Brad Manor

I have a copy of the Technical Reference Guide put out by Carson Dunlop / Weldon - it has been very helpful on a number of occasions. -Brad

They're pretty common around here on houses without basements. -Brad

I had a lawyer make my agreement - making your own is an invitation to disaster - if you do write your own, have a lawyer go over it. I have dealt with tech support at InspectExpress a number of times (rather they have dealt with me). They are fantastic - I can't imagine anyone being better. -Brad

Although kind of a small photo, here is a picture of the house when it was fairly recently built. -Brad

Not only is it curved, it's wavy. They figure the whole job will take close to 3 months. The local Beer Store should have a good year! -Brad

Some friends of mine have been asked to replace the roof on this 1927 home. The house carries some historic significance: it was once owned by Paul Martin Sr. who was, at one time Canada's finance minister. His son later went on to become finance minister, then Prime Minister. The house was recently sold and is being renovated. Image Insert: 58.08 KB Image Insert: 64.09 KB Image Insert: 61.91 KB Image Insert: 49.24 KB The plan for the new roof is to form cedar shingles to the roof deck. -Brad

It's also Canada's birthday today.... Happy Canada Day [] -Brad

You can buy them at most hardware stores here... they are really sticky - my wife still calls me an idiot. I had to find out. -Brad

I believe Apollo is a division of State enterprise, thereby making the second and third digits the year. First digit is usually a letter denoting the month with State though, so I may be wrong. -Brad

I spent a good chunk of last week in Toronto taking a seminar on commercial inspections/PCAs and they were talking about using Kurts chain method to check the slabs in parking garages. -Brad

That thing looks like one of those SMART ForTwos we have all over the place here.... only half as wide. Half of really small is.......... -Brad

A competent HVAC guy should be able to straighten you out. -Brad

http://www.carver-worldwide.com/Home/Index.asp?nc=1 ...... seems to corner well. -Brad

I know where one could get a good deal on a low mileage '03 Road King with lots of extras..... I'll even help arrange import..... -Brad

This is probably a similar course, though I believe it is the first time something like this has been offered in Ontario (at least that's what the admissions office told me). If I'm not mistaken, the University of Toronto offers a certificate program in building science, but no full degree yet. As much of an education junkie as I am, I'll likely try to take every related course available to me at one time or another. My wife likes when I take these courses, apparently I tend not to say stupid things while I'm reading (but only while reading). -Brad

As for myself: I am just now starting to make a comfortable living inspecting (into my third year). I realized that since this is what I do (and intend to do until I'm too old to do it anymore) I should constantly try to become better at it. I take relevant courses whenever I can, I read as much as possible, and I ingest as much knowledge as possible at forums like this one. Well...... that just wasn't enough. I recently learned that there is a college here in Ontario that will be offering a multi-year program in Building Inspection. Sure, it isn't home inspection, but the two are related. It focuses on building codes, law/ethics, report writing, as well as the technical aspects. There will be proctored exams and field placement. So, at the tender age of 36 I will be a college freshman. Well, I guess I should go buy some textbooks now. [:-graduat -Brad

".....NACHI is a private organization, and can run it any way they damn well please." Might want to leave that part out when trying to sell memberships. -Brad

Mark, When you say you have your picture on the cards, brochures etc...... it's not the same one you use for your avatar is it?? [] -Brad

I'm a member of one of those networking groups - I've done quite well with it. -Brad

I'm not familiar with the term "studer vent".... Is it a vent, or an air admittance valve type of thing? -Brad

Yep -Brad

I'm guessing it was older than that, late 50s-ish. -Brad

Yep - actually, it was beyond damp. The house could have been a case study in moisture intrusion. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was some sort of fungus, I just don't see that sort of thing often enough to know right away. - Thanks -Brad .... now I have to edit out the part of the report about the white possum spiders...

During yesterday's crawlspace inspection, I noticed that most of the ground was covered with a white fuzz. It was also on the wood framing as well. What really caught my eye however, was all the spiders that were now dead and white. Any ideas what's going on (I don't see many crawlspaces - forgive my ignorance) Image Insert: 895.17 KB Interestingly enough, there were no live spiders at all in there. -Brad

I communicated via the live help thingy.... They said that by the end of the summer there would be "some Canadian area codes." Until then, I set myself up with a Livonia, Michigan number, simply because that's where my sister lives. Now she can call me and it won't be long distance. I don't plan to turf my other phone anytime soon, but I like having this thing for long distance. I spent the bulk of today talking on the thing, and so far it seems great - time will tell. -Brad "Now I have phone numbers in two countries" Manor