gtblum

I feel sorry for those of you who had a bad experience. I used to feel the same way until I gave in and went for the first time. I'm a believer.

No sir. They are absolutely not quacks. Not in my book anyway. The insurance companys don't think so anymore either.

What the hell is that thing? Is it one of those chips they use for finding lost people?

I think the letter probably did your reputation a whole lot of good. The client, realtor, banker, and the contractor had documented proof that you were the only one who had done his job. Without it, it's your word against his and that might have left some doubting you. None of them will forget it.

The hardest thing for me has been deciding too much, or not enough. Sometimes I consider who my client is. I try to treat and write to each one as an individual. Never losing sight of the fact that I'm attempting to make sure I cover my butt as well. I use a cover shot of the house. I think a report is most definately a sales brochure. Maybe the best there is. Buying a house or a car is like getting pregnant. Friends seem to do it at the same time. We do this every day. (sometimes) The buyers don't. It's easy to forget that. It is a people business too. I'm only two and a half years in. I think I'm on the right track thanks to what I've learned from threads like this one. Thanks

Start making cold calls or grab a broom, mister! []

Not phony, out of place. That language is from another era. The old codger running that class had a seat on the arc. FWIW, I brought up "use at your own risk." The old guy liked it. That's right. You did. Sorry about that. I think his son the attorney had a lot to do with what he was teaching. His approach seemed to be more about stressing the importance of the client understanding that they needed to take action on what had been reported, and to prevent someone from later saying, You never told me It was that important and I could lose my house if I didn't didn't fix it and my friend got hurt. I think that goes right along with everything said here. FTR I'd rather learn from an old guy than anyone. Old guys know.

That old man drilled that one into my head too, Tom. Along with, "For improved safety" and "I urge you to". I don't use the I urge you to, because I wouldn't use it if I was talking to you. Sounds kind of phony.

Ok. It's day two of this thread. It ain't going anywhere! Pour some epoxy or jam a glued shim into it. I doesn't need the opinion of a structural engineer.

Tom, you can go to your account settings and kill that.

Yup, but it's also how a whole lot of those folks know I'm in the business. I've had a few refferals from friends of friends. I also saw a post where someone went on a rant about another local HI for not telling them there was radon test equipment left in their home. That's the scary part. Anyone can say anything they want to at the cyber picket fence.

Seems like I remember either someone telling me, I read, saw, whatever, about just using a bed of good old regulation sand for this. Anyone else heard of that?

Did you really just post that on the internet? LOL! You better keep a working hose handy. Delete it and I'll delete this. LOL!

Tequila should be classified as a controlled substance. Terry, You should check your "permanent record". Make sure it dosen't show up. My mother. "That will be on your pemanent record, MISTER!

Not at all. He said, he disclosed a rust problem with the box long before we ever got to the basement. I knew the owner and shook his hand while congratulating him on winning the award for the worst one I'd ever seen. We all laughed and moved on. Kinda reminds me of a 70s Toyota truck.

Seems like all too often I see service panels that are missing cable clamps. Not this time. Click to Enlarge 59.21 KB

Oh! So, you admit to being a fan of his? Get the jiffy pop kids! It's time for Mike's show.[:-tong2]

Looks like a grow Op. Yup. that's it.

Amazing! See? I learn ten new things a day here. It's hard to believe they would bless that off given the number of things that could happen to a living tree. They're full of water, The stability, constant movement during the growth process ect. Not being a smartass here. Do they have standards for species or the minimum height / size, clearance, or other? Interesting, Thanks.

I'm having one hell of a time trying to word this in my report without being a complete wise ass. A little help, please. At least they left some slack in the wiring for the trees to grow! Click to Enlarge 97.15 KB Click to Enlarge 87.86 KB Click to Enlarge 58.44 KB

That is what we're here for. To learn. BTW, You framers have been screwing us trim guys forever. LOL!

Yes Marc. You're a framer right? An 1/8 of an inch off doesn't mean that much unless you only have 3/8 to work with right? Then it becomes a big deal.

Here's what was wrong. The reason the wedges were falling out was partially because the treads and risers were not correctly sized for where they were being installed. The pic sucks. The others disappeared sorry. I'm in the habit of routing my stringers, setting them without nailing them, installing bottom tread and riser, then pushing the top up, installing the nosing at the top then lowering it to where its' going to be. From there, I secure the stringers, then cut every one of the treads and risers to fit. Glue wedge ect. So, either one of two things happened here. Either the guy put the whole thing together at once then busted his ass stuffing it in the well and spread it when he secured it, or they cut a pile of treads the same length and, expected there would be no variation in the distance between the walls as he went along, found out different, and installed them anyway with a minimumum amount of the tread in the stringers and stuck them in anyway. People used them, and the wedges loosened up. If they did them individually in the first place, there wouldn't be anyway or any where they could have moved. I had the method I use, beat into my head by a mean old schooler back in my early twentys. I never had a problem, they have always gone in fast, And I never went back to fix a set. I make my own jigs out of half inch plywood, and have never owned any stinking Stanley jig. Now that I'm old and have had to rip other's garbage out and replace it more than a few times, I Ain't changing they way I do it.

Where's the stringer? Or is that a routed stringer? Marc Like Mike said It's a housed stringer. Yes it's routed.

Sorry again about the picture. If you were standing there with me you would have seen it. No doubt. They look very much the same as the way I've always done them. Right down to where they flipped over the tread material to use for stringers. They weren't factory. Just someone who didn't know it could happen.