palmettoinspect

A better question is, if it's warm enough for the water heater to be outside what do you do with a fireplace? HAHA same thing with the whirlpool tub in the master bathroom.

Yeah last winter we had 14 straight day of freezing temperature which set a record and very unusual. So if you asked me the same question prior to last year I would have said no it doesn’t get below freezing here very much. I did recommend insulating all the water lines under the house and to tankless water heaters though. It’s crazy what freezing water can do. My father in laws brass faucet split in half out at his dock last year during the record freezing.

Thanks! Yeah I think they might just make the 12". Kiel

Is it okay to install this tankless water heater directly below the for a fireplace? The direct vent is three feet from the regulator in the picture but not by much and 2 ½ from the window. I couldn’t find anything about installing the water heater below or that close to the direct vent just doesn’t seem right. Any thoughts are appreciated. Kiel Click to Enlarge 62.32 KB

I have the 17' version it's great!

Mike, I have an Extech i5. It’s my first and only infrared camera. The resolution is 80x80 and is really bad. Honestly you can hardly tell what you’re looking at unless there’s a very distinctive object in the frame. Does it work? Yes, it does work. If you are using it as a part of your normal home inspection to confirm leaks, wonder if there is a gap or missing insulation in the wall it’s great. I’ve found many leaks and lots of missing insulation etc. Along with good knowledge of a building and what areas to look and find leaks it’s pretty easy to use and a great tool to have. I couldn’t tell you how it would compare to a camera with 120x120 resolution like the i7 has but from my understanding 120x120 is the minimum that’s recommended. The better the resolution is, the clearer and better the infrared image is to understand. In conclusion if you can snag one for under $1000 do it. If you are looking at buying new then I would go for something with a better resolution. My camera paid for its self very quickly. It’s a great marketing tool that set you aside from the next guy. Hope this helps. Kiel Allen

I'd say from the first picture that looks like a hardboard product. The third picture looks like a smooth face Hardiplank. If I can’t tell for sure I take my pocket knife and cut a VERY small piece in an inconspicuous place to see for sure. It’s easy to tell once you have a small piece in hand.

I wanted to do a quick update since I’ve been issuing this light for a few weeks. I’m very impressed with this light. I recently picked up a lithium ion battery for the light and it really does last 1 hour compared to the 30-40 min run time of the ni-cad battery that I initially used with it. The lithium battery has a fuel gauge on it that has really come in handy and helps knowing how much time you have left. I actually used my small LED light in a smaller crawlspace and realized how much I like the bigger light. If you already have 18v ryobi batteries this light is a must. Even if you go buy the light battery and charger for around $150 it’s still not a bad deal. Thanks, Kiel

Thanks Joe!

http://www.inspectapedia.com/roof/Aspha ... isters.htm Thanks! I should’ve done a Google search first. This is the first time in 5 years I've come across this. Is it common?

The house I did today was built in 2006. The roof covering is 20 year 3 tab asphalt shingles. In the pictures you can see noticeable bumps on the shingles. After scrapping one off I could tell it’s actually the asphalt granules bunched together. My guess would be something was wrong at factory and caused the granules to bunch together like this. Has anyone ever seen this or have any idea what caused it? Does anyone see an issue with this? As always your thoughts and opinions are appreciated. Thanks, Kiel Click to Enlarge 158.9 KB Click to Enlarge 96.34 KB

Thanks for the reply guys. Yes, the house has some major structural issues. Here are some more pictures. Click to Enlarge 52.43 KB Click to Enlarge 51.59 KB Click to Enlarge 23.16 KB Click to Enlarge 51.11 KB Click to Enlarge 66.07 KB

This is the house I did today. It looks like the brick is pulling away from the house (just a tad). The third picture is the corner of the home just a few feet from the door in the first two pictures. You can see the trim popping off as the brick pushes against it. I would imagine the brick cannot be saved and would need to be replaced? Or could a foundation company such as Mt. Valley etc. be able to secure the brick. I think it would be just easier to replace the brick. Click to Enlarge 62.79 KB Click to Enlarge 64.97 KB Click to Enlarge 30.82 KB

My HVAC guy likes Tempstar. Just put a 2 ton r410A Tempstar split unit in my house. It comes with a 10 year parts warranty. He swears by them. I've seen a lot of really old Rheem units and always heard they were a good company/product. Luxair? I’ve never heard of them. I would make sure the new equipment is r410a and not r22 since the r22 equipment is no longer in production as of 2010. Kiel

“It looks like paper-backed self-furring galvanized rib lath. It can be installed directly over studs as long as a WRB is used behind it and the studs aren't any more than 16-inches on-center. However, you can't expect it to perform properly if the WRB behind it is peeled back like that. I hope you aren't the one that did that. If so, you're liable to take the hit for the repairs; the WRB is the drainage plane - once that's torn the water is free to drain into the structure.â€

Yes I think it is. I really need to learn more about stucco. Any good literature you would recommend.

HAHA Marc seems so. No stucco is rare in Charleston except on very high end homes on Kiawah and Seabrook Islands etc. there are not very many quality installers around. We have one or two cookie cutter neighborhoods around here with Eifs stucco and pretty much everyone has been ripped off and replaced. Seriously in the 5 years I’ve inspected home in Charleston maybe 3-5 have been stucco. As for the second photo yes I noted there is no flashing and sealant around the window and doors. Along with active and confirmed leaks I am going to recommend certified stucco inspectors evaluation. Click to Enlarge 63.87 KB I doubt this home will close because of water damage under the home.

I inspected a small stucco home today. Appears to be 2/3 coat hardcoat stucco system over wood. While in the attic I looked at the gable end and it appears the stucco is applied directly over felt on to the studs. I don’t inspect many stucco homes, this is the second in two years and really don’t know much about the installation process. My question is it typical to see stucco directly over studs or is this just done at the gable ends? I plan on recommending an independent stucco inspection by a certified stucco inspector because of incorrect installations and confirmed leaks. I’m just curious if it’s typical to stucco directly over wall studs like this. Thanks, Kiel Click to Enlarge 52.59 KB Click to Enlarge 50.89 KB

I've been told looking at IR in gray scale is the best way to look for anomalies, and the rainbow and iron colors are mainly for show. I typically scan in the rainbow mode and will switch to gray scale once I find an anomaly. I’ll admit the anomaly in gray scale is easier to interpret because there’s a lot less to distract you. One question I’ve been meaning to find the answer too is, how hot is too hot for an electrical breaker? Like Kurt said AFCI and 220 volt breakers under load are typically a higher temperature, most around 90-100 degrees depending on ambient temperature which seems to be normal. I would imagine the only true way to know is the same size breaker under the same load and comparing the two. I would like to know what temperatures the breakers are that ya’ll are scanning though. Also when scanning electrical panels do ya’ll scan the breakers under a load? Such as, running the heating and air etc?

Exactly. Here in Charleston this is a very common sight. Eventually if this problem is ignored, the fungus growth will deteriorate the floor system. Depending on severity of the moisture, grading and drainage it sounds like a sump pump, better vapor barrier, sealing all openings and adding a dehumidifier would take care of the moisture problem. Sometimes other factors will contribute to the high moisture such as poorly insulated ductwork or ventilation that is blocked from fallen insulation or vegetation growth. Creating a conditioned crawlspace with a dehumidifier has become very popular here in Charleston because of the high humidity and low water tables. I’ve seen TJIs completely covered win fungus growth in less than 5 years and floor joist that can be broken in half by hand because of high moisture in a crawlspace. Check out this picture. Click to Enlarge 82.52 KB

Reminds me of the movie Home Alone.

Thanks for the reply guys. Is it ok to use 12" vs 8"? If this stuff just adds strength for the mortar joist, I would think with the edges of the bars hanging over the sides of the concrete block wouldn't do much for strengthening the mortar.

Yes the floor joist is notched to rest on the 2" ledger strip. And no it's not PT lumber. Home was built in 89. While not right, it's typical to see untreated wood directly on block around here in older homes.

Thank you for looking guys.

What are these small bars in the perimeter foundation wall? House has hardcoat stucco. I imagine it has something to do with the stucco. Does anyone know? Thanks! Click to Enlarge 69.03 KB