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John Dirks Jr

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  1. John Dirks Jr
    Exposed nailheads should be kept to a minimum. However, there is usually a few and they should be sealed.
  2. John Dirks Jr
    You could take a coarse on pool inspection. Then you can offer it as an additional charge to your general home inspection. The instructor at my classes said they charge $120-$150 extra for pools. They offer the training for other HI's too. Once I get my business rollin I plan on doing the pool coarse and adding that to my services.
  3. John Dirks Jr
    When Bob says cracked underlayment I think he is refering to the third picture. You can see where the plywood is bowed. On the bottom side you can see the material de-laminating and cracking. A problem I see with the plywood sticking up in second picture is it is causing the shingles to loose their downward pitch. In that area, water is likely to spill back up under the tabs of the upper shingle and leak through to the decking underneath. If the plywood were flush with the rakes and not sticking up like it is then drip edge would help protect it. Thanks for the video link Bob. Ill be sure and watch it.
  4. John Dirks Jr
    Thanks for the explanation Mike.[:-thumbu]
  5. John Dirks Jr
    Im no roofing expert but that work doesnt impress me at all. The chimney flashing looks incomplete at best. There is lack of flashing all together in the areas of exposed wood. It even looks like there are gaps big enough for critters to crawl right in. The plywood should not be sticking up above the rake board like that. Very poor workmanship in my opinion.
  6. John Dirks Jr
    Isnt cedar one of the roof types you would want to stay off of, if at all possible? Instead maybe spend extra time checking out the performance of the roof from within the attic?
  7. John Dirks Jr
    I will say some more about moss. First of all I love it. It prevents erosion in my yard since 80% of my front yard is moss. I failed to keep up on the lawn maintenance and the moss took over. I have a shady yard with lots of big oaks. It takes a moist shady environment for moss to get established. Once it gets established it is very hardy. The only way to really get rid of it is to physically remove it. It will survive the driest of droughts in the hot hot summers. My soil can be bone dry and all cracked up but the moss trudges on. I guess It must be surviving from the humidity in the air alone. Amazing stuff moss is.
  8. John Dirks Jr
    When you look at the last picture up there the angle shows the edge of the corner stone at the bottom. You can see the gap where mortar or concrete was missing and that somebody made an attempt to prop it up with a loose stone. From that angle, would you still say it looks like fake stone veneer? I have seen the stuff around here but never took a close look at it so I cant really tell by looking at the picture but it looks like real stone from that angle.
  9. John Dirks Jr
    When you look at the pictures you can see the green moss. Look closer and you will also see what looks like a darker shade that outlines and intermingles with the growth areas. What do you think is causing this darker shade?
  10. John Dirks Jr
    The moss will hold moisture against the wall. Concrete, bricks, stone and mortar are all porous and will absorb moisture. When the embedded moisture freezes is will expand and can damage the building materials. Thats just plain physics. I like moss and I think it can look appealing growing on the ground and on tree trunks and what not. However, you are in CT and it does get very cold there in the winter. Moisture saturated masonry and freezing temperatures are not good and can lead to spalling of the masonry units. The moss should be removed.
  11. John Dirks Jr
    or Excessive moss is growing on the foundation. It is causing moisture retention against the wall. This can lead to accelerated deterioration of the building materials. The moss should be cleaned off and the areas scrubbed with a bleach/water solution.
  12. John Dirks Jr
    Excessive moss is growing on the foundation. I dont think it's causing a problem at the present time, however it is causing moisture retention against the wall. This can lead to accelerated deterioration of the building materials. The moss should be cleaned off and the areas scrubbed with a bleach/water solution.
  13. John Dirks Jr
    I just copied and printed that picture. Gonna get it laminated and then attach it to my code book.[:-thumbu]
  14. John Dirks Jr
    Good response Brian. My thoughts exactly.
  15. John Dirks Jr
    Its not a good idea to justify what you believe to be bad writing. I still think there is room for variance. I see the importance of being to the point in as few words as possible. I learned that here.[:-graduat
  16. John Dirks Jr
    There are so many different ways to say the same thing. Who says that any one persons version is perfect?
  17. John Dirks Jr
    How about? "The guardrail on the rear deck is loose and is therefore a safety hazard. If it were to fail then personal injury could result from a fall. I recommend that it be repaired to reduce this risk." OK im ducking now for the onslaught.
  18. John Dirks Jr
    Is it ok for a main panel to be mounted with its back side flush up to a combustible surface such as OSB? Where can I find all the skinny on proper mounting of a main panel? Do the same rules apply to subs?
  19. John Dirks Jr
    I think I'll get a few of those Matrix reports to hold for a backup. I do have an external USB hard drive connected to my desktop which I use to duplicate all my important files. Anybody got any leftovers they want to sell?
  20. John Dirks Jr
    So you are saying you just hand wrote out an entire inspection report as a final product? What I mean by backup is forms designed for reporting. I was wondering of the different types and opinions associated with them.
  21. John Dirks Jr
    Jesse, in your written report do you recommend a qualified tech to check the sprinkler system?
  22. John Dirks Jr
    I will be using computer generated reports. In the event there is a failure of software or equipment I would like to have some type of manual backup material on hand. I dont need anything fancy or expensive. Anyone have recommendations of what might be suitable? BTW, I have dumped all the CYA disclaimers that were built into my report software. I am including that stuff mainly in the agreement. I will still have disclaimers available for use, but only when I really need them. When that happens they will be inserted exactly where they apply. No more junk strewn about the entire report. You all have helped me see the light. Well, some of the light maybe.
  23. John Dirks Jr
    The reason I brought it up is a student in my class who is already doing home inspections stated he had to pay for the replacement of sprinkler heads. It was the Omega ones I believe. Maybe it was because he failed to mention the sprinkler system all together, rather than calling for a qualified sprinkler tech he just omitted entirely.
  24. John Dirks Jr
    In high end properties we may find fire sprinklers. Isnt there a particular type of sprinkler head that is defective and is a recall? Are we supposed to catch this in an inspection? How do you all handle sprinkler systems when you come across them?
  25. John Dirks Jr
    Good point joe.
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