Brad Manor

Fortunately the bulk of the load is over a structural member, perhaps we could call it a buttress..... or butt-rest. -Brad

Chad, I find myself in a similar situation. I saw that Tool Experts are selling the Surveymaster for about 400 bucks. With the way the Canadian dollar is right now I should be able to pick one up for about 385.... Seems like a pretty good deal. -Brad

I see it once in a while, I think that it's just easier to do it like that than to cut a piece of liner to the right size (no one's gonna look, right?). Most of the time I see it, the top section is sitting on nails, at least your guy used a brick. -Brad

Reglet....... then I explain that it is the cut into the masonry. Then I'm accused of being an obnoxious house-nerd. -Brad

Exactly my thoughts, Bob. I, personally, wouldn't be too happy not including some photos in a report, but if I had to choose between language and pictures - language wins hands down. -Brad

Pictures are great, they can convey in an instant what we are trying to say, but without an accompanying explanation, they are just pictures. When I am doing a report, I try to make sure that what I am trying to show with the picture is backed up by words and vice versa. If the narrative doesn't make sense without the picture, or the picture doesn't make sense without the narrative, then I'm doing something wrong. If our clients could identify problems by seeing pictures of them, then there isn't much call for us. We become photographers more than home inspectors. -Brad

While I believe that pics are a great tool for reporting, I also believe that they have the potential to be the great undoing of many inspectors. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but they may be a different thousand words for every viewer. Instead of the thousand the picture gives, I'd rather a couple hundred carefully chosen and well phrased words. I learned (the hard way) that too many pictures leads to confusion on the part of the client. Now I include pictures of the relevant items - but a make absolutely sure in writing that what I want shown is seen and, more importantly, understood. I still take loads of photos, way more than I need, but a lot of them are there just for my benefit. -Brad

I placed in ad in a local FSBO magazine. I also speak at their seminars. Doing this, however, has not endeared me to many RE agents. You can imagine my disappointment. -Brad

Yep. There are lots of oil stubs here, but very few tanks. -Brad

I was guessing around mid 40s for the house, but the boiler struck me as odd.... hence my confusion. -Brad

This is the house I found it in: Image Insert: 378.16 KB -Brad

Coal was pretty much gone around here by the 40s. Some working class neighbourhoods had coal until the 50s. Most houses from that era were on piped in oil. My own house, from the 20s shows signs of Windsors HVAC evolution: coal bin (now a cold room), oil stub, patches in the hardwood where the returns for the gravity furnace were, and now a high eff, furnace. -Brad

Thanks Jim, you are probably right. My best guess for the age of the house would put it somewhere in the early to mid 40s. The house did have a poured concrete foundation, which is very rare for houses of that vintage around here. -Brad

Came across this unit today and I'm trying to get an idea of its approximate age. Image Insert: 475.92 KB Image Insert: 654.76 KB Image Insert: 605.47 KB I know its old, I'm just curious how old. Thanks guys, -Brad

Thanks Mike, Funny how as a kid growing up on the east coast (New Brunswick) and visiting places like Cape Breton, it didn't seem so spectacular. I thought everything was like that. Now that I live here in Windsor, I can fully appreciate the beauty! -Brad

Looks like a shingled cupola, but theres probably a proper name for it. -Brad

And so the poop jokes begin! -Brad

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) also has a lot of useful information in the section of their site for housing inustry professionals. http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/index.html -Brad

I'm down a little over 30lbs - about 5 of which is due to diet and exercise. The rest due to my large intestine bursting and the resulting surgery and hospital stay. Time will tell if I am actually able to keep the weight off or if I will plump back up upon recovery. -Brad

Unfortunately I had to withdraw from the course also. I spoke to Ron the other day and expressed my regrets but due to this silly little surgery I just had, I won't be able to travel. As much as I was looking forward to the educational aspect of the seminar, I was also looking forward to meeting some of the faces behind the avatars here on TIJ. Perhaps another time...... -Brad

If it was in the bathroom near the sink, it is to plug in an old style electric razor. -Brad

Kirk, I am a home inspector as well as an insurance inspector. Welcome to TIJ!!! -Brad

Just think of the ginormous bbq you could hook up to that thing!!!!!!!! -Brad

I had a going away party for my belly; ice cream was there, beer showed up later. -Brad

Count me in too!! Current stats : 6'5" 245lbs - when I was a full time climber I weighed 190. I've got a sneaking suspicion I won't see 190 again, but I'll be happy at 215-220lbs. I am at a distinct disadvantage being married to an Eastern European - I swear she's trying to kill me with good food!!! -Brad