tedmen

Yes the electric water heater lower element has to be 18 inches off the floor. It is an ignition sourse. If it were an inclosed garage an outlet 18 inches or less off the floor could be an ignition source. I cannot see were the TPR drain line terminates but it appears to go beside the unit and maybe outside the wall. If thats the case then you just need to get rid of the flex. The flex pipe for the water connections are even in question but most do not question them. If it is in an enclosed space and if the unit leaks and can gut uner framing or walls to the house or for that matter can damage goods in that room or drywall or framing there should be a pan under the unit with a drain line to the exterior as well. As far as a disconnect of sorts there should be one if the panel holding the breaker is no where in sight. If it is in a room in the carport then if the room is not heated and the water lines have any possible chance of freezing then the lines should be insulated. Hmmm. What else is there???

I have installed Hardi-plank since it came out. I never saw anything like the pics in the original post. I don't have the info at hand but I would certainly check out hardi's site for proper nailing. Face nailing??? with what size nail???? As far a a slight bow in the wall stud, I am not sure unless major that that is the problem. I would suggest more on the line that a butcher had some slow days at the butcher shop and handled and applied the siding in his spare time. As far as the paint pics further down. I may suggest that it looks like it was cheap paint put on way to thick for a one coat job and maybe it got just a little cold that evening. Just some thoiughts and opinions. Ted

Steve If stick homes are not as strong as modular, explain just how homes built in the late1800's on, can be lifted off their foundation, put on wheels, and transported to another and lifted back on a new foundation???? They do not lift up old homes and then lower them back onto a foundation. They painstakingly jack them up and painstakingly lower them on a trailer and painstakingly trailer them to the new site and painstakingly lower onto the new foundation. If you tried to lift a stick built it would disintegrate. Just my thoughts and opinion. Ted As far as a modular home being stronger, couldn't tell you. Being built as modules and then connected together (depending on the size of the home) is certainly different than stick building a home piece by piece. Sorry to any folks that this next statement may offend. I would not give you 2 cents for a Mobile home, it is no more than a travel trailer.

That's funny about calling hardi. I called them many years ago and it was later that I thought. Mr. H himself answered the phone himself, for what reason I do not know. I asked him a couple of questions and he said almost the exact same thing to me. "Just follow the installation instructions and you will be alright.

The last roof I got on that was any steeper than that was in Florida about 5 years ago. It was a two story. I put the extension ladder up got to the roof and scampered right up to the peak to check out the chimney cap and and ridge of the roof. I did not realize how steep it was until my feet were stradling the ridge. Both feet were pointed down at a very steep angle. When I looked back at the ladder where I came up a certain part of me tightened up that I think you all know what it was. With out any exaggeration it took me twenty minutes, looking like a frozen squirrel on that slope back down to my ladder. A fire ambulance was in the driveway of the home next door. Of course going back to the ladder I was on the granules that I loosened up on the way up. Every time I removed a foot or a hand I slid slightly. When I got to the ladder I was scared to death at that moment trying to figure out how to get back on to the ladder without slipping off the edge of the roof. I looked back at the ambulance next door and started laughing so hard to myself about the situation I had tears in my eyes, saying, well at least the ambulance driver might hear the thudddddddd. I finally got the b___s up to finally get to the ladder. My entire body, every muscle, every brain cell was sore for a couple of days by being so horrified as to that thuddddddd and what could have been the ramifications from it. I do not even get on an 8 inch rise unless there are valleys to go up. I do not know the height of that particular roof I was on but the first and second floors had 10 foot ceilings and there was a crawl space under the home. Tall enough. Please, I worked in construction, business owner or not and have been in so many stupid situations all my life, I know what the out come could have been. Just think clearly about your next move Ted

One question. If the hardi-plank was already on a house how do you know what is behind it as far as a barrier. Second, properly sealed and painted the hardi-plank is not going to suck up water unless the caulk fails or they just plain did not do a good job. And third, what would be wrong with Tyvev where it is meant to breath in one direction. It would help keep the LP drier than nothing and it will let the moisture out. The bigger question is the proper flashing around the windows. There is a specific caulking for hardi products. If I am not mistaken that caulking is more like an elastomeric caulking and lasts much longer. I would not remove the LP. Actually I would not recommend anything beyond having a contractor evaluate for possible repairs unless you can varify everthing. Just state your concerns, recommend for evaluation for your concerns.

Other than the fact it appears to be added after the fact of the homes original build and they did not want to remove a couple of shingles and cut a hole to save many I don't know why they would have used it. I say added after the fact for an add on because I do not see a plumbing inspector allowing it on a new build. Of course it could have been an oops and never ran it thru the roof before it got shingled and an inspector found a pipe just venting into the attic.

I give my opinion that the water heater has an extreme amount of rust for a 10 year old unit and life expectancy may be at its limit prematurely. You should have a plumber perform a thorough evaluation of not only the water heater but its flue as well. The unit may well last for years but could fail before your home is closed on. The evaluation by a plumber should be done for repairs/replacement cost.