Scottpat

I report it when I find it! I understand the reasoning from the committee but do not agree with it. The various SOP's in our profession are becoming more of a list of items inspectors do not need to do or look at! So much for consumer protection! IMVHO, an SOP should benefit the consumer as much as it does the inspector and we are moving further away from this type of balance. Too many folks in our profession hide behind their SOP and use it as the end all template for an inspection when it couldn't be further from it.

I see this very rarely. Maybe twice or three times ever. There are probably different dynamics down in Georgia. What would be an example of this ghosting showing up if there is good wall insulation? I doubt many homes are built with steel exterior studs. And wouldn't the stud lines be darker if the discoloration is from air filth? It all has to do with thermal dynamics(way outside my knowledge base) and how heat and cold effect the attraction of particulates in the air. The stud bays are insulated but the wood framing is transmitting or conducting the temps at a different rate and this is basically what you're seeing. Might also be missing the WRB on the substrate, very common with pre 2006-07 homes.

Humm, I have been needing a idea for some new plumbing questions on the NHIE! We have a question writing session soon.

Very typical "ghosting" pattern... You are seeing the 2x4 studs and if you look close you cans see the second floor band joist. Those are not furring strip patterns and it does not necessarily mean the insulation is bad or the vinyl was installed wrong or that the home has a problem.... The staining is from dirt/pollution in the air. The wood framing is colder/warmer than the vinyl and this effects how and what is attracted to those areas. We see the same thing with drywall in homes with smokers or folks that burn candles in their home. You also see this with EIFS cladding.

Yep, I have been seeing them more and more, mostly on sinks that do not have cabinets.

The stars must be in alignment! I had a monster home with aluminum wiring just yesterday. Built in 1968 it had 29 circuits with single strand alum cable. Even had added new AFCI breakers and connected the alum to the new breakers, which I do not believe were rated for alum wire. Actually out of the five outlets and switches I checked in the home none were rated for aluminum! They also had newer copper circuits intertwined in the mix. Needless to say it is all my fault according to the listing agent! She's a tad upset because the buyer opted to not buy the $2.1M house and moved to the next house on the list. Click to Enlarge 57.19 KB Click to Enlarge 70.76 KB

Green

It is a great concept and idea that works.

They work, but the lights need to be replaced as they loose their effectiveness over time. I had a HVAC contractor who installs them in hospitals tell me that for optimal effectiveness the bulbs should be changed every year in homes and every six months in clinical settings. He said that after 30 days of 24/7 use, the bulbs will degrade about 10-12% from their original effectiveness and this continues.

PVC will degrade over time when exposed to direct sunlight. Very few AHJ's require painting of exposed PVC... In my area many of the HOA's are the ones that require visible PVC vent pipes to be painted to match the roof color, they want it for looks and not protection. It takes a very very longtime for Schedule 40 PVC to breakdown to he point it becomes brittle.

Many commercial type folks(most banks and venture capitalist investors) require $2M GL for anyone that is doing work on their behalf, such as commercial draw or consulting. I ran into this several years back and bumped my GL umbrella policy up to $2M, it only cost me an extra $110 a year over the cost of the $1M policy to have it .. Not really a big deal and they are doing it to cover their ass-sets! It's not that you are going to do that much in damage to the property but when you are dealing with banks that have a huge net worth and you are working on a multi-million dollar property it is all about prospective and CYA.

Other than it being GFCI protected I don't know of any other electrical or switching requirement. I see them all the time with a simple wall switch or just the air button on the tub that you mash.

That is pretty much how all insurance works! Ya gotta have it in place prior to anything that might be covered happening!

I have carried E&O well before I was required by law to do so. I think I have had it since 1997 or somewhere in that time frame. Working in the litigation support arena as I do, I have been exposed to more lawsuits that most will see in their lifetime. It is just not worth it from my point of view. Sure it cost money, but even if it was not required by my state and as long as I could afford it I would have it. It is just the cost of doing business. More than once, I have seen home inspectors forced to file for bankruptcy due to a lawsuit. I have also seen many who have been sued and do not blink an eye when it is time to pay that deductible knowing that they will be protected and taken care of down the road.

I still think it is a paint issue. The paint is peeling along the edges.

Good stuff really cant't be found at Lowes or Home Depot! Sherwin Williams, Ben Moore and Pratt & Lambert make some of the better paints, IMVHO.

I think Jerry nailed it. When was the last time you painted the house?

I inspect a good number of homes in the 100 to 150 range and I do agree that they take a little more time and as Garet noted a little different skill set. Depending on the location and type of home I tack on a little extra to cover my additional time. With log homes I tack on an automatic $75... I do not break down my fee, I quote a single fee for the inspection. This tends to work better. If you really feel that you have been slighted on your fee then you need to speak up and tell your client that their agent gave you the wrong information on the home when you priced the inspection. Tell them you are sorry but the fee will now be X.... Me, I would not worry about it all that much. I take the good with the bad and have found it all works out in the long run. I try to research all of the homes prior to doing the job, this helps to eleveate many of the surprises we get.

Why not backup to Carbonite or other similar services for around $60 a year? I can see having a second machine ready to go, but then I can also see saving the dollars if you do not really need to spend them.

I see several homes a year with soundproofing around rooms of the home, most are used for music studios. They are built pretty much like Chad described but they fill or pack the resilient channel(2" to 4" airspace between the sections of walls/ceilings) with fiberglass or spray it with dense cellulose insulation. Then the final sheet of drywall is mounted with rubber or felt pads over each point of contact/attachment to reduce the vibrations.

Typical hardboard siding failure.... The only cure is to replace it... Patching or cutting out the damage or covering it will only prolong the proper fix.

Looks like a spray on stucco finish coat.

I paid $8 for a shroom like that at Whole Foods the other day!

Goes to show that TREC is run by a bunch of bureaucratic idiots who do not have a clue as to what a "real" home inspection entails.

Well it obvious that none of us are moonlighting as Arborist!