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In this article from the Berkeley Daily Planet California home inspector Matt Cantor tries to make the public understand why asking about codes is like sand in his shorts. To read the article click here.

Need an easy way to make your client understand what those mysterious "flashings" you were talking about are and why they are necessary? Direct them to this short explanatory video on HGTVPro.com. For other Best Practices Videos click here.

Atlanta-October 6 In recent years, moisture problems such as mold growth have become big issues for building owners and operators. Computer simulation tools have been developed to predict thermal and moisture conditions in buildings, but the results can vary greatly with the assumptions for indoor and outdoor conditions. To help combat this issue, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is proposing a standard that formulates design assumptions for moisture design analysis and criteria for acceptable performance. ASHRAE’s proposed Standard 160P, Design Criteria for Moisture Control in Buildings, is open for public comment until November 6, 2006. The proposed standard goes beyond prescriptive recommendations for moisture control in buildings that are currently in the ASHRAE Handbook and in building codes. “Standard 160 gives us a methodology for the first time to make consistent design recommendations, such as the need, type and placement of vapor barriers, in any climate,â€

Hi, This came in the daily feed from ZDNet this morning. Check it out. http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877-6092163.html OT - OF!!! M.

You were probably seeing where the brick is korbeled to meet the flue. Most of those I see are raw brickwork. It's pretty rare that I see them lined with mud. I wouldn't report it unless I could physically see deterioration of the mortared joints or some type of severe cracking that's associated with something else like an earthquake. Most of the time you can't see anything past the accumulated soot and creosote in a throat, so I think it's best to simpy recommend that a CSIA-certified sweep inspect, clean and then repair if necessary the entire flue, throat and firebox. You can't go wrong with that recommendation if you cite NFPA's recommendation that all fireplace chimneys be inspected, cleaned and repaired by a competent sweep at resale. That takes the monkey off our back and puts it on the sweep. My question to you. How in the world did you see the throat and flue if that fireplace has a metal insert installed in it? You didn't remove it, did you? If so, you might want to re-think that idea. There's no requirement in any standard to remove it and the risk of liability might outweigh the benefits to you, if nothing useful can be gained by doing so. Dampers are stuck open over those things most of the time or they are completely removed around here. When I find a stove insert, I inspect the insert only - not the firebox of the masonry chimney behind it - because I'm inspecting the system that's currently being used. Any any inspection of a damper is limited to that used on the stove insert - not the masonry flue. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Too Late, There's now a Sports Talk category. Kurt and BrianG. You've just been drafted as moderators. Have at it. OT - OF!!! M.

I tested T & P valves on about the first 30 jobs I did. Then I got an old one full of sand and the damn valve stuck open and the homeowner began bellyaching about 'that damned inspector doesn't know his **s from a hole in the ground.' After the inspection, I drove down to Ace Hardware, picked up a new one, returned and installed the damned thing. I insisted that the homeowner watch me, so that he would know that it did not leak when I'd finished and left. Afte that, I decided that I wouldn't test them anymore. Now I instruct every client to flush their tank of sediment once a year and then test their T & P valve. I also instruct them to change their anode rod about mid-way through service life (about 5 to 7-1/2 years into the life of a tank around here.), and advise them, if the tank isn't too old, to pay a plumber to replace the drain spigot with a longer nipple and full-bore valve, so they'll be able to more easily and quickly flush the tank and won't have to worry about the valve breaking off on them. I doubt if many of them actually do any of this, but I'll credit that little bit of training with the fact that, other than one lady with unreasonable expectations about the life of a water heater, I've never had any complaints about water heaters in 10 years. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Chad, Like you, I tend to type everything. In fact, it doesn't matter how many times I write a piece of boilerplate, I still seem to ignore it and go with my flying fingers. However, I have heard that if you learn all of the macro tricks and key shortcuts in Word, versus using the mouse, that you can save a ton of time compiling a report. Seems to me that Walt Jowers used to have a list of keyboard shortcuts he used for his word based reporting system. Anyone have a copy? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Randy, Most folks just use a clamp meter around one of the wires at each element and run the water to push the tank to respond. Like you, I don't do that. Yung goes through the home testing all of the fixtures and appliances and runs a ton of hot water. She's got a pretty good sense of when something isn't right - water's not hot enough, hot water doesn't last long enough, water doesn't re-heat fast enough, volume is weak etc. - and she'll always tell me when something just doesn't seem right. That's when I'll go back and look a little deeper into it and either figure out what it is and recommend appropriate repairs or recommend that a plumber or electrician, whichever is appropriate, check things out and fix it. So far, I've only had one water heater callback in 10-1/2 years, and that was about one that was 17 years old and built into the corner of a kitchen beneath the countertop and had never been serviced. I'd told the lady not to be surprised if it failed as I was backing out of the driveway. It didn't and she didn't have it replaced. Instead, it failed a week after she moved in and then she called me up bellyaching. I gave her a refund of her fee because she was an unhappy customer, just to be a nice guy, and then had her sign a hold harmless agreement. It didn't do any good. She was mad as a hornet anyway, because that wouldn't cover the total cost of tearing apart the kitchen counters, draining and removing the old tank, installing a new one and then rebuilding the counters and restoring the kitchen. Guess she thought I'd just fallen off a turnip truck and would roll over and pay for it anyway. Not a chance. Yung wasn't working with me back then. Good thing, or, knowing her temper, that lady would have suffered a shiner. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

You guy're killin' me here! How's about I put up a new forum called Sports and Recreational Talk, so we stop drifting to Jupiter? OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Fritz, Back to your question - yes, there are test protocols you can use to check the voltage to the unit, the high-limit temperature cutoff, the thermostats and the heating elements. I have several sources, but the simplest description, including illustrations, that I have comes from the Time/Life Fix-it-Yourself series issue on kitchen and bathroom plumbing. There's a whole section about diagnosing and repairing conventional tank-type gas and electric water heaters - including trouble-shooting charts. Here's an electric water heating testing protocol adapted using that text. Some of this is word-for-word from the Time/Life text but I've paraphrased the text where necessary. I am not advising you to do this. I'm just answering your question the best way I know how. You'll probably never see me monkeying around with a water heater like this, but if you're comfortable around electricity and have a mind to you'll have to be your own best judge. Cut it and paste it if you want to, but don't use this protocal until you've practiced it on an actual water heater a few dozen times to memorize it and get it down pat, or you're going to look pretty silly - not to mention incompetent - sitting there reading those instructions and trying to follow them on an actual inspection. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Checking the Water Heater Controls 1. Checking the voltage at the disconnect switch box. Shut off the house's main power switch at the service panel, and label it so that no one will turn it on. Then access the water heater controls by removing the covers and insulation. If the water heater has a disconnect switch box, turn it off. Use a multi tester (multi-meter) set at 250 volts AC to verify incoming power to the switch box. Caution: Do not touch the switch box. Hold the tester probes by the insulated handles only and touch one probe to each of the upper terminals. The tester should read between 200 and 250 volts. Next touch one probe to the left terminal and the other to the grounding screw on the back of the box. The tester should read about 120 volts. Test the right terminal the same way. If all results are between 200 and 250 volts go to step 2. If not, refer it to an electrician for repair. 2. Testing the lower terminals. With the power on, test the two lower terminals as you tested the upper terminals in step 1; the results should be the same. If all the readings on both steps are what they should be, enough power is getting to the heater. If not, call an electrician. Before working on any part of the heater, test that the power is off: Shift the lever arm of the disconnect switch box to the OFF position and test the lower terminals as you tested the upper terminals in step 1. This time the tester should show 0 volts in all cases. If the tester shows that the disconnect switch box conducts any power at all while in the OFF position, do not touch the switch box or the water heater; refer it to an electrician for repair. 3. Verifying power shutoff at the heater. Set the multi tester at 250 volts AC and touch a probe to each of the upper terminals of the high-limit cutoff (the one with the red reset button) above the upper thermostat. Then touch one probe to the exposed interior tank wall and the other to each terminal, in turn. The tester should show 0 volts each time. If the power is off and the readings are not 0, do not touch the heater; refer it to an electrician. 4. Check the reset button. (If it's popped out) Disconnect power to the heater at the main service panel or the switch box and verity that it is off, then push the reset button in and listen for a click. Turn on the power and wait three hours (yeah, right). If the interior tank wall feels warm near the bottom turn off the power, replace the insulation and access panels and turn the power back on. 5. Testing the high-limit cutoff for continuity. With the power off, label the position of one of the element wires with masking tape, and disconnect it by removing its terminal screws (Yikes!). With a multi tester set at RX1, touch a probe to each of the cutoff's two left terminals, and then to the two right terminals. The tester needle should sweep to 0 each time, indicating continuity. If the cutoff shows continuity, test the thermostat; if not, reconnect the wire and recommend the cutoff be replaced by an electrician. 6. Testing the thermostats. Ensure power is off to the water heater. Turn the thermostat dial counterclockwise to its lowest temperature setting and listen for a click. If you hear no click, turn the dial clockwise to its highest point, run a hot water tap until the water runs lukewarm, and move the dial to its lowest setting; you should now hear a click. Label and disconnect the wire to the upper element (Yikes again!). With a multi tester set at RX1, touch a probe to each of the left terminals. The tester needle should remain at infinity. Then touch a probe to each of the two right terminals on a four-screw thermostat, or to the upper left and upper right terminals on a 3-screw model. The tester needle should swing to 0. Adjust the thermostat to its highest setting; you should hear a click. Repeat the two tests; this time the results should be reversed. To test the lower thermostat, first adjust the upper thermostat to its lowest setting. Then turn the lower dial to its lowest setting; the tester needle should remain at infinity. Finally, turn the dial to the highest setting; the needle should swing to 0. Of any of your results differ, recommend having an electrician replace the thermostat. If the thermostat tests okay, test the elements. If not, recommend an electrician replace it. 7. Testing the elements. To test the upper or lower element, turn off power to the water heater and test that it is off. Then disconnect one of the thermostat wires (Yikes x 3!). Using a multi tester set at RX1000, touch one probe to an element mounting bolt or the thermostat bracket, and the other to each element terminal screw in turn. If the tester needle moves at all, the element is grounded and needs to be replaced. To test whether the element works, set the multi tester at RX1 and touch a probe to each of the two terminal screws. The tester should indicate resistance in the medium range of the ohms scale; if not, recommend that it be replaced by an electrician.

Hi Randy, Interesting question. I've never really thought about how really, but if I had to spell it out I think I'd say I evaluate location first, installation second and operation third. 1. Location a. If in a garage is there adequate clearance around it and is it the required height off the garage floor and is there at least one bollard to protect it if it's where a vehicle can strike it? b. If inside in a utility closet, is the door wide enough to remove it, is there sufficient clearance around it and, if it's gas, is there good air supply into that room and how is the air supply configured? c. Is the base clear of debris so that the air inlets aren't blocked and plenty of air can flow to the burner? Are there puff shields in place? If so, are the correctly installed? d. Is it being used as a 'shelf' with a ton of stuff piled on top of it? e. If it's in a laundry/utility room, whether it's gas or electric and, if gas, whether it's a gravity, direct or power vent and whether there a good air supply into that room with the door closed and how close is the nearest air suction source (furnace, clothes dryer or exhaust fan)? f. If it's in a bedroom or bathroom, is it a direct-vent type? g. Are the isolation valve(s), T & P valve and drain petcock readily accessible? h. If gas, is it oriented so the homeowner can easily get to and remove the puff shields, see the pilot and burner and will be able to easily light it? i. If gas, is the space shared with any other gas-burning appiances and, if so, is there an adequate volume of makeup air for combustion for both appliances to operate correctly? Are there any signs at either appliance that there have been problems with makeup air (rollout scorch marks, melted plastic insulators near the draft hood at the top of the tank, heavy mineral salt accumulations on pipe joints, etc.)? 2. Installation a. Is it stabile and adequately braced against seismic activity with full-circumference straps in the top and bottom third of the tank, no closer than 4 inches to the controls, and, if so, are they secured with adequate fasteners to solid anchor points, and is there blocking filling any gaps between the tank and the wall to prevent it from bouncing around inside the straps during an 'event'? b. Is there an expansion tank? If so, is it adequately secured to prevent it oscillating and becoming damaged during an event? If not, why not? c. Are there heat trap nipples at the top of the tank or are the connectors configured as heat traps? d. Are the nipples dielectric or brass? If dielectric has a jumper been installed between the hot and the cold pipes? e. If it's electric, is there a disconnect within sight or a lockout in the panel and is the breaker and wiring adequately sized? f. If gas, is there a shutoff valve within 3 to 6ft. of the appliance and ahead of any unions? g. If electric, is the cable the correct type, protected from damage, adequately secured at both ends and is there an equipment grounding path? h. If on a second floor or in an attic, is there a drain pan with drain? i. Is there adequate working space around it? j. If gas, has the right flue material been used, is it adequately sized and free of rust and holes? k. If gas, is the flue baffle in place and/or is it sitting on the burner plate or is the plate covered with a pile of rust? l. If gas and in an unheated location, has double-walled vent material been used? If not, is there any sign of condensate drainage/damage around flue joints, the draft hood or under the baffle tube or on the burner plate? m. If gas, how many bends are there in the exhaust, how sharp are the bends and what's the ratio of horizontal to vertical vent length? n. If gas, does it vent into a shared vent? If so, how is the transition done and is the shared vent adequately sized for both appliances and proper braced at required intervals? o. Are the isolation valves full-bore types and are flexible connectors and nipples adequately sized and are there any dissimilar metal issues with them? Are they reversed? Are they insulated? p. Are all the connections (gas and water) tight and leak free? Is there any sign of rust? q. Is there a T & P valve? If so, is it in the top 6 inches of the tank, is the discharge pipe the right material, adequately sized, in constant drainage plane and terminates properly? If no T & P, is there a Watts 210 or equivalent installed on the system? r. Is the draft hood in place and secured? s. Is the temperature set at a safe level? If not, is there are mixing valve installed? t. Is there sufficient clearance from combustibles around the flue and does it terminate the proper distance above the roof. u. If venting into a masony chimney, is the masonry chimney lined and properly sized and are there any signs of condensate damage to the flue? Does the flue need cleaning? v. Are there any odors of gas? w. Are there any signs of leaks around the tank bosses where the heating elements screw into the tank? x. Is the gas connector properly sized, the right type and is there a drip leg? 3. Operation a. Does it work? If so, is it making any weird sounds? Does it seem to provide sufficient hot water? How's burner flame look? b. Are there any odd odors around it when it's operating? c. If signs of possible backdrafting or there seems to be insufficient makeup air, with the door closed, does a monoxir test indicate the thing is backdrafting any CO for more than a couple of minutes after cold startup? That's all I can do off-the-cuff. Those are the observations that come readily to mind. I'm sure I've left something out that I'll think of later, but it's really a reflexive process anyway and can change from house to house, depending on what's there. This is only for conventional tank-type water heaters and I didn't comment at all on oil-burning water heaters because 10+ years I've yet to encounter one. Is this what you meant? If not, I guess I'll have to figure out how to make a water heater walk, trot, canter and gallop before I'm able to put it through its paces. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Around here, most of those are wired with a 30 amp breaker and #10 wire. Wires are always fine, no excess heat on the breakers or wiring even after we've put the water heater through its paces. 4500 watts at 240 is going to pull between 18 and 19 amps and I don't think that both elements are kicking on at the same time or these would be tripping the 30 amp breakers. My take. Of course, I'm stupid about electricity, so if I've got it wrong I know Jim or someone else will set me straight. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Well, I don't know how much help it will be, but go to the downloads section here on TIJ and check out FM 5-426, the army carpentry manual. They still teach construction of pile foundations in the Army and Chapter 11 of that manual is all about warves and pilings. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

It's because we care about you John and we don't want to see you hurt. [:-love]

From: HUD USER News A new report titled Moisture-Resistant Homes, commissioned by HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research and PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing), advances the goal of designing, building, and maintaining houses in ways that control and mitigate the damage caused by moisture. In the past, moisture control primarily meant keeping out rain, snow, and melting ice. Advances in housing technology require greater attention to managing interior moisture, including water vapor, in order to promote occupant comfort, protect indoor air quality, and prevent mold. This guide identifies sound moisture management practices for all phases of the life of a house, from design through occupancy. Its 'best practice' recommendations, organized by building system, allow the reader to quickly review viable moisture control strategies. One can also browse a checklist of jobsite quality management steps that will convert good design intentions into realities. Finally, readers can follow the guide's room-by-room inspection protocols for preventing moisture damage. The report also lists additional sources of information and assistance. The document can be downloaded at no cost by clicking here, while a printed copy can be ordered for a nominal fee by calling HUD USER at 800-245-2691, option 1.

Say what? You're disconnecting wires from breakers to measure them? Why in the world would you do that? OT - OF!!! M.

I wouldn't use that on electrical stuff. It's conductive and you're liable to short something out. You can get a plastic set of wire gauges from PE that are non-conductive. Just remember to remove the aluminum foil size stickers and engrave the size on them. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Les, Yeah, I saw it. Interesting that they upplayed the mold but didn't say anything about the fact that, since he's a fireman, it's possible he could have been exposed to some other toxic fume or element that he had a reaction to. Mold is more dramatic and scary. Makes for better TV. I don't think that the producer cares about how many people they needlessly scare the bejezzus out of, they just want the dramatic effect. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

What do you think it will taste like? I'll bet dollars to donuts that if Terry sticks his tongue on that outlet it will taste exactly like scorched tongue. [:-bonc01] OT - OF!!! M.

Hi, Jim's right. the chase is nothing but a lightweight wooden frame housing a double-walled vent. A couple of 30 degree elbows and some extra vent pipe and that chase could just have easily been placed on one of those adjacent roof planes where a nicely made copper cricket and some non-complicated flashing would have worked fine. Look at the corrosion on the metal cap on top of the chase. It's been there long enough to have weathered the galvanizing to the point where the underlying steel is exposed to moisture and is beginning to rust, so it's been like this for a while. If there aren't any signs of leaks, this is one of those things where they've either got to accept it or decide to do something about it, but there's no way that you should assume any liability for it. Tell them that, because you can't tell how it's been detailed beneath the cover, there's no way that you'll accept liability for it and that you intend to state that clearly in your report, regardless of what they decide. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, They are flush to the surface and don't interfere with lawn mowers at all. In fact, the first time I saw these 10 years ago I thought they were pop-up sprinkler heads and couldn't figure out why there were so few around the home. OT - OF!!! M.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Release #06-270 Due to a fire hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with IBM and Lenovo, has announced a voluntary recall of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in the IBM and Lenovo Thinkpad notebook computers. Units: About 168,500 battery packs (an additional 357,500 battery packs were sold worldwide). Battery Distributor: Lenovo (United States) Inc., of Research Triangle Park, N.C. and International Business Machines Corp., of Armonk, N.Y. Battery Manufacturer: Sony Energy Devices Corp., of Japan Hazard: The lithium-ion batteries can cause overheating, posing a fire hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: Lenovo has received one confirmed report of a battery overheating and causing a fire that damaged the notebook computer. The incident, which occurred within an airport terminal as the user was boarding an airplane, caused enough smoking and sparking that a fire extinguisher was used to put it out. There was minor property damage and no injuries were reported. Description: The recalled lithium-ion batteries were sold with or sold separately to be used with the following ThinkPad notebook computers: T Series (T43, T43p, T60); R Series (R51e, R52, R60, R60e); and X Series (X60, X60s). The recalled batteries have the following part or model numbers, which can be found on the battery label: Part/model number: ASM P/N & FRU P/N's are: 92P1072/92P1073; 92P1088/92P1089; 92P1142/92P1141; 92P1170/92P1169; 93P5028/92P1174; or 92P1173/93P5030 Sold Through: Lenovo and IBM's Web sites, telephone and direct sales, and Lenovo and IBM authorized distributors between February 2005 and September 2006 as an accessory for between $150 and $180 and as part of a ThinkPad notebook computer for between $750 and $3500. Manufactured in: Japan and China Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled batteries immediately and contact Lenovo to receive a replacement battery, free-of-charge. Until a replacement battery arrives, consumers can continue to use their computer by turning off the system, removing the battery, and plugging in the AC adapter and power cord. Consumers should use only genuine ThinkPad batteries obtained from either Lenovo or an authorized reseller. Consumer Contact: Customers should contact Lenovo at (800) 426-7378 anytime or log on to www.lenovo.com/batteryprogram to determine if the battery is part of the recall and to receive a replacement battery. To view this release online, click here to go to the announcement on the CPSC web site or call the Lenovo Recall Hotline: (800) 426-7378 or the CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772.

This is not exactly like the one's I used. They were designed to be used with flexible black non-perforated 4" ABS pipe, but it is essentially the same thing. The photo shows the pop-up lid extended, but it actually sits flush with the surface of the disk. OT - OF!!! M. Download Attachment: pop-up.jpg 3.65 KB

Jeez, Nobody's found errors in my math yet? That's a surprise. It took me 4 years to make it through Algebra I so I could graduate high school, and then I only made it by 1 point. Me an' numbers don't mix. I guess Terry has got his answer about the drains. My experience is similar to Kurt's. Most of Seattle still doesn't have storm sewers and downspout systems on most of the homes built before the 70's are inter-connected to the city's sanitary sewer system, along with the drain/waste plumbing, exterior stairwell drains and driveway drains. During rare periods of intense rain activity, the sewer system can't handle the extra volume of water and the TV news will show the occasional homeowner standing in a basement trying to stop up the geyser coming in through the toilet in a basement bathroom. Although I've never dug one up, I'm pretty confident that these are not inter-connected to the footing drains and that the footing drains, when they are there, aren't connected to the sewers either. I think they simply extend out under the yards and allow water to disperse away from the foundation. Homes built after the 70's here are a little higher tech with dry wells to accept roof runoff. The newest have concrete wells that are built to overflow into the city sewer when/if enough rain falls to cause them to overflow. Other parts of the city, they're in the process of converting by installing storm sewer systems separate from the sanitary sewer system and projected time for conversion for the entire city is somewhere around 2025. The most often seen cause of water infiltration into basements and crawlspaces around here is, in my opinion, older concrete crock-style roof drain systems around foundations which have failed. These things are just 20" long pieces of 4" I.D. concrete pipe that are laid end-to-end around the foundation and then are buried. They're sealed by wrapping a piece of felt around the joint and plastering the felt with some mortar - not exactly a water-tight joint and roots from the ever-present shrubbery and settling over-dig soil causes them to separate. About 5 years ago, during the non-compete time after I sold my inspection franchise, a customer asked me what I could do to dry up his 80-year old basement, which he said had "always" been wet, without placing unsightly elbows with long extensions and splash blocks all around his house. I took one look at the home without entering and told him, "Just bypass those concrete crock drains that are receiving that roof runoff, and get all of that water at least six feet from that foundation and it will dry out." He seemed doubtful but hired me to do it. It was late January and had been raining for days. There was a stream of water entering his basement at the base of one wall that drained to a floor drain and then disappeared. I set about installing six bubbler pots around the home to capture the roof runoff. These are simple fiberglass devices that have a slightly rounded top with a little pop-up lid in the center and a 3 or 4 inch elbow underneath. You bury them flush with grade and connect them with a length of buried non-perforated plastic pipe to each of the downspouts. I started at 1:00 PM, using a trenching spade to dig narrow 4 inch wide ditches about a foot deep straight out from each downspout. Then I'd lay in a piece of non-perforated 4 inch drainpipe that connected to the downspout at one end and the bubbler pot at the other end about 8ft. from the foundation and would bury the pipe. Lastly, I broke off the lips of the crocks that projected above grade, stuffed some newspaper inside and then followed with a 5 inch thick plug of hydraulic cement. I finished all six and had replaced all of the sod by 4:30PM and it was already dark. The rain hadn't let up all afternoon and I was soaked to the bone. I went inside and down the stairs to the basement, where I found nothing left of the stream of water except a rapidly drying damp spot on the concrete. I left and drove home. That evening the homeowner called after he got home and was ecstatic. "Mike, this basement has had water draining through it for the 12 years that I've lived here. It's hard to believe that the solution was such an easy one. Thanks a heap!" I'd purchased six bubblers (sometimes called "pop-ups") for less than $60 at the time, along with about 60ft. of non-perforated corrugated drainpipe for about $20 and a couple of containers of hydraulic cement for less than $20. He's a doctor, so he obviously didn't want to stand out there in the rain doing this grunt work, but if he had it would have cost him about $100 plus his own time to fix, instead of the $400 I charged him. Bottom line, roofs produce a lot of water and downspouts need to discharge either into their own separate tight-lined system, that is drained apart from footing drains and the sewer, or onto grade at least six feet from a foundation wall, or you're liable to end up with infiltration issues. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike