kurt

FHB has refused to run a real article on home inspection since it's inception. The guy makes the mistake of using the realtors geek, gets the set piece result, and now blames the profession. Which, honestly, is culpable in a lot of this.

There's always mold in the house. The question is do we want a bunch of yahoo's running around creating an extreme burden on everyone, even the buyer's even though they don't know it yet.

Yes, we're just shy of 14; last year is was almost 16. Chicago and NY have some of the highest energy costs in the country, or so I've read.

Yeah, that's close enough. Any variation on these thoughts. Good work Scott. Now, it's a wide open hole ripe for plunder. A void, a black hole of despair. Abandon all hope ye who enter kind of thing.... Woooooof......I'm still trying to catch my breath....

Sweet Bejeezus yes. I'm all for making reporting requirements rigorous, but that bill, as written, is a complete and total mess.

Yes, it's net positive. Way cool. I've been thinking of doing something similar on top of the apartment building. Since you've done way more homework on this than I have, got any links to guide me to useful information?

1) Mold is absolutely NOT like anything else. It's a highly specialized environmental and medical consideration about which the most studied medical professionals can't find consensus. It's not a roof or a furnace or a broken deck. 2) Because of #1 , the field is open to every manner of shysterism claiming all manner of concerns, from rational to ridiculous. 3) the legislation seems to put HI's directly in the path of responsibility for everything. It essentially demands input from the mold whores. I've spent my entire working career trying to make this thing we do a scientific and rational discipline. The legislation does the opposite. It's the stupidest ****ing approach to an issue as I can imagine. I won't ask what you were thinking because I don't think you were.

OK, because until I know some details, I find this kinda scary. If there are obvious conditions the HI should have seen, OK. If there was nothing showing and the house was in otherwise decent looking shape, and the good Sheriff was one of those genetically predisposed to extreme sensitivities, then the HI may be getting held liable for something thats' not at all their fault. Because, as we all know, mold testing always produces mold results. Are you setting up the Louisiana inspectors for mandatory mold inspecting?

How obvious was the mold? Is there any documentation or pictures indicating severity of the mold? IOW, how stupid was the HI? Is it something he should have seen and reported on, or was it hidden?

I guess I'm not following. What happened and what does it mean in real time? Can it be described in 25 words or less?

Ah yes, the old invasive species gambit.

Cool pics. Why are they moving north? Global temperature anomalies?

"The roof shingles are lacking granule, they're curling up, the rain slots are worn out, and they're badly worn at the eaves. Have additional analysis by a licensed competent roofing contractor." Or..... "The shingles are worn out; replace the roof." Click to Enlarge 62.46 KB I propose that the first comment is meaningless to nearly everyone and the 2nd is structured and understandable to modern humans.

All true. I was talking more about the form of reporting. Finding the stuff is easy; getting it ALL across to the customer is the hard part. We place too much emphasis on words, not enough on pictures.

That's an interesting idea, one that's not given nearly enough consideration. While one's writing is important, communicating an idea with a picture has inherent benefits. We still have the bulk of HI's fiddling around with boilerplate machinery that stresses defect recognition and the ability to hit a button on screen to insert canned verbiage into pre-formatted software contrivances in language foreign to nearly all consumers. HI's exist in an odd bubble that ignores the revolution and changes in communication forms of the last 20 years, and the fact that the next generation (those now moving into household formation) barely reads at all; their world exists in pictures and videos.

Using all the age charts, I'm coming up with something that doesn't make any sense. A spotlessly clean and in perfect condition Utica boiler that has a SN HG 31588. My chart sez that should be a 1990-91 boiler. Another chart says it's newer. Another chart doesn't list it, but has something for International. I'm thinking it's a 1990 boiler, but it's perfect and clean, something I don't usually see with Uticas. Any clues?

I'm the only one that voted "Other". Maybe that's because I inhaled.....[:-paperba

Yeah, all those old system designs of using crawlspaces and attics as pressurized plenums for moving air....they all had issues with air quality and contamination. I'd be checking that stuff.

That's another issue; it has nothing to do with the performance characteristics of lime putty vs. modern mortars. It is true that inadequately filled head joints are a major problem. It may be the most common problem. I find gapped head joints constantly. Bed joints...easy. Head joints...surprisingly hard to butter and place without dropping mortar.

That's what I was thinking. It's like a combination of different materials that aren't normally combined, with the closest similarity being the stuff they spray on parking garage or other large structures. What would they be spraying in Stuart FL back in the 70's? Very strange.

I love doing that; happens a couple times every year. I point out a problem, there's the usual pushback, so I grab the instructions off the window/door/shingle pack/whatever and show anyone that's interested. There's something extra special about taking the instruction sheet off the component that's not installed correctly to prove the point.

Yes. No seismic activity here (not yet anyway). Someone goofed 100 years ago and it's like the foundation shifted. I see it from time to time. I wouldn't get too worked up about it. Or, you could call Pate & Sons and have them pin support the foundation for about $50,000.

Cracks don't cause foundation problems; foundation problems cause cracks. Where's it at, how old's the building, what's going on inside that's visible, is there a driveway or alley adjacent, etc., etc. A close up of a crack doesn't tell us anything. Give us an establishing shot and some background details.

Does it precede a vaccum pump system or other return mechanisms? Reason I ask is it looks like a drip leg to collect sediments or contaminants. That one section has recently been opened (taped threads), and there's a union to allow disassembly. Maybe it's some kind of clean out....(?) I've never seen any pipe section like that.

Yep. I've never seen something that stupid. Brick bearing on the damn framing....(?). Brick as counterflashing?!?