Scottpat

About the only way to tell for sure that it is not from under the tiles is going to be the removal of a few tiles in the stained area and then from a normal area. The 12x12 vinyl floor tiles that are in the picture are the same color throughout. Most likely made by Armstrong. To make tiles like this they use many types of minerals in the mix for hardness (durability) and to obtain the various colors. They do not show moisture like sheet vinyl. Sheet vinyl has a paper back that covers an embossed pattern with the colors imprinted into it. The top cover is clear sheet of vinyl like plastic. With sheet vinyl when it gets wet on the bottom side, the paper backing becomes dark (mouldy) it is this dark stain that transmits to the top and this is what we then see as dark blue, purple or black blotches. I would bet that the stain is from somthing being poured or placed on top of the tiles and it has reacted with the minerals or chemicals in the tiles.

Is that not a panel (not service panel)? Also the burnt conductors are neutrals, not grounds. Just pointing this out so that it won't end up in your report the wrong way.

As I walk around the house I look at the exterior unit (package or split). If it is summer, I have most likely already lowered the thermostat by 10 degrees from what the owner had it set at. I always do 10 degrees so that I will know to raise it back 10 to what the owner had it set at. I feel the refrigerant line after about 15 minutes, if it is cold like a cold beer then I'm pretty confident that it is cooling good. If I have a concern I will take a delta-T but it will not show in my report, it is only for my information. I listen to and for any strange sounds throughout the entire inspection. I will have the A/C running almost the entire time, most likely harder than it has run in a long time. I look for the condensate, I hope to see water on a hot humid day! If not, I then start to look for reasons. Just a whole bunch of things that I do that I don't even think about any more. After a few years it is becomes automatic. In the winter, it is about the same except I'm dealing with heat. I see either gas furnaces or heat pumps, no oil, steam and on a rare occasion I might see electric resistance heat panels in the ceilings or baseboards units.

Some homes just have an odor that you can never find. If it is periodic and only present during certain times of the year or in certain weather conditions, I would say that it is more than likely in the ground and has little to do with the home.

I'm with Les.. It does read like the firm screwed up.

That is why they left the crack open! It looks like that is retro fit EIFS on the home. Was the original cladding EIFS?

Sorry, I would have to call that not accessible. Just too dang dangerous for the risk involved. I have had a similar crawl on a large home. I was able to look in the access and with my light in hand I gave a look see from the opening. I reported exactly what I did and that I did not have safe access to the crawl.

I just call it blown-in fiberglass insulation, after all it is a fiberglass product.

Every SIP's home I have seen has had the attic area uninsulated and it is actually part of the conditioned airspace. This is a SIP's home and not a retrofit SIP's roof panel home. I'm with Mike, moisture is a major concern if they are not done right. I would be very leery of a retrofit on an older home.

If it has a hole for a screw then my theory has always been that it should have a screw in it. Kind of like a joist hanger, if it has a hole for a nail it needs to have a nail in that hole!

I'm just very careful when I'm in a home. I would say that 80% of the time I do not remove or change my shoes. I do carry shoe covers and an extra pair of shoes (Crocks) if I need them. If it is wet outside, I will put my rain boots/shoes on. I wear a size 12 shoes and don't have a problem with the covers. I can usually get several wearings from a pair of shoe covers. I think they cost around $50 for a box of 100, be sure you get the non-slip type.

When I had a Koi pond I had a biological filter that looked almost identical. It would get rid of the nitrites and covert them to nitrates(or the other way, I always forget) which then the aquatic plants would use as food and then covert to oxygen. I had to clean sludge out of it every couple of years. The little balls would become clogged and the bacteria would die off. I'm betting that that Nibbler is very similar to what is used in Koi ponds.

I have been given an LED 2-D Cell Maglite, last night I had the first chance to turn it on just to see how bright it was. At the same time I turned on my Ultra Stinger and shinned them both on a dark football field while I was standing in the end zone. Both of them were able to light up the goal post on the opposite end of the field. The Ultra Stinger had a little more of a beam at that distance but both were doing a good job. I say all of this to point out that the LED 2-D Cell Maglite might make the perfect back-up flashlight. I think they cost around $20 or so, so the are very inexpensive for the amount of light they produce. Also the battery life is pretty darn good with the LED, I left it on all night in the garage and this morning it still had some life left in the battery.

I have not heard of it yet. Logic would tell me that you're not going to get much "R" value out of anything that can be added to liquid much less paint.

I think that LP is the only one still making hardboard siding. Masonite stopped producing hardboard siding several years back. I doubt that you will be able to find the same pattern to match what you now have. Hardiplank would be a good option, but again it wont match the Masonite brand. I would check my local Home Depot, Lowe's and or 84 Lumber stores to see if they have. If they don't have it, you will just have to deal with what is now being sold.

Or Murray. OT - OF!!! M. I think they are Murray also. Zinsco lugs look different.

Well, I guess that would be the same as if the two wires were connected with a wire nut and only one wire connected to the breaker. But..... It just does not look right and with that being a half-breaker I just don't care for it all that much. I have never seen what you have found done before. I would say that it is not correct, but I have nothing to back it up.

Behind tub and shower surrounds, floors around toilets, window casings, walls beneath windows, floors in kitchens, laundries and bathrooms, floors in front of entrances. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Good list! Just about every single french door that I find has some type of leakage. When I see a french door it is a red flag and the moisture meter comes out.

I guess our water table is so low and we have so much rock that is why I have not seen sump pumps. Makes complete sense to have one though. Does the EPA address sump pumps in radon pits?

It has been my experience that the SM has a fairly limited detection depth. I would say about 1 inch and maybe a little less in the scan or non-pin mode. It will not detect moisture in a wall cavity unless that drywall has already started to get wet. The Tramex moisture encounter is better at doing this. As others have said you need to be on the lookout for "False" positive readings. Anything with a metallic backing or ingredient will screw with the meter and provide a false reading. Corner beads on drywall and window flanges will do it all the time. While doing some EIFS inspections, I discovered some homes in the Bowling Green KY area that the builder used a Mylar type product as a wind barrier in the walls. It made it impossible to get good readings due to the Mylar product. It also created some other interesting problems...[]

Wood Destroying Insect and Wood Destroying Organism Some states require one or the other in clearance certificate language. Some states don't care and will allow ether one. I think that WDO is the most common in use.

The patina or color on the pipe is just oxidation. It really will not harm anything. Well, maybe it could in 100 years or so. It might also be possible that the pest control chemicals from the pre-treat could have caused it. Who really knows?

It could be a passive radon system, a fan could be added later if radon is a problem. I see systems like this in two towns that I work in; they both require builders to install passive systems when the home is being built. No need to guess what it is. Just simply say you don't know. I don't think I have ever seen a sump pump in a radon pit?

I have a Garmin Nuvi as well. I'm not sure what model number, but it came from Costco and has the free traffic service. I think it was around $249. I'm very pleased with it. It replaced a Garmin Quest that was about five years old.

We all miss things, it is only human. Sure we would like to think that we do the perfect inspection, but then why do so many inspectors use contracts that say they might miss something and they are not liable if it happens? Everyone has different levels of skill sets and knowledge. I will agree that we do have some very incompetent folks in the profession that would be better off flipping burgers down at the local burger shop.