gtblum

What happened to that place? I don't remember seeing anything about a flood in Michigan. It's a damn shame that piano was ruined. It's almost as disturbing as watching Pete Townshend smash a perfectly good guitar on stage. He really pisses me off.[]

Back from the dead, again. They told me they thought this was caused by a gas grill, but the more I looked at it, the more I suspect this might be another case of a deformity from a reflection. The damage is much worse at the bottom than the top. Was the tank on fire? There's also a slight diagonal pattern as well. I don't know. What do you guys think? Forget about the deck. Click to Enlarge 56.64 KB Click to Enlarge 54.53 KB

Good call, Tom There had been repairs made to that area.

No saddle or cricket behind the chimney either. - That was kind of a surprise. I don't see too many that wide without them. Speaking of surprises, Happy 74th birthday, Erby! (Face book ratted him out.)[]

Thanks. Maybe next time, I should take a closer look at all of my pictures first. [:-dunce]

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Any idea why the brick and mortar are darker on the left side of this chimney? Water penetration through the concrete cap at the top? Click to Enlarge 70.57 KB

Around here, it's just a big ass crockpot. Click to Enlarge 32.51 KB

That's more like it. Good one. No. Of course not. Every time they start a car too. This is completely my fault for not being able to get my point across. It's all about the money. It's all about the easiest target. Shortly after the state raised the tax on cigarrettes, they started to talk about taxing soda because of it's contribution to the obesity rate and heart disease. People put a stop to that, real quick. Imagine that. If everyone in this state quits smoking today, do you think they won't find a way to keep that $450 million coming in? Sorry fat boy. That'll be ten bucks for that cheeseburger.

Thank you. Until they can prove anyone has ever died from exposure to second hand smoke. I'm not drinking the koolaid. I honestly thought you'd have something better than an attempted insult. I'm a little dissapointed.

It's not really about about denial. It's more about smokers being the whipping boy for all that is wrong with the world and the idea that eliminating cigarettes will solve it all. Problem is, nobody really wants anyone to stop smoking. There's just too much money involved. Last year NY State added another $4.00 tax to the price of a pack of cigarettes. They said it would generate (I think the number was) another $450 Million in revenue. Other than a smoker's hot line, and a bunch of stupid commercials, there isn't one dime spent on any program to help people who want to quit. Not one dime. Why would they want to kill this little cash cow? Smokers are an easy mark. I don't think anyone who smokes, believes they're good for you.

This sounds more like a personal hygene problem. If you're wearing the same clothes for days after being exposed to anything that leaves that bad of a smell, I'm going to have to question your habits and the affect it might have on my health.[] Remember the last time you stood next to someone who was wearing a little less than a gallon of their favorite cologne? What should we do about that?

Bobby I'm in your camp on this. It's just flat out impossible to single out any one element and point a finger at it. Given the number of things a human is exposed to during their life span, how could you possibly narrow it down to a single culprit. Like anything else, it's driven by money. On the other hand, since most of our mothers smoked while pregnant and most of our parents and their parents exposed us to second hand smoke daily, maybe it has affected things like common sense, good judgement, respect for others, and the ability to avoid being sucked in with the rest of the sheep when someone dreams this shit up. Is the stuff on your clothes or the walls any more likely to cause a problem than the lead paint below it? Here's my favorite. There's a supermodified track here with a roof over the front grandstands. They burn nitro methane, brake dust and rubber to where your eyes can get irritated by the end of the night. There's no smoking in the stands. You have to go down near where they serve the food. Same goes for the tractor pulls and other events at the state fair. LOL! I need to stop now. Im sure someone's going to point out stacks of studies done by the same folks who brought you toxic mold and why we can't eat eggs or fried hamburgers anymore.

Are you kidding? Did they Email that complaint? Does anyone here think they don't have rodents somewhere in their home?

I envy you guys who live in bigger towns where everyone doesn't know everyone. I think the shit's gonna hit the fan here. This wall is about two years old. Click to Enlarge 66.12 KB Click to Enlarge 64.13 KB Click to Enlarge 46 KB Click to Enlarge 49.91 KB Click to Enlarge 63.06 KB Click to Enlarge 55.37 KB Click to Enlarge 50.19 KB I was able to remove some of the loose stone from the bottom in the last pic. The sheathing was rotten under the WRB. How bad do we hate the detail around the windows?

Oh! You mean like addressing the number one reason an unknowing client may have been directed toward a less than competent inspector to begin with?

Cold beer right out my nose!

Looks like you've already made a good decision by coming here. Let's keep you on the right track. You need to have your own inspection. Relying on someone elses report could be a huge mistake. It's your money, your investment, and your responsibility to look out for yourself. Hire an inspector you're comfortable with. It's important for you to understand, that buying a used house is a lot like buying a used car. An inspector referral from an agent can be just as dangerous to your best interest as having a used car checked out by the salesperson's mechanic. An agent gets paid a percentage of the commission from the sale. They have the most to lose as a result of an inspection. No sale, no commission. Same as a car salesperson. Take the time to find a good inspector, on your own. Look out for yourself, and good luck to you.

You probably shouldn't have come here for advice. If PETA gets wind of this, you'll have a stack of paperwork higher than the shed you're tearing down. They'll have you in cuffs on Animal planet. You'll be sentenced to building skunk habitat as a community service. The whole thing stinks! Got a big ass rope and a pickup truck?

I'm not sure of the exact date, but it came with the kit to make an Interociter. Mine is from the late 50s and looks similar, but is 240V. By then the Cathermin tube in the Interocitor had an inindium complex of +4, so it required more than 120V. Is that just before they included the anal probe? That might be the one Bain owns. I think that one has a stikitinciter.

Yes. That was the joke. It's pretty cool. I've never seen one like it. I think they kept it next to the stand up ash tray. Made pretty much the same type of thing for my work bench in my shop, but not as cool as that thing. Can anyone date it? Fourties? I never did look for any info on it and I don't think it's home made. Click to Enlarge 34.8 KB

And it didn't work. Click to Enlarge 39.22 KB

TerrellT, Thanks for bringing my attention to this thread. You sneaky devil. Bob, I hate to answer a question with a question, but why are you the least little bit concerned about correcting someone whose training is very likely on par with that of a child with a lemonade stand? You're a professionally trained home inspector. You're being paid by your client to provide them with accurate information. Good for you, good for the client, and good for the agent. If he worries more about a bent nose than having the correct info he can use in the future, then he's a meat head, anyway.

Looks like the same old catch me if ya can BS we have here in N.Y. Here's another question. Why does any state home inspection council have even one real estate person on the board? It's a home inspection council for home inspectors. End of story. How many home inspectors sit on the state realtor's board? To me, it's real simple. You throw down the gauntlet. The fight starts. The fight draws attention. People begin to wonder what it's all about. They get educated. They understand. They know better. They jump on the band wagon. The serpent gets wounded. You'll never kill the serpent, but you sure as hell can keep it from getting back in control. There is no good argument for their side. None.

Mike, What kind of regulations have you folks put in place regarding referrals from agents? Has the board ever addressed the conflict of interest? Could'nt you guys be the first in the country to put an end to the good old boy way of doing business, and take the control over our businesses out of the hands of the people who stand to lose the most as a result of a home inspection? Isn't it the responsibility of the board members to institute and uphold an ethical standard as well as an SOP? Where does the line get drawn when it comes to ethics? We all know how it works. It ain't right. It's not ethical. I know you dislike it as much as anyone else does. Why can't people in the position to change this, do so? Who the hell is everyone afraid of?