Jim Morrison

I inspected a 5 bedroom home today built in 1998. It has a 1500 gallon septic tank which drains downhill into a 3-400 gallon concrete 'reduction chamber', which then drains into a reasonably sized leaching field. Educate me. What is a reduction chamber? Never heard of 'em.

I typically only ever see (mostly) 60ml or 90ml. I might have seen a 45ml roof once. I don't know what the other numbers mean.

Sometimes when I quote my fee to a potential client, they'll say: 'Well, so-and-so will do it for less.' And I always reply casually: 'Well, I'm sure he knows what he's worth.'

I think the problem begins with the design. Architects that seem to have cross-gableitus don't ever show a detail to get water out of valleys. The contractors just make it like the picture. Add Fall leaves, some ice and melting snow and it's a rotting mess in just a couple years. Couldn't agree more and I see it all the time.

I do it, but I don't do many and I charge $250 minimum. Jimmy

That's what poured concrete foundations looked like before vibrators were invented (pause here for Bain's giggling to subside). If you didn't see any noteworthy cracks, don't worry about the strength of it. As for the corner, I'd let a contractor figure out how he wanted to repair it, but I doubt it would involve pinning. Seems to be it should simply be repoured. Jimmy

No argument here...just an observation.

Trading reports with another home inspector is simultaneously brave and masochistic; an unfailing symptom of deep-rooted psychological trauma, in my experience.

Hey Joe, Where you goin' with that gun in your hand? (sorry, I couldn't help myself) I still see remnants of a few old gravity systems with open expansion tanks in the attic each year. I don't recall seeing one run a lap around the attic, but I wonder if that might be what you saw. Jimmy

Good points made from both sides. Here's how it balances out for me: I run jetted tubs for the same reason I operate kitchen appliances and bidets; not because I am an expert in their many nuanced functions, but because it only takes a few minutes and my clients overpay me to do so.

I run every whirlpool tub. Shoot, fellas, you've gotta die from somethin'.

Well, we just had a bunch of work done in our condo building, and we passed on Icynene. Ours is a strange marriage of a 19th century building to a 21st century addition. When it was condo'd about 10 years ago, the contractor took every conceivable shortcut. The contractor we hired to make some repairs tried hard to sell me on changing our cold roof to a hot one, using Icynene and I ultimately put the kybosh on it. Sure it can be done well, but it isn't easy to retrofit into a funky space and since I didn't have 100% confidence in the guy, I figured better safe than sorry. Henri de Marne wrote an article touching on the issue for The Journal of Light Construction 10 or so years ago. I'm pretty sure it's archived on TIJ. It's worth reading, especially because he works in VT, a similar climate to mine. Maybe I'm just too stubborn, unenlightened, and prejudiced, but I couldn't justify the risk of getting it wrong on this one. Plus, it's expensive and we'll be moving shortly. Even if it worked out just fine, we wouldn't break even on the outlay of cash. Jimmy

You've got me, bro.

Personally, I don't think I'd go to any trouble to 'properly' vent a cape. It's prohibitively expensive and the benefits don't outweigh the cost. Why do anything at all? Are you remodeling? Replacing the roof?

By universal agreement, that is implied whenever one addresess him by his first name. Lesser inspectors -and I include myself here- simply refer to him as: Dr. Shock.

Heavy on marketing, light on science.

The internet is nothing more than a fad and it's already had it's 15 minutes of fame. I predict it will be deader than disco in 6 months.

Am I an anachronism? OK of course I am. Let me be more specific: In 24 years, I have never accepted credit cards and -to my knowledge- have never lost an inspection because I don't take (that is, pay a middleman for the privilege of accepting) plastic. I get paid by cash or check every day, every time. Been burnt just twice in all that time. Give it to me straight, fellas. How do you get paid? Please tell me that I'm not the last man standing.

It's not a piece of crap, but an enormous knob of shite. If you could etch it with your fingernail, where will it be in a year? Trust your instincts, friend.

Hey Bill, Glad to hear you've got your hands back on the steering wheel over at ASHI. That can only mean good things for the org and the rest of us. Good on ya, Jimmy

Two economists are making small talk at a nudist camp and one says to the other: 'Have you read Marx?' and the other replies: 'Yes, I think it's the wicker furniture.'

I don't get it. You know what it is, but called it 'unknown' in your report? I can't reconcile that. Taboo means 'prohibited by custom'. What you describe is illegal and stupid in every town I've ever worked in. Why not simply describe it accurately? Why do you say it one way to your clients, and another way to us?

Macbook Pro

C'mon friends. Being a successful roof-climber (success is defined here as someone who doesn't suffer an injurious fall) has nothing to do with guts. You have to be fit and smart, that's all. 'Guts' are for risk-takers and Chad is too bright to risk his neck for an inspection fee. If you're reasonably fit and you know what you are doing, you'd make a good ladder monkey. If you're a risk-taker, the numbers will eventually catch up with you and land you in an ER. Like Bain said, Be careful.

The thread that wouldn't die....