John Dirks Jr

Rust never sleeps. Preventing it in the first place is the key. Once it's begun, good luck stopping it.

I dont think pulling the wall back into position is the main goal. The main goal is to prevent it from further moving or bowing in and failing.

I assume there is also a meter on the exterior of the house for the utility service. The one in the picture only measures the amount of energy generated by the solar panels. Is this correct?

Surge protectors is my guess too. Isn't that a main disconnect at the top of the main panel? I see the two taps on the utility feed at the left of the panel enclosure. I guess this is the solar feed tapping in.

Well damn! I was thinking of trying to snipe one of those 1027's. Looks like you what 'em more than me though. BTW Les, why would you not use the case?

Metal chimney through the roof. Metal fireplace insert with CSST running through metal conduit and also in contact with fireplace metal cabinet. Download Attachment: P1300334.JPG 100.27 KB

One of the major builders in my area has abandoned using CSST all together and has gone back to using black iron. Have you recognized any of the builders in your area doing the same? I sometimes use this following document in reports to explain CSST to my clients. What's your opinion of including something like this in an inspection report? http://hawkeyehomeinspects.com/document ... ANGERS.pdf

I like the PVC based trims. I get tired of writing up wood and wood based products for rot, but I'll keep on keepin on.

I've seen that type of layered 3 tab shingled before. That's not was I was looking at in this case. Click to Enlarge 58.54 KB

It's always a good idea to get a close look whenever you can. These shingles are on a 9 year old house. They snapped at the corners like a crisp cracker. Lots of granular erosion too. Whats up with that? Download Attachment: P1300281.JPG 1720.08 KB Download Attachment: P1300295.JPG 1627 KB

I am not an expert but the central location between the two basins is an important part of the equation.

There's a ghost in the round window.

While inspecting a direct vent HE furnace today, there was a gurgling sound coming from the air gap at the condensate discharge line. I went outside and and checked the vent and intake pipes. It felt like there was way more exhaust being blown out the discharge than air being sucked into the intake. What is happening here? I've never heard the condensate line gurgle like that. I assume that the draft fan is pulling air in through the condensate line. If so, why would this happen and what are the implications of it?

I suppose I've been lucky. Years of use with Fenix lights and no problems at all.

So it used to be wood shakes but was then converted to asphalt shingles, correct?

Actually, the paper in NM is wrapped around the ground conductor only. The individually insulated hot and neutral conductors are not wrapped in paper.

I save the lengthy, well-thought write-ups so I don't have to do it over every time. I've 23 pages of it on a Word file and probably refer to it a couple dozen times for each report. It's tweaked/updated/improved with most every use. This one below is always accompanied by a photo or two: Marc Agreed. I have maybe a dozen of these lengthy ones. I might use one on every other report. On most of the common stuff, three shorter sentences and I'm moving to the next. I'm at least 80% on the fly custom narrative. Rarely more than 20% boiler in any report. Any boiler that I do use was written by me.

Boilerplate basically sucks. I've found that by the time I find the applicable comment, insert and edit it to fit the situation accurately, I can type; Here's the problem. Here's why it's a problem. Have a qualified contractor fix it.

Yeah....you could probably knock squirrels out of the trees with a garden hose on this house.

This is just my general observation without regard to being specific about any individual items. I think you have stuff in the report that does not need to be there. I suggest you look at the SOP which you follow. Include what they require and beyond that, include the specific items that you think need to be fixed. Leave the rest out. I bet you could shrink that report by 10 pages and still deliver the information needed in context of what people are looking for in a home inspection.

This townhome had a TRP valve on the water heater that was continuously passing water. I could hear it rushing down the extension pipe which drained into the floor drain over to the sump pit. To make matters worse the sump motor was bad and not evacuating the water. Pressure regulator was corroded and leaking too. For any local MD inspectors, be aware of excessively high municipal water pressure in the Catonsville area of Baltimore County. This house tested at 135psi at the rear hose bib. I suppose the excess water in the sump pit was bleeding back into the drain tile. I'm curious about drain tiles in townhome rows. Do they tie in to each other in any way? Can a water problem from one unit over flow into the drainage system of the other units? What kind of things have you found along these lines? Click to Enlarge 38.29?KB Click to Enlarge 51.68?KB Click to Enlarge 32.15?KB Click to Enlarge 46.47 KB

I've honed my Auto Text skills and am utilizing that method now.

Got any close ups of that stone embedded in the chimney?

While that is certainly unique, I don't find it extremely appealing.

I've only seen handle ties for a multi wire circuit once in five years of inspecting. As you said Robert, it was for a dishwasher/disposal combination on a 2010 new home construction. Since that time I've done other new homes and never saw the ties again.