulating responses like this. Then, when you are formulating your answer in the composition box, eliminate those portions of the quoted text that you don't need. In this case, Erby could have said: The post that started this thread says: What a crock. Kentucky moved up in the ranking by "adding" stuff. Bull. It was all there when....id="blue"> Erby, I'm not specifically picking on you, because this is happening throughout the forums. You guys and gals have to remember that some of these threads were initiated, days, weeks or months - sometimes even years - ago, and most of us will have forgotten where the discussion has gone. Using the "reply with quotes" feature will greatly help the rest of us know what you are referring to so we won't have to re-read the entire thread. Sorry about the PSA. You may now return to your regularly scheduled discussion. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike In Erby's case, it was relatively easy to find it - it was in the first post in this thread - but if it had not been in the first post I might have had to re-read everything to find it.

Hi All, Interesting commentary about Skype on ZD Net: http://ct.zdnet.com/clicks?t=24867754-c ... f&s=5&fs=0 OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Denis, Go here for Taunton Press's Fine Homebuilding Breaktime Forum. Go here for Hanley-Wood's Journal of Light Construction Online Forums. Go here for Hanley-Wood's Builder Online Forums. Go here for Hanely-Wood's Builder Online Construction Job Search engine. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

That's easy, I seem to do a great deal of my reading in the throne room while I'm doing my.......... It's the one place where I don't get interrupted. Don't think I want to install a computer in there. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi, I have a way to make this clear to folks up front. I tell them that I'm there to inspect the house - not the accessories. Then I make them understand it by using the analogy of their automobile. I point out that if they bring their car to the shop to get it checked over and obtain a list from their mechanic about what's wrong and should be corrected, their mechanic will inform them about bad brakes and tires, if the engine needs a tune up or the oil changed, whether there are bad shocks or loose ball joints or wheel bearings, whether the muffler needs replacement, etc., but the mechanic won't care about the radio or cd player in the dashboard, whether the radio or cd player has good reception or performs well, or whether the auto-dimming mirror is functional, the upholstery is torn or whether the fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror are straight. They get it right away and I almost never have to waste precious time discussing nonsensical stuff. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, While I personally think that the builder is being a putz for taking that stance, I think it is the builder's business and not our's. Bathroom toilet paper rolls and towel racks are not fixtures, they are appurtenances - basically accessories to the bathroom - and are technically options. Ever look at the sticker on a new car and notice that they charge you for every rinky-dink gizmo on the car that doesn't make the car go back and forth, stop and shelters you from the weather? That's basically what the builder is doing, and, maybe to that builder it is good business sense, and if you get into the middle of it you'll be getting into an area that you should consider unrelated to the inspection. Unless you've been seen a copy of the purchase and sale contract between the builder and the buyer, and you know that it specifically spells out that a towel rack and toilet paper holder will be included in the baths, or you are under some kind of wacky home inspection law that requires you to report about such things (I've got the Texas requirements in mind), you should not be writing up missing accessories as a deficiency. In fact, the first thing that many homeowners do when they move in is to remove the cheap, spec-grade toilet paper holder and towel racks and replace them with those of their own choosing. My Dad has been building homes for more than 50 years. I can tell you from experience, buyers will nickel and dime a builder to death, if he or she allows them to do it. I don't think that we home inspectors should be getting into stuff like that. If it isn't germane to what we do - Structure, Exterior, Roof, Site, Foundation, Heating System, Electrical System, Plumbing, AC System, Insulation and Ventilation, Attics, Fireplaces and Woodstoves, Interior - I think we should keep our nose out of it and not editorialize. OK, I know you might argue that it's part of the interior, but there is no requirement in any standard to report on that kind of thing - and for good reason. The SOP's require us to describe any interior components or finishes and inspect walls, ceilings and floors, steps, stairways and railings, countertops and a representative number of cabinets, a representative number of doors and windows and the garage doors and automatic garage operators. Nothing in there says we are to inspect and report on the bathroom, kitchen or laundry room accessories. Once we start that, where does the line get drawn? If the buyer wants a towel rack and toilet paper holder, he or she can insist on that without making you the heavy. When you become the heavy for nonsensical stuff, you reinforce a builder's perception of all home inspectors as being clueless idiots that inspect homes because they couldn't make it in the construction world (Believe me, that's how many of them perceive us.). I'd tell the homeowner that I personally sympathize with him or her, but I'd also explain that they are appurtenances, completely outside the scope of a home inspection, and tell the buyer to review the purchase and sale contract and reinforce it, as necessary, with the builder. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Well, the thread has drifted away from how one would report uneven insulation to debates about various methods and their efficacy. I've started another thread over on the Building Science topic area and have included links to the USDOE's Building Technologies Insulation Fact Sheets there. I think it would be appropriate to continue any discussions about insulation efficacy over there and let Chris' thread stay on-topic and about how to report attic insulation issues. Here's the link to that other topic area. You'll find a lot of useful links in that initial post. http://www.tijonline.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3936 ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hello All, Inspired by another thread that discussed inspecting insulation, the R-value of insulation and air-sealing a home, I visited the US Department of Energy's Building Technologies Site and got these links for you. These are free fact sheets and they come in handy when a customer wants to understand how to improve the energy efficiency of his or her home with insulation. I keep a couple of each in my truck at all times as handouts. Some of these are PDF documents. Others will display as an HTML web page and then you need to click the "printable version" selection displayed above or below the document. Enjoy! Energy Savers R-Value Map Zip Code Insulation Tool Attic Access Fact Sheet (PDF 145KB) Basement Insulation Fact Sheet (PDF 190KB) Ceilings & Attics Fact Sheet Crawlspace Insulation Fact Sheet (PDF 235KB) Insulation Fact Sheet (PDF 1.3MB) Loose-Fill Insulations Fact Sheet Slab Insulations Fact Sheet (PDF 219KB) Wall Insulation Fact Sheet (PDF 66KB) ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

I don't see any significant credential here. "Certified Mold Consultant" doesn't exactly ring my bells. - Jim Katen, Oregon Hi Jim, Question of semantics - I think the “certifiedâ€

Hi, While it typically can slow way down the last week of August and into the middle of September, when folks are getting their kids started in school, it usually picks up about mid-September and goes great guns until just before Thanksgiving. Then things sort of dry up until just after the New Year. However, this year, it's been pretty slow all fall. In fact, I'd say it's slower than any time during the past 10-1/2 years I've been in the business, including when I was injured and folks generally knew I was out of commission for a while. I receive one or two electronic trade journals or newsletters from various construction or real estate trades every day. For the past six months, these have been typically headlined with stories about how real estate sales, new contruction starts, or number of remodeling jobs, or number of preexisting homes sales are down, or have hit record lows. The real estate newsletters are full of articles by veterans telling the new agents how to survive the draught and similar articles are all over the construction press. There's no doubt that things are slow. This business and construction in general follows real estate and mortgage trends. Those are cyclical. Right now, we seem to be at the bottom of the cycle and experts are predicting that things will stay this way for about another year before the market corrects itself. Based on that, this is probably not the best time to be a newbee getting into this business, unless you've got substantial reserves and can hang in there for another year or so without going under. Good luck! ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I usually comment to the effect that, regardless of any insulation certificate (If there is one) I have no way to visually confirm the type/thickness of insulation used in the sidewalls and any other interstitial spaces in the home. That's usually accompanied by a crack about not having x-ray vision or other super powers that would allow me to confirm that for them. On homes older than about 50 years, I'll usually comment that it's likely that the walls weren't originally insulated, and still might not have any insulation, and there's no way I can determine type/thickness short of an invasive inspection. Sometimes I find wall plugs that indicate that the walls have been retractively blown. When I can, I'll use a pen knife to pop out a plug to try and see what was used - whether vermiculite, rockwool, fiberglass or foam - and I'll advise the client accordingly, while making sure that the client understands that I pulled one plug, have no way to confirm that what lies behind the hundreds of other plugs is the same, and I have know way to know where it's settled and has left voids. Sometimes buyers don't seem comfortable with this and will want to know how he or she can confirm that all of these interstitial spaces are completely filled. I tell 'em that I can't do it for them. That, if they can find one, they should hire an insulation contractor who has an infrared device to scan those areas for them, to confirm they're all adequately filled, if they feel that it's that important. I get asked this a lot, and I sometimes think that if I had my own infrared camera I could probably pay it off in one year, just by charging an extra $50 just to take it out of the case and spend 5 or 10 minutes confirming continuity of insulation in interstitial spaces. The problem is, what if I used it to confirm that the walls are or aren't insulated, but I missed something else that I should have seen with the thing? If they'd only agreed to pay to confirm presence of insulation, would I be liable? Tricky stuff there. Think I'll wait to see how this whole infrared thing shakes out, before I take the plunge. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Have you been doing your books on paper because you don't want to dump $200 on a decent accounting program? If so, and you want to modernize, you might check out this freeware accounting program from Microsoft that's recommended by ZDNet. http://ct.zdnet.com/clicks?t=24450564-c ... f&s=5&fs=0 OT - OF!!! M.

This is a handy article for those of you who's blood doesn't run cold at the thought of opening up your computer to blow the dust out. http://ct.zdnet.com/clicks?t=24627164-c ... f&s=5&fs=0 Dollars to donuts you'll never catch me attempting this. Still...if it saves a few bucks, I might attempt it. OT - OF!!! M.

Speaking of which, Is anyone in the northwest interested in purchasing a well-used Dressler drafting table with drafting head? I bought it in Germany about 20 years ago and had it shipped back. The resilient surface is kind of beat up, because I used to design my grandfather clocks on it and then cut out my templates on it with a razor knife, but it's still one beauty of a table. If anyone is interested, be advised that it takes a pickup truck and a couple of pretty healthy adults to move this thing. The surface is roughly 5'8" by 3'3" and it's heavy because it has a massive steel stand with foot control and heavy chains and gears and pneumatic cylinders to raise and lower it. There are one or two screws missing from the drafting head, but those shouldn't be hard to find. Original list price - nearly $4,000, including the drafting head which was over $1,000. I hate to part with it, because I keep hoping that I'll one day be able to get back to my first love - custom woodworking - but I don't have time or the space to use it anymore, and I'd like to see it find a good home with someone who I know will actually put it to good use. Since most folks use computer drafting programs to design their projects these days, the number of persons who will want this baby is probably pretty limited, unless they're an old school type. I'll entertain any reasonable offer. Sorry about the thread drift, Les. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Washington DC, Jan 4th - Release #07-073 Today, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Water Pool and Spa Inc., of Moorpark, Calif., recalled about 105,000 MiniMax NT STD Gas Pool Heaters, due to a carbon monoxide poisoning hazard. These were sold through pool heater distributors and pool service equipment dealers nationwide from April 2002 through May 2006 for between $2,000 and $3,850 depending on the model number. The manufacturer recommends that consumers contact the firm to determine if their heater is included in the recall. If it is, Pentair will provide a free inspection, and repair of the heater if necessary. Click To Enlarge According to the manufacturer, these pool heaters can emit excessive carbon monoxide (CO), posing a risk of CO poisoning in the event of a vent leak in an indoor installation. No incidents or injuries have been reported. The recall involves Pentair MiniMax NT STD Gas Pool Heaters installed indoors. They have BTU ratings between 200,000 and 400,000, and use either natural gas or propane. The affected models were assembled in the United States. The following model numbers are included: 460427 through 460430 460439 through 460450 460531 through 460538 460543 through 460566 The heater identification number is located on the rating plate on the inner panel of the heater, which will show "NT" and "STD" in the third and fourth blocks of the number. The recall includes units with serial numbers 0606002 and lower. The recall also includes units without serialnumbers. If the unit has a serial number, it is written on the dataplate on the heater, which is located on the inner front door of the heater. Units with serial number 0606003 and higher are not included in this recall nor are MiniMax NT Low NOx and MiniMax NT TSI model pool heaters. For more information, contact Pentair toll-free at(866)-761-5272 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, or go to the firm's Web site. Inspectors can download or print a copy of the official CPSC recall by clicking here.

Washington DC, Jan 4th - Release #07-072 Today, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with DEWALT Industrial Tool Co., of Towson, Md., recalled about 13,000 DeWalt DG2900 Portable Generators Units, due to an electrocution hazard. The manufacturer recommends that Consumers stop using these generators immediately and contact DeWalt to arrange for free inspection and, if necessary, repair. Click To Enlarge According to the manufacturer, A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) installed on the generator could fail to operate properly, posing a risk of electric shock to consumers. No incidents or injuries have been reported. The recall involves DeWalt DG2900 2900 watt gasoline-powered generators with date codes 200150 through 200635. The generators are black and yellow. "DEWALT" and "DG2900" are printed on the generator. The date code is stamped on the right side of the unit on the black plastic covering the rear of the control panel. Units with an "R" stamped on the name plate are not affected by this recall. The affected models were made in Japan. For more information, contact DEWALT toll-free at(888) 742-9108 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site. Inspectors can download or print a copy of the official CPSC recall by clicking here.

Hi, Yes, by all means, don't stop asking. Don't misunderstand. I'm not saying don't be analytical or curious or anal about doing a good job, but at the same time ensure that it's you who is in control of the product that you put out. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Randy, I have both Skype and Vonage. Vonage is my primary because Skype is free only to other skype users, but it's nice to be able to use Skype to be able to reach someone overseas without spending a dime. I haven't tried the video thing yet. Keep meaning to, but I have such bad luck with computers that the prospect of trying to set it up intimidates the hell out of me. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike