Jesse

I did a double-take when I saw that, Randy. Had to read it a couple times to make sure it was really there.

Wow This thread hibernated for almost 3 years. Gotta be a record. Mike?

Stacy It's important that you realize that all of the pictures you have posted are symptoms of problems, not just the problems themselves. The water is likely from a roof or plumbing leak. IF there's a long term moisture problem in an under-ventilated space, and IF it's lead to growth in a mold or mildew colony, and IF that colony is of a few certain types out of thousands of possible culprits... There are a lot of people that believe very strongly that a a significant colonization of some molds can lead to health problems in humans, usually those who already have respiratory or immunodeficiency diseases. Then, there are a lot of people that believe very strongly that the mold issue has been blown terribly out of proportion by the media. We live surrounded by microorganisms everyday at home, at work, and certainly outside. Try to get the management company to fix the problems. If you, or your friend, consider it so much of a problem, leave. If you thought your last apartment was such a disaster, why didn't you try to keep your friend out of it? Also, if things were so bad, why did you stay in the same complex, with the same management company and owner? Good luck.

Stacy Sounds like you may be looking too hard for something to be wrong. Scott's right. The roof is leaking at the penetrations; fix them. The fan is dirty; clean it. As far as the padlocks on the scuttle access: It looks like you have a common attic, meaning that there's no wall in the attic between apartments. If the scuttle is unlocked, your neighbor can get in the attic from his apartment, and drop down into yours through that scuttle. Plus, the building owner doesn't want his tenants using the attic for storage or even living space. Good luck in the new place.

If someone's going to bring fireground hydraulics into this, let's do it right. You add 5psi per floor(10ft) above the pumping engine, not 10psi. Flow doesn't matter; nozzle doesn't matter; tip pressure doesn't matter. Also, I've never heard of a nozzle operated at 150psi. If it's a 2-story house, the burner is in the attic, and the tank is at ground level, the pump will have to add an additional 10psi to compensate for the two-story lift. That's approximate, of course. I never see oil appliances, so I don't know what pressure the oil pumps work at, but I think maintaining the prime would be a greater problem. I figure the east coast guys might have something to offer on the real question: why is it not usually done? I'm very curious. If Kyle, a Jersey guy, has never seen it, there has to be a reason.

The golf ball thing is new to me. Can you give a full explanation?

No attack intended, Jerry, toward you or anyone else. Just expressing opinion. Sorry to cause any grief. I was actually agreeing with you.

I'm with Darren. The windows are missing screens(specific or general dictated by the house). Tell the client they can ask to have them in place for the final walk-thru.

Code shmode. If you think it's a problem, say it. That's what your clients hired you for. If it's a bad building practice, and you see it as a hazard, present it as such to your client.

Some customers: willing to fight to the teeth over GFCIs in the garage. The others: you could tell them the house is ready to collapse, and they're ready to move right in.

First check all over for exaust gases leaking from anywhere. 99.9% of the time, you'll find it, then say: "The boiler is over thirty years old, and is well beyond its expected service life. It is leaking exaust gases, which is hazardous. The boiler and nearby plumbing is likely insulated with asbestos. Have the boiler serviced by a qualified contractor experienced with older boilers, to ensure safe operation. The boiler may have to be replaced." Then warn the client that it may continue to work forever, and it may crap-out tomorrow. It is terribly inefficient, and should probably be replaced. Replacing it will be expensive, moreso due to the asbestos issue. That's me. Be gentle with your critiques. Ah, screw it, let it rip!

Bath vent or not, there's a fair amount of moisture in the home migrating up. People exhale a lot of moisture, cooking, etc. That could be condensing on the cold roof sheathing. Did the blown-in insulation cover the soffit vents? That would prevent air from drafting through for adequate ventilation, leading to the moisture build-up. In my own house my soffit vents were blocked from day one. Builder built the soffits solid, then covered the 1x8s with the aluminum vents. Looked like ventilation from the outside!

Mr. Bain - For my own entertainment and a little education... Can you post a pic of EIFS/window joint on this monster?

Randy & Mike - I've never heard of such a thorough summary before; it's interesting. Everyone's got their own flavor.

Writing a summary gets tricky because what you think is important doesn't always jive with what the client thinks is important. Then somebody's pissed because they discover something later that was in the report, but not in the summary. That somebody only really read the summary. It doesn't matter who's right, or who'll win in court. Unhappy clients aren't good for business. Write a clear complete report; walk the client through the report to make sure it's clear. Answer their questions, whether or not they remember to ask them. Happy client. Happy New Year to all. Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.

Wow. A misspelled word in the first section of their sample report. Not a good sign.

"Barry" is nice. Keep it.

Yeah, the adapter would work in a two-prong outlet in the Chi-town area. That is, of course, assuming the run to the receptacle was done properly AND the user actually utilizes the little pigtail on the adapter to the center screw. Never seen that done. Around here, test the receptacle for ground. If it's good, let the client know the same box can handle today's three-prong receptacles.

It wasn't me that asked!

Jim - It doesn't seem like yours would be very easy to join.

My first instinct is TELL ALL. Responsibility to the client, etc. It's like knowing traits common to a certain builder in your area, or knowing that one block in the neighborhood always floods. You have even more to offer your client. Legally, I don't know for sure. But down the road, if it was determined that you were aware of major defects and did not share them with your client, I think you'd find yourself up poop creek.

As long as the bend worked, and it's installed safely/properly, what's the problem with the oversized wire? Wouldn't bother me. Is the 4/0 just from the meter, or is the service drop that fat as well?

That was rough. I'll take what I can get, though. Not enough wins in Chicago sports lately.

Bill's drawing says it all. Kurt, thanks for getting back to the original issue. If the underground drainage can't handle the downspout discharge during heavy rain, it'll back up through the tile. Bad.

Chad's right on. Footprint matters. Imagine looking at the roof from above, like on google's satelite views. That's what the cloud sees. Steeper roof sheds the water faster, but collects no more.