Tom Raymond

I frequently work on a laptop with a 14 screen, 12pt is about the smallest I can comfortably read at that size, so the smallest I use in my report. Tom

You're right Bill. It's been a while so I had to go and read the instructions. The only issue they are helpful for is the gas vent, the builder didn't finish the cut edges. I know that MidAmerica makes mounts specifically for fibercement lap siding, I wonder if they should have been used here. Seems that this would be a good topic to bring to the attention of a Hardie rep. It's a safe bet that Hardie won't warrant that installation, I wonder what they would use as proof that it doesn't comply with their standards? Interestingly, Certainteed doesn't specify how to deal with penetrations either. Tom

Are you sure it's Hardie? They have pretty explicit guidelines for their products so I would start there. That gas vent looks like the nicest detail on the house, if the good stuff is that screwed up one can only imagine what the builder has buried in the walls. BTW, that has got to be one of the ugliest houses I have ever seen. Tom

That looks like insulation to keep the galv and copper apart. Tom

If you're tearing off the roofing why build up on the exterior? A local roofing company has done a few retrofits similar to what your considering, but all the insulation was added between the rafters. After removing the original roof deck, sheets of poly iso were installed against the ceiling material and the rafter bays filled with spray foam, then new decking and roofing were installed. I would also consider a radiant barrier as as part of the project, there are several plywood panels with reflective surfaces as well as radiant barrier underlayments. If you insist on buiding up the exterior, you should be using multiple layers of foam oriented opposite each other with the seams staggered to prevent air gaps that could thermally bridge the inner and outer decks together. This bridge effect is common with SIPS and eventually leads to condensation and rot at the exterior skin, ventilation will prevent this but that kind of defeats the cold roof concept. One last thing, as long as you're dumping buckets of money on the roof, consider 50 year archetectural shingles. After a project of this scale you won't want to have to think about the roof for at least that long. Tom

That is way cooler than the personal helicopter that came up the last time we discused roof walking. Tom

Chris, My b60 b40 (oops) has a picture in picture mode on the camera. I don't like it much because it resizes one of the images and the targets don't line up. The orange rectagle at the top of the IR image is the bottom of the cabinet you can see at the top of the background image. Click to Enlarge 13.43 KB What is the freeware you use to fuse images?

I have a Flir b60 at my day job, and it was under $5K. It has the lense, indicator and power button for the laser pointer, but was not equipped with the laser. There are big disclaimers in the instructions and owners manual that not all cameras will have the laser pointer enabled, maybe that's why it was so cheap(?). The battery is still running on it's initial charge after several months, but it doesn't get used as much as it could. The onscreen image quality is ok, but the images are pretty easy to read once downloaded. The image size is really pretty small, and zooming provides much better clarity than resizing upwards (if you have software that will do so). The included software is a little disappointing but not horrible once you get used to it's quirks. If your writting your own narrative you probably would be better of using other software rather than coping with the limitations of Flir's program. Tom

Nope, just a little sloppy with the solder. Tom

This is the norm around here http://images.lowes.com/product/046224/046224005261.jpg There is a baffle just above the dishwasher attachment that angles downward and covers just shy of half the drain diameter and directs the discharge away from the basin and towards the trap. The DWV typically ends at the wall and the trap and drain are this smaller lighter material connected with slip joints. Tom

A malignant growth that should be removed for both asthetic and health reasons. Tom

A tailpiece with a dishwasher wye fitting has a baffle to divert the pressurized discharge from the dishwasher toward the trap and prevent it from spraying up through the strainer basket. If the tailpiece is pvc you should be able to see it looking down through the sink. Rob that drain set up, although beautifully executed, is a pretty expensive way to run a drain. I count 11 fittings and lengths of pipe before the trap. As a nice bonus the only way to open the trap is to drop the entire assembly. Tom

If your interested in anything from booties to whole house condoms and such check out http://www.protectiveproducts.com/. I haven't used any of their stuff, but they're at all the major building and remodeling shows. Tom

OK, first things first, your client is nuts for wanting anything to do with a former group home. I have had the misfortune of working on several such properties, they're almost always trashed and every butcher in town has had his hands on it. Second, any septic system that has high maintenance, fidgity, filter thingies is a royal pain in the a$$. At least they had the sense to give reasonable access to that mess, unlike the several cubic yards of dirt I had to shift to rinse the Zabo fliter on my system. Who's the genius that thought a filter in a giant box of poo would actually work anyway. Tom

Hold on, wasn't there a thread recently about sump pumps being a potential shock hazard? I'll lift a float switch to see if the pump runs, or make note if I hear it run while I'm there. If any part of the pump or its connections looks questionable I use a tool with an insulated handle, if it looks dangerous I don't touch it at all. Tain't no way I'm gonna stick my head in a sump pit, let alone suck on a pump. I'm really surprised WJ hasn't had a field day with that idea.[:-bigeyes Tom

This was the first link on the search "phase converter", 3hp converter for the price of a decent 240v motor. http://www.phaseconverter.com/ Tom

I have one too, and my only complaint is that it's heavy. It's noticabley stiffer than the 250lb LG when fully extended. Better than driving around with an extension ladder and a step ladder though. Tom

Now that's funny. I am amazed that LP still has the presence they do with the sheer number of junk products they continue to spew onto the market. Tom

Looking at SquareD QO load centers, the 100 amp panels are available with 12, 16, and 20 circuits, with one odd panel at 32 but the cover is sold separately. They do not allow tandems. My smallish kitchen has eight circuits (with a gas range) and I skimped at least one circuit. With your list of 6 appliances at least 5 should have dedicated circuits and 2 of those are doubles, that's 7 spaces in the panel already. It's definately small for the size of the house, but I think it's more of a convenience issue than a safety concern. Tom

Then of course there's the deck designed and built by an engineer on his own home. The pictures speak for themselves. Tom Click to Enlarge 54.9 KB Click to Enlarge 47.29 KB

A handheld IR camera and projector puts the imaging data on the subject in real time. Very cool. Download Attachment: 249-thermal-torch.pdf 333.56 KB The pdf is poorly translated from Danish, but you'll get the gist. Tom

Series plumbing only makes sense to me when there are multiple sources. My parent's have a gas boiler and an outdoor wood boiler, and the primary water heater is a heat exchanger zone on this system. Backup hot water comes from an 80 gallon gas water heater (second tank in the series). If the fuel is wood there is plenty of cheap hot water, but if the fuel is gas the 80 gallon tank is cheaper to operate than the boiler. This configuration has only one water heater running at any given time, more selectable than balanced. Tom

The stack of red, white, & blue cans next to the panel explains it perfectly.[:-drunk] Tom

Yeah, when you are talking about bigger firms you're probably right. Out here in the boonies, if we have a local architect he is very often an engineer as well. Unfortunately, the local guy with those credentials has passed away. We have an increasing number of "home designers" in our area, most of whom have no credentials at all and couldn't draw a stick figure without their fancy software. Even scarier, I have had the misfortune of working several preservation/restoration projects run by a very big firm, and the only credentials of the project "architect" is that she married a real architect. Tom

" I am more concerned about what I can't see instead of what I actually see. There has been so much cosmetic repair (caulk, Spackle and paint) to the home that I'm convinced there are more hidden problems." I think that you should use the above in your narrative, verbatum. Pretty much says what needs to be said. As for the RE with the brass cajones, I would politely pull him aside at your next inspection and ask him not to speak to your client because he may scare them. Tom