Scottpat

I had a free one as well by our local electric company. It took two guys about 2 hours to setup, do the testing/inspection and tear down. They used a blower door and a duct blaster and pretty much did as I use to do when I did them back in the early 1990's. We found a couple of leaks in the duct work and a few other places that needed to be sealed. It took about a week for us to get the report. The funny thing is that I corrected most everything and we have not noticed any change in our utility bill. Keep in mind my home is only 4 years old and was already pretty darn tight. About the only thing I have not done that they recommended is to place 2 storm doors on our two exterior doors and add CFL's to all light fixtures.

Just look at the post above yours "SSLPro" and what they are getting in the way of a fee. In my area the TVA Co-op will do them for free. The folks that are really making any money on the energy audits are those that are doing the training and selling the equipment. Sure it is a great idea but this is almost a mirror image of what happened before when the Gov gave credits for this that and the other if you made a home more energy efficient. The folks that really needed to fix their home could not afford to do it. A tax credit does not provide the money to make a house more energy efficient. You have to have the money to do it. I was involved in the energy audit process back in the early 1990's and it just did not pay to do them. As Nolan said the ROI is kind of like installing a geothermal heat pump in your home, it will take years to see a return on that investment.

Thank you everyone! This is such a common and bad problem here in Nashville. Yes, we get freezing temps not as bad as Chicago but still we have snow, ice and really bad drivers! This builder is lost and they are building in the 7 figure custom home market. I have already told the builder that he needs to use the Schluter System, his reply was that he left that up to his tile contractor. In other words I don't think he had a clue as to what I was talking about. As for an architect design, they have a house plan with little to no detail specs. A question for folks in areas that do freeze... What materials are they putting down on balconies that are covered but are still outside in the weather? This should be a good gig for the next 4 months or so.

I'm looking for a diagram on a good method of waterproofing the decking of a covered balcony that will have tile for the flooring. It is open to the elements and it will get wet. It is also has a waterfront exposure on a large lake. What I would like to find is a diagram on the proper way to flash the deck area along the edges (drip cap), and as it joins the home along the sides and back. Also a detail that shows a membrane in place so that tile can then be installed. I have searched and searched and I just can not find much on this. The deck area will have brickwork around the edges and the home is brick clad. Any help will be more than greatly appreciated! Seems like the builder does not know how to waterproof the deck so tile can then been installed on it! I have attached a photo of one issue that I pointed out and the builder just did not see it as a problem. In the photo the brick is about an inch higher than the wood decking, the camera was sitting on the decking. Notice the lack of any flashing..... Also below this balcony will be a finished room. Click to Enlarge 47.57 KB

That is a very good point when dealing with home that has transite flue pipes.

It is a transite flue pipe, aka cement asbestos pipe. http://www.inspectapedia.com/sickhouse/ ... slookF.htm

Kurt, what IR cam did you endup getting?

About the only thing I might report on are door stops and that would be in new construction. I would assume if you want to report on items like you have listed that you would do so under the area it falls. Bathroom stuff in X bathroom, etc..

Joe, with what you have found at the top you can just about bet that you will find the same at all windows and doors. Don't forget that you will most likely have the same on the sides of the windows. It is a mess but not something that you can not recover from. Get into contact with a vinyl siding contractor in your area and seek their help and expertise. This is really something that you will not want to tackle by yourself.

Yep, metal ducts have gone the route of copper pipes!

I really like the ductless HVAC units. We are really considering adding one to our bonus room as they really are a simple install when compared to a conventional split system. I have not looked at a cost comparison but from what a neighbor told me they are about 20% less than a conventional split system. We had a speaker at a chapter meeting a few months back who specializes in the ductless units. He said that both of the refrigerant lines must be insulated from the condenser to the air handler/evaporator or you will have major condensation and efficiency problems; this is also a manufacturers requirement. Keep this in mind when you see one on an inspection The first time I saw one was in Holland about 20 years ago.

The "Hydro-Jet" is what they call their dip tube in the HW tank. The end of it has a nozzle that jets the water around the bottom of the tank. Sounds like it has a build up of sediment.

It can take up to a full year or longer for hail damage to show up on any roof covering. Why? It has to do with the impact of the hail stone causing as you noted internal compaction or damage to the shingle or tile. It can take a full season of weather changes to make the damage visible. The summer heat and then the winter freeze cycle is what really makes this type of hidden damage show. The insurance industry rule of thumb for a roof replacement due to hail strikes are 10 impact points per 10 square feet.

I'm trying to think of a way to make a remote control condom that you could use in hotels. It needs to be clear and one size fits all. I have the name down; Remote Raincoat!

I tend to agree with Kurt on good ole Woody looking for a snack. It does however look like something was attached to the siding on the left side of the photo, old caulk line?

I made the mistake of buying a UV flashlight at Inspection World when it was in Las Vegas this year! Yep, I said mistake! My wife was with me and I just had to show it to her in our hotel room. The room looked like it had been painted with glow in the dark paint by Peter Max! Needless to say she was not happy with what showed up with the light and the next few days were not as fun as the first for her. What amazed me were the spots on the ceiling.... [:-sick]

I don't have a problem with the use of wood to fill in the gap between the beam and the pier as long as it is treated wood, it provides adequate support and it will not squash over time. Use some wood blocking and then metal shim plates and go on with life..... []

I just saw a box of 24 steel shim plates at an ACE hardware store for $41.50. They had them with the joist hangers, etc..

Sounds like water is seeping in and the wire lath is rusting. Short of tearing it off and replacing all you can do is stop the water and recoat it.

As Marc said, photos would be helpful.. It could be several things causing it and a photo might help.

This is a very moving tribute to America by John Wayne. He did many from the Pledge of Allegiance to the Boy Scout Law, this is one of my favorites and is a good way to start the 4th of July weekend!

I think that you both understand.

Tramex Moisture Encounter or Protimeter SM are the only two I would recommend out of the 20+ or so that are on the market. I own both and each have their own special uses. If you have to choose only one I guess it would be the Protimeter SM.

Right handed termites!

Now, that's home inspector news. Any way to wangle a home inspector article out of that? Links? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike It was personally and professionally devastating for the person involved, and I don't think it's appropriate to compound his misfortune by splashing details on the internet. Well, if it is a judgement then it is public information and it is available for folks to see. Now if it was a settlement then it is not so public. I can't imagine a settlement of that size. I'm sure that nobody wants to wish this on anyone but we need to look at lawsuits as learning tools. Every single case that I work on as an EW, I learn somthing new. Either in regards to what not to do, about a situation, building product, about construction and on and on. Our profession is a new experience every single day we work.