charlieb

So Kurt, If we all kick in for your air fare, can we be shareholders?

Thank you for the response. So, your Chinese (entrepreneurial) side is in play. Never had ANY desire to see Asia but the warmth you describe must be a joy to experience. Enjoy exploring. It's what I enjoy the most about travel.

The 15 year old is driving and I finally have some time for leisure reading. After reading Kurt's comment on Chinese society I just have to ask the question...........What the heck is the purpose of your sorties into China?

I see you've mellowed since we last met.

I seldom see it but found this about a week and a half ago in a 6 story office building. Click to Enlarge 9.49 KB Click to Enlarge 12.46 KB

I leave a small square tool bag in the kitchen. The moisture meter is the only expensive tool kept in the bag. The fenix and camera are on my belt. By back feels much better since I got all the tools off of my waist. Like most the kitchen serves as a hub. Work a little and then type a little. I simply pick up tools as needed.

I'd say it is unsafe, improper and in need of correction.

Actually, the paper in NM is wrapped around the ground conductor only. The individually insulated hot and neutral conductors are not wrapped in paper. Thank you for the correction John. We all want it to be correct.

Air being bled from the line?

NM means non-metallic sheathed. If you look at the end of the cable where the insulation is stripped away, UF cable is insulated conductors encased in solid plastic. NM cable as you know, has a paper wrapping around the insulated conductors.

Dev, how are you at cold calling. Research all the guys within the area that you are willing to travel within. Start with the top guy on your list. Don't give up even if you have to expand your radius. Networking with the top guys is always smart. For the record I did it on my own but I had two strong guys in my market that were always there to give me advice or clue me in. The right way to enter this business is as Mike O has long had a passion for or to mentor under a seasoned inspector. I have two guys who work with me. Each worked for 3 months without pay........and we had a contract that they agreed to stay in my employ for two years or they would owe me a training fee. One has been with me six years and the other four years. You will pay your dues one way or another to be able to succeed. My biggest worry was did I leave any carnage in those early years? All you have said shows us you want to do the right thing and enjoy what you do. I hope you are able to find someone to help you and that you in turn do the same for someone else. Short of the "Met-O-Katen" school of HI, mentoring is the only thing that will improve our industry. Really sorry you were short changed with the ASHI thing but I too respect the manner in which you have approached your start in the glory-less work.

I don't recall the name brand but I purchased them through batticdoor.com I also switched the lamps to florescent. Just don't want to risk the heat build up. Eventually I will migrate to LED. Another pet peeve is the attic pull down stairs in the same hall. It really does not mater if they are next to one another or not. The "tent" and the can covers have helped a number of my clients improve the performance of their HVAC systems. I provide short blurbs of info for a few areas of air sealing and some clients will call for more info. Nothing like listening to a five ton unit run the entire the entire inspection. They usually get it when I explain it that way.

I disagree. Notice the gray insulation adjacent to the fixture. That is the dust that is being filtered by the insulation. Slight pressure differentials, wind, the opening of a door and the stack effect all drive air into and out of the home. Turn the lamp within the fixture on and the hot air will try to rise through any openings in the fixture. One fixture? I would not be stressed but eventually I would get around to dealing the fixture. I have 10 such fixtures and sealed them all shortly after moving into the home. Sealing the remainder of the ceiling plane should also be address if it was not sealed. It is never sealed by the builder in my neck of the woods. Unfortunately the dollar is the driver. I've got 3200sf of conditioned space. My light bill is about 120 in the summer. How much would a consumer spent to be more energy efficient with the same circumstances that I had?

It's flammable too. When I first researched the rotten egg smell from the bacteria waste, I found an article on an explosion in the base housing on a military base.

Any photos of the metal siding installation in progress? Have you checked the condition of the gutters and downspouts. This is a common source of water infiltration in building of this design. At what rate was the rain hitting your area during the storm?