kurt

I would love to view the photos, but I won't click on a link that I am not sure where it goes, especially a Word doc link. Can you post a .jpeg photo instead?

Speaking of which, when did H clips become required, i.e., what year?

Like Norm said. I fully expect this to become a major trend, & I also expect the large services corporations who are now in the home inspection business to lead the way. I also expect a great many (potential) customers to think it is a great idea. Dennis' IHINA is one avenue for enlightenment of the masses. Developing a business plan to counter this sort of mess will be absolutely necessary. The single man shop leading a simple life, once the standard, is going to quickly become the anomaly. Kinda scary.

Jim, Seriously though, I actual don't get much business in my own town (Evanston NW Wildcat country, perennial letdown). I get a number of calls from clients who tell me they want an inspector from "out of town." The reason they give is they don't want someone who "knows" the agents. Isn't that the truth. I (almost) never get work in my own town (Evanston, NW Wildcat country, NOT going to the show this year). When I do, the customer always calls back to see if I'm insane, as the realtors usually expresses horror along the lines of "how did you find him?"

Stick w/ Holahan, both the book & website. I pick up most of my steam knowledge from a couple of techs' here in Chicago. They really aren't all that complicated; in fact, I'd much rather look @ an old steam system than a forced air system anyday. There is much too much said about steam & hot water that makes it appear like one has to be a magician to figure it out. Not true. Read the Holahan book, take two aspirin, & call me in the morning.

I thought it had to be "greenboard", the oxymoronic water resistant drywall(?).

To get control of your domain name, you have to diddle around w/ Ainspect and have them do a transfer of the name to you as the registrant, administrative tech, & everything else. Specifically, it's called a "Internal Transfer Request". It was a pain in the ass, but I finally got it done after much misinformation & confusion. Go to BulkRegister.com & pay your member fee; if you aren't a member of BulkRegister, it is more complicated. Once you're a member, & you get control of your own name, it's real real easy. While you're at it, register all variants of your name. Talk to Sam Ulloa @ Ainspect & he'll handle it. Start now, because it took me about 3 months to get it all done.

I salute you. Working on a high pressure/super heated steam system in the tight confines of a Naval vessel would scare the bejeezus out of me.

Been in both buildings; I would love to have seen the boiler room for the Fisher Building. We're about the same age; I bet you remember the Ford Rotunda, & going to see Santa Claus @ Hudsons downtown. I remember when the Rotunda burned; sad day for the Motor City. This puppy is in one of those fancy pants condo buildings that line Lake Shore Drive up the north side.

I love looking @ the monster boilers. How many of you guys get to look @ stuff like this?[:-bonc01] 83 years old & still going strong, albeit w/ some major welding of the end plates, new firetubes here & there, & a new mudsill in front. The boiler room was spotless (or at least as spotless as a boiler room gets). I like the way the engineer kept the paint. I just try to imagine what it must have been like back when some guy spent his life feeding tons of coal into these suckers....... Download Attachment: kewaunees.JPG 59.24 KB Download Attachment: firetubes.JPG 38.1 KB

It's worth it. Not having a website in the 21st century is like not having a business card. I'm embarassed that I've waited this long.

Probably nothing much.

I'm a moderator @ the ASHI site, & I don't think that it would be a problem. It IS a committee though, so maybe Cramer or Ghent would have a problem w/ it. If it was a fair & even handed description of your experience w/ the vendor, I wouldn't take it off. I have my own personal experience w/ AInspect, & it wasn't fun. Not horrible, but less than I wanted, & not a good way to enter the website biz. Basically, Ainspect is fine for someone who wants a very generic "business card". Much better to do it yourself, or get w/an experienced web services company.

I thought the same thing, but geeez, I really hate electric baseboard. It benefits everyone & every aspect of the construction process, except the end user. I did it @ my shack, & I regret it every winter. What I am doing is putting together a Rube Goldberg hot water/blower coil. 30 gallon electric hot water heater, grunfos pump, blower coil, TPR, pressure reducing valve, etc. The thermostat is simply a low voltage fan/pump switch. The whole contraption fits into a tiny space, no need for vents, only have to run a 240 volt circuit & tap into the water supply. I'm still messing w/ some details, but it's gonna work. Chad, would something similar, albeit better engineered, work for your space? Better yet, get a water heater w/ secondary coil; tap the secondary coil for the blower coil heat. It's a master bathroom, so go nuts w/ the 12" rain head shower, sprayers, eh?

I'm sorry; I didn't know that was the primary purpose, although it's plastered all over the place. I'm just an excitable guy. The straw bale thing has some merit, but honestly, after seeing the work involved, it didn't appear worth it. There were just so many oddities to deal with; stucco weep screeds, termite prevention, bugs/pests in general prevention, going to tons of work to install bucks for windows & doors, etc. Also, if it is attempted anywhere other than bone dry desert environments, I have to believe moisture issues become a major concern. Being an ex-hippy from the 70's, w/ experience in geodesic domes, straw bale, rammed earth, & other peripheral building techniques, they all are fringe techniques. When one is gathering the capital to put together a dwelling w/ modern windows, doors, interior finishes, appliances, etc., putting it all in a straw bale shell is sticking ones neck out. I admit it; I'm biased toward engineered construction practices.

Why wouldn't you install a small furnace & dedicated ducting for the additional 600sf? High efficiency direct vent? If you vent a fireplace to the tile lined chimney, what about the appliances/fireplace below? I'd be rethinking my heating options in other ways than a fireplace, design options dependent on floor plan & design.

I had to start another thread; Hausdok locked his[:-irked] I & Garet Denise attended an elective tour of hale bale construction in Albuquerque, NM. A gentleman who has specialized in this type of construction for over 2 decades took us on a tour of his houses, & showed us an extensive slide show. Without wanting to appear biased, I have to say I was not impressed. The cost of construction is simply not much less than standard methods, there is way too much room for error, and certain fundamentals such as fastening windows & door securely haven't been figured out adequately. The builder allowed as to how he's "been having problems w/ windows & doors cracking & pulling out of wall assemblies". Not surprising, as the window & door jambs are held in place by gravity & stucco; it's hard to fasten a window to a bale of straw. It is a viable method for 3rd world subsistence economies utilizing local labor & materials; that's about it, IMHO.

I was the guy Michael used as the guinea pig in his class. I've been mildly curmudgeonly on the SureTest for years; honestly, I didn't want any more fancy tools. I have a whole bag of them. Long story short; 3 bulb testers are worthless for finding false/bootleg grounds, & many other defects. Michael had a slick little wiring setup whereby he duplicated all manner of goofy wiring that the 3 bulb tester didn't find, but the SureTest did. Of substantial note; the SureTest will NOT find/analyze multiple defects. Basically, get a SureTest. The 3 bulb testers are big fat liars.

Old house, white tape, high likelihood it's asbestos tape. Asbestos doesn't "yellow"; it stays white. That isn't scientific, but it can point you a little. The paper isn't known to release fiber as the crap is encased in a matrix of glue & cellulose. Definitely point it out, but if ducts/pipes/ are sound & there is no likelihood of their having to come out for repair, just leave it & paint it. That's not EPA approved protocol for encapsulation, but it works nicely. It's what I did in my own home on my white (asbestos) tape. If it were a report, tell 'em, tell 'em to get an ACM abatement contractor, etc......

Nope. Upside down. Can't run a 3 way through a plug outlet. (look @ the picture again).

Okay, I got what I was looking for..... The following is from a Majestic fireplace manual: Vermont Castings Majestic Products fireplaces are designed to accept a 1/2 inch gas line for installation of an approved gas appliance. (Vermont Castings Majestic Products manufactures a wide variety of gas logs for use in Vermont Castings Majestic Products fireplaces.) Be sure to have the appliance installed in accordance with building codes. Gas connection may enter from either left or right side of the fireplace. Locate appropriate gas line in the outer casing of fireplace and remove insulation from gas line tube. (Fig. 26) From inside the fireplace, locate the knockout on the firebrick -- be sure you are on the appropriate or "gas line" side of the fireplace. Using a flat bladed screwdriver or small chisel and hammer, carefully tap around the knockout until it loosens and falls out. Install 1/2 inch certified gas pipe through opening. After gas pipe installation is complete, use insulation that was removed from gas line tube to repack space around the pipe. Material should be inserted from outside of the fireplace and packed tightly to totally seal between the pipe and tube. Note: Gas pipe should not come in contact with any wood structures until it has reached a point at least one (1) inch away from fireplace side. Okay, that's what the mfg. sez. After sealing it w/ the fiberglass, my source also recommended laying some refractory cement over the fiberglass to seal it in place. Many thanks to "Chimney Bob" Priesing, of Havelock Chimney Sweep, Inc. in Havelock, NC. If any of you get a chance to hear this man talk about fireplaces, do it; he's the best. http://www.havelockschimneysweep.com

Good question. It wasn't noted as an area of concern in the recent fireplace class I took @ InspectionWorld, & "Chimney Bob" Priesing was pretty intense. I'm gonna look into it.

Just to make myself clear, I hate Word. I also know that it is an amazingly powerful piece of software if one just learns a few fundamentals. I know enough about it to know that one can set up templates whereby you don't have to constantly be fighting w/ it, i.e., it doesn't presuppose your intentions. The few times I've taken the time to figure out what was bothering me, it wasn't hard & solutions were positive. It's a massive amount of power, but useful if one wants to learn how to use it. If one doesn't want to take the time to learn it, Word is a pain in the ass. That's why I use Filemaker Pro.

I don't think SMACNA (Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Nat'l. Assoc., or something) would have jurisdiction. Drip edge is "recommended" in most locales, but not necessarily required. If it is required in Florida, I would start there. After that, this is one of those items that calls into question why anyone would use gutter spikes. Mainly, they're cheap, fast, & easy. They also sag & fall off. I'm not sure how I would right this up(?). I might be inclined to simply note it in the report as a possible point of water entrance, poor quality installation, or similar notification of inadequacy. It might be hard to hang it as a code violation, unless there is some language that you can discover in the Florida code language. I'd ask Cramer over @ the ASHI board; he seems to have the Florida code requirements wired.

The primary difference between XP Home & XP Professional is largely in #'s of computers that can be networked; @ least that's what I've been led to believe. There are a few other differences hanging in the background, but it shouldn't effect peripherals. Of course, none of this stuff works the way one would imagine. The entire computer industry is a big pile of incompatibilities. I have few instances where I think governmental intervention would provide a better solution, but in the case of computers, a little governmental requirement to make all this crap work together would be nice.