Steven Hockstein

I responded to a solicitation that was removed and my post was even more meaningless. I could not delete it so I did the next best thing.

deleted

They arrived today! Thanks. Check is in the mail...

The roofing material manufacturer's field rep may be helpful in looking at the roof and guiding you to who is an expert in the area. You should qualify the rep first because it may put him/her in an awkward position if the installer is a regular customer.

I use the stinger LED and use the old ones as back-ups because they use the same charger. I'll take them if you don't need them. Let me know the shipping cost.

Buy a new battery operated clock.

Most towns in this area require that there be a garage as part of a single family home. I have heard about people being forced to convert living space back into garage space and have been fined for improper construction after performing changes like you did. You should read your local land use ordinance.

If there are any large corporate offices near you, the HR department is also a good resource. They are likely the first contact for relocated employees that are possibly purchasing a home in your inspection area.

Was there an unusually customized Delorean nearby?

Looks like a representation of the foot path of my wife when she goes to the mall. My path would be a straight line to the other end.

It is very rare for me to do an inspection without my client present. I explain to my clients that my work is independent of the house closing and I won't wait for payment. COD at the home inspection is our policy. No money = no report = no accounts receivable. Also-I use Quick Books for paying bills/payroll/banking. I find it simple and you have to work hard to screw up your accounting because it will warn you if you are doing something wrong. There are a lot of cool tools to help you keep track of how you are doing and if you are actually profitable. The QuickBooks Payroll add-on takes care of tax deductions, 401K, and various other employee stuff. At the end of the year I give my accountant a copy of my QuickBooks file.

We worked on a Jersey Shore home with severe termite damage behind brick veneer. The damage was discovered as part of the aftermath of Super Storm Sandy (the termite problem would not have been found for many more years if not for the need to remove the interior wall finishes). After consulting with multiple contractors about how to repair the framing, the consensus was that the best way to repair the structure was to take the veneer down. In the end, it was also the less costly option. In your case it will likely be easier to diagnose and repair the water penetration problem with the veneer removed.

Please stop. I just gagged-up some of my lunch.

Just as an aside and not to hijack this thread: Am I the only one that finds it peculiar to write about a building in the past tense? I.E. "The foundation was blah, blah blah...It is my style to report on a building in the present tense. I can understand if you want to say something like "When I was there the basement was full of stored items and blah, blah, blah... I guess technically if you write the report the next day you can talk about the whole building in the past but I do not do that. Am I wrong? Grammar expert advice please.

I don't see how. Or even seen such. Marc Do a Google search for "Mold in Air Conditioning Coils" to learn about it. look at this YouTube video: It was just my guess but some funky odors can come from air conditioning systems. I was thinking that someone may have dumped bleach on the coils in an attempt to clean them.

could it be some type of growth on your coiling coils in the A/C?

I think learning about a controversial subject that is related to homes is a good thing. My issues are that much of the information that is publicized to me mostly comes from companies that have a lot of skin in the game and want to use the information to sell stuff. That makes me suspicious of the objectivity of the providers. I also question how a home inspector that went to a course for a few hours can be a certified mold specialist and make bold claims when there are trained scientists that don't know all of the answers to some of the same questions. Again, it makes me suspicious of their claims.

Good guess! Hard to tell. Windows were all replaced. No evidence of old windows units. Electric outlets nearby were mostly improperly wired three-prong outlets fed by knob and tube wiring (don't get me started). Not sure if they could have even supported a window unit.

So far the consensus is some type of rainwater collection/distribution setup. That is where I am leaning.

This is on the right side of a 100 year old house. It is about 7 feet above ground. There is no obvious purpose for hose. There is no water supply nearby. The central air conditioning condensate drains to the other side of the house. There is no water conditioning equipment in the home. I was thinking it may be for someone to run water into the leader pipe to see if the flow is ok. Maybe some type of water collection system to use the roof water for irrigation? Leader pipes lead underground to an unknown place (possibly a dry well or storm sewer system). Any other guesses? Click to Enlarge 64.98 KB

I have a brochure in my hand that is from a Mold company that offers testing and emergency services. They claim to be "Certified" Mold Inspectors. Nowhere on the brochure does it state what certified means or who certified them. Does anyone know how you get certified except by a company that is in the business of the "Mold is Gold" bandwagon?

If the Nest fire alarm system requires a WIFI connection or monthly subscription to properly operate I know that it would not be accepted by the fire sub-code officials around here.

It is very difficult to calculate the composite structural strength of all of the different parts of a building and how they work (or not work) together. Every once in a while I will get a call from a contractor that is working on one of our projects. The conversation will lead to a discussion about why the building is still standing because they opened-up the walls to expose the structure and were surprised at what appears to be a minimal amount of support and no obvious signs of failure.

I am closer than both of you. Just not licensed in NY and not interested in driving there. My friend contacted me and asked for assistance. I told him I would put the word out.

One of my friend's kid is buying a house in Cold Springs, NY. Anybody work in that area?