Steven Hockstein

No ventilation is wrong! That is poor construction and the local construction inspector missed a problem. Donal is correct. For additional information, section R806 of the IRC 2000 addresses roof/attic ventilation requirements.

I did no intend this thread to restart the ASHI Branding discussion. I was just wondering how being suspended or resigning from ASHI has impacted businesses. I see that Chris has had a successful investment in Branding. Has anyone else seen similar results one way or the other?

For those of you that have resigned from ASHI I was wondering if it has affected your business. Personally, I don't see any change except I have a few more $ in my pocket because I don't pay ASHI dues, assesments, Branding, etc. Since April 1, I only had one person ask me about ASHI and I told them that I was a member for 20 years and stopped participating because I did not feel that they were serving my best interests so I helped to start an alternative professional organization in NJ. They were satisfied with my answer and booked the appointment. I noticed that there are less price shoppers calling that used to find me on the ASHI website. My inspection fee is 25% higher this year than last year. There are still some companies (ASHI members) around here offering cheap inspections (50% less than my fee) but I have always lost the price shoppers to these companies. I will let them work twice as hard for more liability and less profit.

Until November of 2003, in NJ, plans for one and two family homes could have been submitted using CABO 1995. The 2000 IRC-NJ Edition was adopted last year but there was a six month grace period in which you could still use the old 1995 CABO (ending in November, 2003). This state is unusually slow in adopting new codes. Just double check what code was applicable when the plans were submitted because you don't want to stick your foot into your mouth if you rely on a code reference that may be inappropriate.

When I first started dating my wife she lived with her parents in a high-rise condo on West 57th Street in New York. During one of my conversations with my future father-in-law he told me how much he was paying to park his car and I was shocked that he was paying more for his parking spot than I was paying for the mortgage on my condo in NJ! Question: Do you know how to make a small fortune in New York City? Answer: Go to New York City with a big fortune[:-bonc01].

I think I was in that basement last Friday!!! The same exact situation. It was obvious that the older heater was smaller and when they upgraded to a taller, 100-gallon heater (5 1/2 bathroom house), they used the old vent pipe chimney connection. The owner said it was all inspected and approved but I still noted that the flue pipe pitch was improper and correction is needed. I don't feel that the draft hood condition is a problem, just the negative pitch.

I don't find many radiant heating systems in my area. On Friday I inspected a home that had multiple heating systems and one of them was a radiant hot water system with Lomex plastic tubing. The system seemed to be working properly. I remember hearing of problems with some of the plastic tubing used in these systems and was wondering if anyone has any information about this particular product. Thanks in advance.

Brian, Nice photos. The second one reminds me of how my knees felt last Sunday after the first softball league practice session. More Advil please!!!

Frank, I took a few minutes and I don't see any reference that requires weep holes in my 1993 BOCA or 1992 CABO books. Note that I did not spend too much time looking. In 1993 BOCA Section 1405.3.6 there is a requirement for building paper behind the veneer. In Section 1405.3.9 there are some specific requirements to prevent water accumulation and damage, but it does not specifically require weep holes. If you want, you are welcome to use my reference library if you happen to visit my area. Just give me a call. I have BOCA and CABO copies for the last 30 years. I am in Millburn. Short of that, you could give a call to NJ State DCA. There are a lot of code gurus there that have been around for many years and might be able to help answer your question. You need to know the accurate construction date. In NJ, we typically have a long lag between the date of the code and when the code was official adopted as part of the NJ State UCC (Uniform Construction Code). Additionally, the architects have had the choice of using BOCA or CABO when designing single family homes. If you get a final answer, please post it for all of our use.

Ron, I agree. I have had Packard Bell, IBM, Gateway and Dell computers. There is no comparision. Once I bought my first Dell, I have become a loyal customer. We now have seven stations networked in my office and I am looking forward to the day that they are all Dells (three are Gateways). Any suggestions about what to do with my old computers. I have a 386, 486, and 2 P-100's. I am about to take out the hard drives to destroy the data and dump the computers on recycling day. I am still trying to figure out the most efficient way to make backups to take them out of the office once a week.

I have made the decision to buy a new Dell computer for a little more money than the Maxtor, network it into my system and use one of my old computers as a backup. Systems are becoming relatively inexpensive when compared to just a back-up hard drive. The difference is only about $300, and that includes 17" flat screen monitor. I get the benefit of a faster computer as well.

Brian, One problem that I commonly see is when some of the steel pipes have been replaced with copper and they are connected directly to the remaining galvanized pipes. The disimilar metals react and cause corrosion and leaks. There are special fittings designed for this purpose but they are rarely used around here.

Check the International Residential Building Code-2000. (I have the NJ Edition so it may be a little different). Section R309-Garages and Carports. R309.2 Separation (below is paraphrased) A 1-hour rated fire separation is required between attached garage and living areas if there is living space above. At the minimum, the garage needs to be completely separated with 1/2 inch Gypsum board or equivilant applied on the garage side between the garage and adjacent interior and attic spaces. Hope this helps

Mike, Last fall I inspected a Stickley house in Maplewood, NJ. It was almost original except that the current owner was a stage lighting designer and installed some wacky light fixtures. My clients plan to remove them and replace with appropriate fixtures. The built-in cabinets were amazing. My clients lived nearby and walked past the house every morning and admired it. When they saw it for sale, they had to have it. It was nice to see that the house will be preserved and maintained for while. There is a lot of termite damage in the crawlspace, but it was repaired. The new owners want to renovate and restore the kitchen this year and they will probably hire us to help them. If I take some photos, I will post them. One less house to worry about about.

The Maxtor sounds like something I would be interested in. Does it work in a network environment? Currently, we use one computer as a data server and backup across the network onto multiple hard drives. Once a week, we burn CD's of new data and take them out of the office. I guess I could connect the Maxtor to the main data computer. What is the capacity of the drive? I would be interested in any advice that would help to improve my backup process. Any good websites with this information would also be helpful. Thanks in advance.

Kurt, I like it and found everything I would want to know when choosing an inspector. Two things that I would criticize are the Chicago photo and some of the text in the fee section. The image looks like a photo that got damaged by water. I think the "Call the office for pricing" comments should not be repeated in multiple paragraphs. I would suggest that you state it just once at the end of the fee section and if you want, repeat your phone number in larger text. Hope this opinion helps.

Most of us have seen houses where renovation work was performed poorly and likely without proper permits or inspections? Don't you love it when the realtor says "Isn't this new kitchen beautiful, all the renovation work was performed by a Builder." At this point in time I will ask what does that mean, isn't all building done by a "Builder? What is the definition of a Builder? Are you representing that all of the construction was performed by a licensed General Contractor with properly licensed Sub-Contractors. Are you stating that all proper permits and inspections were performed? Can you put that in writing for my client? The GFCI chart is a good weapon to use in the battle to show everyone why it is likely that the "New Kitchen and Bathrooms" (actually ten year old) were not installed in accordance with generally accepted construction practice. Thanks Mike.

That is because you smoked them through those super duper asbestos filters.

The feedback from the contractors that I know is generally positive. Two complaints have been that it can warp and become wavy in certain exposures and it is brittle and cracks if hit hard (especially during cold weather). Compared to the cost of natural wood siding or brick veneer, it is a reasonable option as an upgrade from vinyl. I am sure that installation as stair treads is nowhere to be found in the manufacturer's published installation specifications.

Hope you also noted that they left out the "H" clips.

I was told that it is not an option. If you all pay, I will let you know what happens to those that don't.

The 200 series windows use a composite material similar to Trex. Andersen makes it out of the sawdust that is left over from the manufacturing operations. The also burn sawdust to help heat their facilities. You are right that the 200 series has a smaller selection of stock sizes. If you only need a few custom sizes, you can get windows made to match the 200 windows. If you need a lot of different sizes you would probably be better off with the 400 series and use standard sizes. If you want wood, use the 400 series. The exterior is covered with vinyl to help protect the wood and reduce maintenance. There are more stock colors available as well. I forget if they use the same hardware. I can check if you need. Glass options are also limited as well. The 200 series is really targeted for the builder's market to compete with vinyl windows. They are a little more expensive, but much better. I would go with a wood window.

Pete, If you want a good basic window, I would recommend Andersen (with an "e", not "o" [:-bouncy]). I was at their factory a few years ago and watched them being made. They know how to build a good production window. The best thing about Andersen is that you can get them quickly from many places and the prices are very competitive. I personally don't like casements because you can't crack them open when it is raining. Above my kitchen sink, I installed a picture awning window that is 3'-5" x 3'-5" and is hinged at the top. If you want to see it, look on my web page at the kitchen renovation because it is in my house. I like double hung windows for the rest of the house. I installed Weathershield windows in my house. They are wood on the inside and aluminum clad on the exterior. Most of the windows were primed, but I used natural maple in my kitchen to match the cabinets. I chose Weathershield because the company wanted me to use them in my house and sold them at a price that was so low I could not say no. I am happy with them. One of the 2 year old windows recently clouded during a cold snap and I called to tell them about it. A new window sash is being made for me at no charge. After I installed my windows, Andersen started to offer different wood species. They recently expanded their line to 200, 400, and 600 series windows. The 200 series are lower end builder's windows. The 400 series are decent. The 600 series allows lots of cool customizing (Andersen recently bought KML Window Company and that has helped them offer more customization). If you are going to require custom sizing, special woods, special finishes, simulated or true divided lights, then I would recommend Marvin or Weathershield. Pella is also decent. The Andersen 600 series windows are similarly priced. If you need an architect for your new home, I am licensed in NY State. We did 10 houses in New York City (Riverdale) last year. If you want to talk more about your window, call me at my office between 8 & 5. Good Luck. PS: The top new house on my web page has $110,000 of Andersen windows and doors. It overlooks the bay in Cape Cod.

That is what I suggested. It did not occur to her that in the long run, it would be less costly with no worries about the underground tank. I also told her that the new boiler will be more energy efficient and will give her an extra 15 years before she needs to replace the it. I still think it may be worth the time to write a letter or two to the old insurance company and/or insurance commission just to take a shot at some money back for a minimal letter writing effort. As I said, it is not worth too much energy because there is not that much money involved

A little subject drift but this does relate to oil tanks.. A client called me last week and wanted my advice. I inspected her house a few years ago and there is an underground oil tank on the property. I noted the tank and included boilerplate stuff about underground tanks, potential problems, told her that I did not test the tank, and recommended an insurance policy. Recently her insurance company notified her that they will no longer provide underground tank insurance and told her that coverage will discontinue in a month. She called another company to get insurance and they require a tank test before they will insure the tank. She arranged for a test and holes were discovered at the top of the tank. The new insurnace company refused coverage. The original insurance company will not pay a claim because the tank has not leaked (holes are at the top of the tank). She can't get insurance on the existing tank and the old insurance company is dropping her. She wants my advice (she is not blaming me for anything, she is just looking for help). They want $3000 to removed and replace the tank. It will cost $1000 just to remove the tank. Gas is available at the street. I suggested that she call the gas company and find out if they will connect her and finance a new boiler for less than the cost of replacing the oil tank. She will also save $250 a year in tank insurance. The existing boiler is about 15 years old. Any other recommendations besides calling the insurance commission to complain ( I told her to ask for her premiums to be refunded because the insurance policy was worthless). There is not enough money involved to litigate.