hausdok

Such a system is already here. Click here. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hmm, According to Syfy Channel's Sanctuary drama, Tesla is a power hungy vampire/genious who is still alive. Better stay away from that Zig-Zag strip. [:-propell ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

In most places unless a property of this nature is townhouses it is considered multi-family and falls under the commercial code. What's a "commercial code?" Here we have a residential code that covers single family and small multi-family buildings but everything else is covered by the Oregon version of the IBC. There isn't a special "commercial code" that I'm aware of. Those occupancies as well as larger multi-family occupancies are covered by the IBC. - Jim Katen, Oregon Hi, Yeah, I agree. One and two-family under the IRC but everything else falls under the IBC. It's that way here too and I suspect that the "commercial code" he is referring to is the IBC. A home inspector here could use the IRC for a one or two-family home and the IBC for a triplex or quadraplex and would inspect those buildings according to the state-mandated home inspection SOP. Multi-family housing outside of that range here is considered commercial housing/buildings and inspectors who do those and other commercial buildings and properties exclusively fall outside of DOL's jurisdiction over home inspectors. There is a defensible SOP of sorts for commercial building inspectors and that's ASTM E 2018-08. Brad can look to that for additional guidance with this one. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

It's in the OP. An apartment building is a commercial building; at least under our rules here. Here, anything up to four units is residential; anything over that is considered commercial. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

The thing that one needs to keep in mind when doing commercial inspections is that the client hasn't got an emotional attachment to the building in question. Buying it is strictly a business decision and if a building has Zinsco or FPE panels the client's primary concern is what the bottom line of what it will cost to replace the panels is going to be. Compared to the overall cost of the whole building, that cost might be negligible. I think it's important not to understate the serioiusness of the issue but at the same time you must recognize that there are inherent differences and priorities in play with commercial inspections. State the issue and then concentrate on finding out what it's going to cost to rectify it - that's the information the client needs more than anything else. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Well, There's plenty of uses for roofing mastic; like sealing the shingles to the sides of a valley, hand-sealing shingles when it's too cold for them to activate, daubing exposed fasteners, etc., but I think "tar" has pretty limited applications, no? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

D'oh! Bill found it. Who would have thought I'd have it under something labeled polls? Oh brudder! ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

How about pitch pockets on a BUR? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

It should sound sensual, I wasn't wearing anything but vaseline and a beret when I wrote it. Hmm, Were any of those sheep you sheared on here a few years ago in the vicinity? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Not even sure I remember how to set up a poll. Seems to me I spent a couple of hours figuring it out the last time I did it. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

That was one of the marketing techniques used by the franchise network that I used to belong to. They encouraged us to stop by as many brokers' opens as we could once a week and to sponsor one at least once a quarter. They didn't market at regular open houses; only at broker's opens. At a broker's open, the inspector doesn't meet the public; only realtors. The idea was to arrange to co-sponsor a broker's open with an agent and either share the cost of refreshments or pay for the refreshments. You're supposed to show up with a resplendent vehicle and equipment in your company uniform with lots of business cards and brochures in hand. To get the list of brokers' opens, you either have to be an affiliate member of the multiple or you need to schmooze a contact at one of the real estate offices - I used to drop off a little box of chocolates with a chubby receptionist at one of the local realtor's offices once a week. It wasn't hard to tell that she wasn't sharing those chocolates with anyone else in the office. She'd fire me the list every Tuesday and Wednesday morning - the days that brokers had opens in my territory - like clockwork. Most agents coming through broker's opens blast right through and are in and out of the house in about two minutes flat; however, about 10 to 20% will hang around to ask you questions if you are co-sponsoring the open. I suppose they feel guilty about eating the food you've provided without at least talking to you. During those conversations, you are expected to emphasize your houseside manner and how you realize that they (realtors) are also your clients ([:-yuck])and how you know how to do an inspection without their clients jumping in the car and burning rubber away from the site. You are supposed to get the agents' cards and then immediately, and every week thereafter, fire off letters to them promoting your ability to do a good job for their clients without freaking the client out. The theory is that an agent will not remember you unless the agent sees you or hears from you consistently over at least a 3-month period. I'm sure it works, because the guys in that network garner a ton of work in this region and around the country; the problem is that you as the inspector are not at arms length from the realtors and it makes you (at least it did me) feel dirty. I did it once; about three months into this gig. My wife is a phenomenal cook and she's used to preparing meals for large numbers of people; so she whipped up a Korean/Mongolian barbecue that covered a 12ft. long buffet table. The agents came in, stopped in shock and couldn't believe that a home inspector had done more than bring a couple of boxes of donuts or a carton of Starbucks coffee, stuffed their faces, handed me cards and blasted away as soon as they were able to do so without looking too greedy. Out of more than 40 that came through in a 4 hour period; who completely consumed everything on that table, I only ever heard from one. After my first inspection with that agent, which took my usual 4+ hours (I only have two speeds - slow and careful.), I never heard from that agent again. There was probably $200 bucks worth of food on that table (cost before preparation). I chalked it up to "marketing expenses" but it stung. I never did it again, though I know that there are folks in that network that did it religiously. 9 months into this gig I got tired of feeling like a beggar walking into realtors' offices with a tin cup and said, "F**k this, I'm not doing this bulls**t anymore," and I stopped following their marketing model and adopted my own. I would simply stop in at open houses, any open house, walk up the agent, introduce myself, stick a card in the agent's hand and say something like, "I know you've got your own stable of inspectors and you don't want to add any more; but I challenge you to refer me just once. If you do, you'll bump one of those other guys, I'm sure of it," and then I'd turn and leave without any more conversation. If they attempted to engage me, I always had someplace else to be ten minutes ago and I wouldn't stay and talk. It made them curious enough that most couldn't resist the challenge and I'd get at least one referral from nearly every agent I came into contact with. By doing that consistently week after week I was able to garner enough one-time referrals to survive long enough for my name to start getting around via customers' comments to their friends, relatives and co-workers; plus I did manage to get some regular agent referrals out of it from agents who weren't looking for a suck-up artist. If you do it; you need to realize that you'll simply be perpetuating the inspector stereotype in the minds of every agent who's modus operandi is to use/manipulate inspectors and discard them the first time they don't toe the line. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

It covers the cost of testing, cleanup, and replacement of the tank. All oil dealers in Oregon offer it. I don't know if the price is fixed, but it seems to be about $140/yr and they'll cover up to $4,000 in costs. It's funded by our Department of Environmental Quality and a 3% surcharge on oil sales in the state. In order to qualify, you have to be on an autofill program and have no evidence of leaks for a year. - Jim Katen, Oregon Hi, They have the same thing here. It's a state-run program and owners pay into it along with their oil bill. It used to be really cheap but about 6 - 7 years ago the state stopped paying the lion's share of the premiums. I don't know what it costs now. Underground tanks are the norm here. I think I've seen a grand total of 4 above-ground tanks at jobs over nearly 15 years here. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I see that every once in a while. I don't see any difference between those grates and a stairwell with no doorway at the top or bottom. I still report that there isn't any dedicated heat for the second floor; and, if I do a rule of thumb calc based on square footage and discover that the furnace likely isn't big enough to supply adequate heat to the second floor, even if ducts are added, I report that as well. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Marc, In those very cold climates they place the barrier directly behind the drywall, the same way they put it behind the siding in southern climates where homes are air conditioned. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

For any of you that might be wondering, "Who the hell is Richard Weldon, he's never posted here before and I've never heard of him," Richard is a principal with Carson Dunlop Weldon & Associates Ltd. consulting engineers in Toronto, CA. He teaches commercial inspections all over the North American continent. I've asked Richard if he'd consider moderating a commercial building inspection forum on TIJ but haven't heard back from him yet whether he'd like to do it. If you guys would like his continued input on commercial inspections, don't start jumping on him and trying to scare him away, be encouraging. Here's his CV - taken directly from the CDW Engineering website: Richard Weldon, P.Eng, LEED® AP Graduated in 1987 from the University of Toronto with a B.A.Sc in Mechanical Engineering. Designated by the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario as a Professional Engineer in 1989. Designated as a Consulting Engineer in 1995. West Central Region Councilor, Professional Engineers Ontario. An employee of Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd. from 1987 to 1997. Duties include inspecting over 4,000 residential and commercial buildings of various descriptions and reporting on conditions of major components such as structure, building envelope and mechanical systems. An employee of Carson, Dunlop, Rohmann & Associates Ltd. in 1991. Duties include detailed progress inspections of roofing membrane installations, consulting with architects on roofing details and procedures and specification writing for roofing applications. Formed Carson, Dunlop, Weldon & Associates Ltd. with Alan Carson and Robert Dunlop in 1997. Member of the Ontario Building Envelope Council. Member of the Ontario Plumbing Inspectors Association. Member of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada. Served as an expert witness to the Ontario Courts-General Division Revised and updated the Rehabilitation Skills Course for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Continuing education courses include: Deterioration and Failure of Concrete Structures, University of Toronto. Ontario Building Code - Part 9 Technical Requirements, Ontario Ministry of Housing. Electrical Safety Code, University of Toronto Structural Design, University of Toronto. Advanced Plumbing Design, Seneca College Co-authored and currently teaches Commercial Property Assessment courses for various public and private groups across North America. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Brad, Another thing to point out is that, though this was a commercial inspection, you hold a home inspector's license and are bound by the code of ethics. Any violation of the code of ethics, even if done during the commission of a commercial inspection and at the behest of the client, could land you in hot water with DOL. As long as you are holding that license and are accepting money for your expertise you must abide by the code of ethics. You must remain unbiased, you must maintain your integrity, you are not allowed to minimize, compromise or attempt to balance information and you may not accept an inspection when assignment of the inspection is contingent upon your reporting predetermined conditions - namely that there is nothing seriously wrong with the structure. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

If I'm remembering correctly, my father's plumbing sub would always leave a gap about 1-inch wide at the very back of the pedestal, the theory being that if any water were squirting out of the seal some might drain out of the slot and provide a tip-off that something isn't right. Back then, he'd bed the pedestal in plumber's putty because they didn't have silicone caulk that's as hardy and durable as what's available today. I think that a decent bead, once fully cured, provides a more solid base if it's applied first and the pedestal is bedded into that along with the seal. I don't know that just applying a bead around the perimeter, once the pedestal is down, is doing anything except providing a neat cosmetic transition. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Stick to your guns, There are twelve units in that building. That means there are twelve times as many chances that one of those could fail. He now knows that it would be prudent for him to spend $X per unit to upgrade to a more reliable and safer panel. That's the kind of information a commercial client needs. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, It looks like you have a liquid seal of about 10 inches. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Mark, Was there a laundry area in that basement? I'm thinking chlorine bleach. Saw the same thing yesterday on a panel stored in a laundry room with a noticeable chlorine bleach odor. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi All, Well, it's 2011 and Mr. Ferry still hasn't shown up to put up; so I guess he is shutting up. Anytime you're ready, Joe, I'll be happy to provide you the proof you were squawking didn't exist. Just remember, you're going to have to put up the dough you promised to pay this guy when he provided that proof. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Something tells me that the relationship between parents and daughter is going to take a very serious hit. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Yeah, the same thing happened to me last year. I was inspecting a home over in Redmond when I heard the sound of running water. My hearing isn't so good; so I asked the client, "Do you hear running water?" He did, so I glanced around but didn't see anything. Then I turned completely around and looked at the wall of the neighbor's house and saw water coming out of the clapboard siding at the second floor level. I walked around to the back and the water was coming out of the back wall too. Then I walked around to the front of the house and it was coming out of the ceiling above the porch. I walked around to the entrance and found it running out from under the main entry, across the stoop and driveway and into the street. There was a pile of newspapers on the stoop so it was obvious nobody was home. The realtor started knocking on doors looking for someone who knew the owner while I went to my truck, got a wrench and then went and turned the water off at the meter. Someone called the fire department. When they arrived, I told them what had happened and asked if they were going inside. The fire honcho answered, "Nope, we'd have done just what you've done; turned off the meter. Good job, thanks a lot," and then the fire department left. Later that afternoon as I was about to finish up, a fellow came over and said that his wife had just told him about the water coming out of that house. He said he was watching the house for his friend who was on vacation in India. I asked him when he'd last checked the house. He said the first week in December. I said, "Jeez, it's December 18th. We had a bad freeze here on December 7th and a lot of pipes burst around here. You mean to tell me that you didn't check your friend's house during or after that freeze?" He kind of shrugged. I told him he should check it out but that if he knew the overhead door code he should open the garage and turn off the power before he walks into that house. He nodded and left. About fifteen minutes later he came back all shook up and told me that a pipe had burst in the wall of the second floor laundry room and that the carpeting, the lower part of the second floor walls and everything from that point down was sopping wet and ruined and that there was mold growing everywhere. He then hastened off to call his friend and give him the bad news. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

That particular fungi is lichen. It's more aggressive than moss or algae. I usually see it near the peak of the roof where it will grow on the bird crap left at the ends. There's normally a lot of granule loss under that stuff. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Open two different windows. Put your cursor in one and then hit the windows key and the left arrow key and then do the same but with the right arrow key for the other file. You can stack stuff rows deep. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike