Trent Tarter

Wow that's a sweet find, is it an early heat pump model.

It's appears that it could be perlite insulation. I find "fine perlite" in attics of older homes, usually it's about 2-4 inches deep. Fine perlite has similar look and consistency as baking flour or baby powder. The photo kind of looks like expanded perlite. You would have to have it tested to know if it contains asbestos. Perlite insulation it not expected to contain asbestos. Here's a site for some additional information. http://www.perlite.net/

Yes they can.

I would guess a legally blind person was living in home?

Looks like standard single wall flue pipe, possible transition to B-vent at chimney, foil duct tape is not allowed on connections, possible uphill slope where pipe enters chimney. Does the flue pipe vent directly into masonry chimney?

Getting ready to buy a Samsung Note 3. I will be using it for a devise only not as a phone. Using HomeGauge Companion (mobile app) for gathering data and taking pictures. The mobile app has auto picture placement. Still getting used to it, hoping this will save me some time.

If you're serious about selling your house I would suggest getting a pre-listing inspection by a good reputable home inspector. This way you can be proactive vs reactive. Even making a few basic repairs and improvements can make the whole sale process go smoother. A few dark areas on roof sheathing is typical for a home of this age. The small area where tree branch fell through can be repaired by placing a sheet metal patch below shingles. Age of roof is one thing, the condition is the most important, especially for the appraisal and financing. If the roof is in acceptable condition considering it's age I would just make sure it's well maintained, remove any moss, repair/replace any damage shingles, basic sealant repairs etc. If it comes down to roof negotiations with a buyer you can sometimes come out ahead by giving a roofing allowance that covers a large portion of roof replacement but not the full cost.

The insect damage appears to be from carpenter ants. Also be aware that WDI damage can sometimes be forest damage before lumber was harvested. I always look close at tunneling, galleries, exit holes etc.

What I'm trying to find is something that mentions that neutral wires should be on a "floating bus bar" and that all ground wires should be bonded directly to the panel and/or isolated from neutrals.

Yes he's an older electrician that just happens to be the president for a large electrical contractor. I doubt he does much active electrical work, pretty much has an office job. I need to find the actual code so I can prove I was correct in what I called out.

I was talking with an experienced electrician today and would like some additional clarification. It was always my understanding that ground wires had to be separated from neutrals and bonded to panel in any remote distribution panels (aka sub panel). I was told by the electrician that it's only required when the downstream panel is located in the home, and that remote panels in any detached outbuilding do not require the grounds to be separated. The photo is a remote panel in detached garage, it's fed from the home's main service panel. Click to Enlarge 31.72 KB Click to Enlarge 52.58 KB

I would buy a new furnace and not waste any money or time repairing an old beast like that. If you need to save money consider installing one yourself. Check out eBay you can buy a cheap 80% gas furnace for a low as $500, 90% units run about $750+.

This is not allowed by code and is considered a safety hazard for a variety of reasons. Just called this out on an inspection yesterday. You should install two separate flues that are approved and designed for the intend use. Installing two separate flues will improve safety, ensurer proper drafting, prevent accidental ignition of unburned gases, etc.

I see this quite often in homes. Can't tell from photo but it looks like the plywood sheathing may simply be darkened from moisture penetration, possible past roof leak. Quite common to see this at lower areas near eaves. It may be fungi/mold growth, if it is I would clean up remedy as necessary. Worse case scenario you might need to replace some damaged roof sheathing and patch the roof. If this is the only area it was found I would not let it be a show stopper.

I just started using HomeGauge Companion (Android app). You still have to finish the report with Home Gauge desktop software, but it works pretty good, I use HG cloud services to upload and download reports from mobile devise to desktop, works real slick. So far I am using a Samsung 7 inch tablet, plan on getting a better tablet that has camera flash. HomeGauge is in process of making updates and improvements to the app. I've used a laptop onsite for many years now, not quite 100% sold on the app but its nice no going back and forth to a laptop to input info.

I see this quite often in crawlspaces in 50's built homes. I call it "old reflective foil' or "foil radiant barrier".

Wow what a mess. As others have said the wiring and junction box should be supported off the ground. I would hate to be the rookie electrician they send in for this one.

I inspect allot of homes that are 50-135+ years old. Foundation cracks, uneven/sloping floors etc. are expected in older homes. If the cracks are less than 1/4" and have no signs of significant displacement, I just recommend having them sealed to prevent water entry.

As you break into this business you will most likely find that report writing is the most difficult part. If you're producing a quality report using software, you will most likely find that it takes as much or more time as the actual inspection. As a new inspector you will come accoss things that you are not sure of, don't know if it's wrong or right, etc. You will need to be able to go back home to research things in order to produce an acurate report. I've been inspecting homes for 7 years now. I can't imagine of ever doing a report onsite. As others have said, times have changed, the days of simple checklist reports that are done onsite are a thing of the past. Clients and Realtors expect a good report that can be e-mailed and has photos to show where, what, and why.

As others have said, describing the location first if very helpfull. Here's how I would have described it. Main bath: Baseboard trim need paint at bare end. Main bath: Baseboard trim need paint at bare end, to prevent water damage.

I started out using ReportHost as well. It's an easy to use program, their boiler plate is very thorough but the comments are way to wordy. Using this type of wordy pre-written content will kill your business and make you look like you are solely realying on someone else's pre-written comments. Report writing is a craft in it self, try to keep comments short and to the point. I have been using HomeGauge since 2008, it's one of the best business decisions I have made. They have many different report formats and print styles. The software is pretty easy to learn, they have a great support and an active members forum.

In my opinion the report sucks. It was to painfull to read thorough it all. To much inspector talk and information that most home buyers and Realtors don't want to read about. I would look at switching to a better software program. Also try to keep comments short and descriptive. Report writing is a craft in itself. I am always looking at ways to improve and come up with new ideas. One thing that has helped me it to list location of the problem at the beginning or end of the comment. This helps keep things more clear and concise, and makes it easier to write reports. I am not trying to be harsh, just want to give you some honest advise. I look back at some of my first reports and I laugh at how poorly they were written. Try to stay away from all the canned comments that software programs have. Come up with your own comments, keep it short and to the point. Stay away from rudunadant comments such as "Recommend furhter evalaution by a qualifed contrator" use only when necessary.