hausdok

Hi, That looks like wire lath behind the "stone" so it's faux stone. A crack through that stuff is just cosmetic. The flashings should extend up behind that veneer onto the face of the underlying sheathing. Sealing the slot along the top of the flashings in that case doesn't make any sense because the veneer has to drain. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, If you're interested, we have a permanent wood foundation guide in TIJ's downloads section. Go to the menu bar above, pass your cursor over "resources" choose "downloads" and then scroll down until you find it. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Looks like rat snakes in both cases. Adult skin and juvenile. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi, The first one looks like a variety of garter snake - harmless. The second looks like a varient of the rat snake - also harmless, although it can grow to a pretty good size and inflict a painful nip if you allow it to. Plus, if you pick it up it'll discharge some really smelly stuff all over you that will make a skunk smell nice by comparison. Rat snakes also have another defense, they will try to imitate a rattler when startled. They'll freeze motion and then vibrate the end of their tail so fast that it'll freeze you dead in your tracks if you aren't expecting it and then they'll take off at about 10 mph through the brush. When I was at Bragg as a private, I had to pay for my rations when out in the field because I was married. Myself and another guy used to go out every morning early and catch 3 or 4 rat snakes and fry 'em up with some eggs in the mornings rather than eat c-rations for breakfast and have to pay for 'em. No, they don't taste like chicken - sort of like oily bacon with a slight fishy tint. S'funny, I'm more afraid of rats than I am of death, but snakes and me - of any variety - are cool. Maybe I like 'em because they eat rats. I don't kill 'em unless I'm planning to eat them. Found one in Germany once while on a field problem. They're so rare there that they're protected. I policed it up, because it would have been killed for certain with about 500 soldiers stomping all over its hunting grounds, and turned it over to the Forstmeister. The guy freaked. His entire life in the wood he'd never seen one. There I go, drifting again. Here's my point. Snakes are not going to hurt you unless you startle them or corner them and threaten them, so there's no good reason to kill them. They control rodents and without them we'd probably be overrun with rats. Anything that will kill rats is my friend. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Kewl! OT - OF!!! M.

Nice try Toolman, but if you want to advertise here please do it honestly and contact us regarding our advertising rates and rules for advertisers. Thank you, Mike O'Handley, Editor

Is there any such thing as a licensed and certified HVAC tech? I don't think they need any licensed or certifications to work out here? OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Barry, Thanks for keeping me up to date. I've fixed the link. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Well, That's your answer then. It's wrong because there isn't any casing bead or a head flashing above the window and the stucco is applied all the way to the windows without benefit of backer rod or tooled sealant. It doesn't matter whether it's only seen in commercial construction in your area or not. That only means that stucco contractors in your area are doing sub-par work and it's wrong because it wasn't done to the minimal acceptable standard as prescribed by ASTM. Write it up. Get smart about stucco and then start getting contractors in your area smart about stucco. Do it enough and get every other inspector you know in your area, as well as the muni inspectors to write it up, and sooner or later the stucco guys will start to learn their lesson and will change their ways. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Well, the standards are one thing but what have you got in your pre-inspection agreement? That's the real standard you're working off of and should be in compliance with whatever standard you use. That said, here's a comparison of what the S.O.P.'s of the 4 major national organizations say about A/C: A.S.H.I. Includes the installed central and through-wall cooling equipment. The inspector shall: Inspect the installed central and through-wall cooling equipment. Describe the energy source; and the cooling method by its distinguishing characteristics. The inspector is not required to: Inspect the electronic air filters. Determine the cooling supply adequacy or distribution balance. N.A.H.I. Includes the cooling equipment; cooling distribution; operating controls; procedures for Inspection. The Inspector will: Describe the type of central air conditioning system and energy sources. Operate the system using normal control devices. Open readily accessible access panels or covers provided by the manufacturer or installer, if readily accessible. Observe the condition of controls and operative components of the complete system, conditions permitting; and the condition of a representative number of the central air cooling outlets in each habitable space of the house. The Inspector is not required to: Activate or operate cooling or other systems that have been shut-down. Inspect gas-fired refrigeration systems, evaporative coolers, or wall or window-mounted air conditioning units. Check the pressure of the system coolant or determine the presence of leakage. Evaluate the capacity, efficiency, or adequacy of the system. Operate equipment or systems if exterior temperature is below 60° Fahrenheit or when other circumstances are not conducive to safe operation or may damage the equipment. Remove covers or panels that are not readily accessible. Dismantle any equipment, controls, or gauges. Check the electrical current drawn by the unit. Operate digital-type thermostats or controls. A.I.I. Includes the central air conditioning including cooling and air handling equipment and normal operating controls; distribution systems including ducts, registers, air filters, fans, pumps and piping, with associated supports, insulation, and fan-coil units if different than heating system; presence of an installed cooling source in each room The inspector shall: Observe and report on central air conditioning including cooling and air handling equipment and normal operating controls; distribution systems including ducts, registers, air filters, fans, pumps and piping, with associated supports, insulation, and fan-coil units if different than heating system; the presence of an installed cooling source in each room. The inspector shall: Identify energy sources and cooling equipment type. Reporton condensate drains where visible and accessible. Operate the systems using normal operating controls. Open readily accessible and unsecured access panels provided by the manufacturer or installer for routine homeowner maintenance. The inspector is not required to: Examine or report on cooling systems when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause equipment damage; non-central air conditioners; gas fired, solar or geothermal cooling system; food, wine or similar storage cooling systems; (Permanently installed wall air conditioning units may be reported on using normal operating controls.) Report on the uniformity or adequacy of cold air supply to the various rooms. Examine or report on any humidity control systems or components. N.A.C.H.I. Includes the central cooling equipment. The inspector shall: Inspect the central cooling equipment using normal operating controls. The inspector is not required to: Determine uniformity, temperature, flow, balance, distribution, size, capacity, BTU, or supply adequacy of the cooling system. Inspect window units, through-wall units, or electronic air filters. Operate equipment or systems if exterior temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit or when other circumstances are not conducive to safe operation or may damage the equipment. Inspect or determine thermostat calibration, heat anticipation or automatic setbacks or clocks. Examine electrical current, coolant fluids or gasses, or coolant leakage. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Easy 'ol buddy, I'm not deserting that idea. (By the way - SHHHHH!!!!). I hadn't finished with that post. See the change above. Thanks to an idiot who put his hands on my computer (Long story, don't ask), I've been using an 8-year old computer the last couple of days and it keeps locking up and won't let me back in and so forth. Really screwing me up. It's like going from using a Klingon war bird to an old velocipede for transportation. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

What a dream location to have an inspection school. No distractions for miles around out there. You could build multi-stage structur displays and do it all. I've actually thought about buying one of those before and have the missilebases.com website bookmarked. There's a whole lot of nothing out there on the other side of the mountains. If I owned one, I'd like to be able to come outside and enjoy the scenery every once in a while - not stare at scrub brush. Something like this in upstate New York would be more like it< but I can't get Chad to be the majority (90%) shareholder. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, This is from The Stucco Guide: ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Danny, Whether it is an expansion joint or a control joint, the correct term is "trim accessory" joint - either expansion trim accessory joint or control trim accessory joint. That looks like a control trim accessory joint, not an expansion trim accessory joint. There's nothing wrong with ending a control trim accessory joint on top of a window as long as the stucco ends in a casing bead and there is a metal head flashing below the casing bead that is properly incorporated into the assembly. The lath is continuous behind a control trim accessory joint so expansion isn't the concern - cracking is. If it's an expansion trim accessory joint, it should be located directly over either horizontal or vertical framing, imbeeded in caulk at the terminations and the gap needs to be filled with backer rod, caulked and tooled. The thing I'd be concerned about is the size of those squares. There's a rule that says trim accessory joints must be installed in the longest possible lengths and may not terminate within 24 inches (600mm) of an intersection with the exception of pre-manufactured trim accessory joint intersections. That doesn't look like a pre-manufactured intersection to me. What size are those squares? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Stuccoman, I realize and appreciate that you are on a mission but please do not hijack someone else's thread in furtherance of your cause. He's asking about this particular accessory joint. That should be the focus of this discussion. If you want to post your photos do it in one of your previous threads or start another. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Here's what I found in my CodeCheck Building: Floor or landing (in req'd exits) max 1-1/2in.(1in.) below top of door threshhold IRC 311.4.3/UBC 1003.3.1.6) OT - OF!!! M.

Hi, I see those quite a bit on some of the older bungalows around town. I've talked to a couple of roofers about them and they both said that they haven't been commonly used around here for about the last 35 years, which corresponds to what I'm seeing on homes. The ones I've seen were unusually thick and durable though and in amazingly good condition when one takes into consideration that they were at least a quarter of a century old. I lived in Colorado Springs for a year before moving to Seattle in the mid-90's. This type of shingle was on about 80 - 90% of the houses there - or at least so it seemed. I have no idea though whether those were as thick and durable as the ones I'm finding on older homes here. My Roofers Handbook, originally written by W.E. Johnson in 1938 and reprinted by Craftsman Book Company devotes a couple of dozen pages to installing and flashing them. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Exhumation?!!!?

Sure, Looks like a white PVC membrane from here. OT - OF!!! M.

Graboids?

Don't laugh, During WWII in the U.K. there were some Brits who converted their cars to run on methane. They actually converters next to tanks in the back of their vehicles where they put the, er,... fuel. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Nah, Can't be Jim. The only reason I would think he'd be suicidal is if he lost his internet connection and couldn't come on here to visit us! [:-slaphap OT - OF!!! M.

Hi, When you touched that foam was it soft and pliable to the touch or was it hard on the surface and scabbed over? It looks like it might be closed-cell foam, in which case, unlike Icynene, it won't allow the house to breath as well. That said, if the home stays vacant most of the time and isn't being aired out, you can expect moisture to collect at colder areas around window and door casings and once it takes hold it will simply continue to propagate until cleaned up. If it's vacant most of the time, it would make sense to have a properly-sized dehumidifier or air exchanger installed that is controlled by a humidistat and set to automatically dry the house whenever it exceeds 46% RH. My opinion. Worth price charged. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Try these: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/ren ... iesel.html http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/ Back to the original question, For about 4 - 5 months in late 1973 early 1974 I hired on as a heavy equipment mechanic in Turner & Seymour Manufacturing Company's foundry in Torrington, CT. They had a whole fleet of various industrial vehicles in that plant - forklifts, platform trucks, payloaders, sweepers, etc. - that were all powered by propane. The technology was/is very simple and used a small condensing unit before the carburetor that circulated coolant through it to liquefy the fuel. I'd never seen one, had never even been taught about them in the 2-year high school mechanics course I'd attended, but it took me about five minutes to figure the things out. Unfortunately, the trade-off for the simplicity is a very flat acceleration and delay similar to what one experiences with a turbo-charger when you punch it. With conventionally aspirated vehicles and regular fuel, the engine will pretty much continue to pile on RPM's until it tears itself apart. Not so with L-P - at least that was my experience. There's a point where acceleration simply bottoms out, because that's all that the pressure-of the L-P tank can deliver, and it's like there's a governor on the engine. Anyone used to fast highway cruising would probably feel like a horse wearing a hobble driving an L-P fueled vehicle. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

I dunno, My little 4-banger costs about $42. a pop to fill. OT - OF!!! M.