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Brian G

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Everything posted by Brian G

  1. Both good options. I clean forgot about Scottman being up there. Mucho Gracias [:-angel] Brian G.
  2. What's up guys, I need a quality home inspector for a family member buying a house in Cleveland, TN. You know, one of our kind....hard-headed, thorough, and client-oriented. I don't have access to the ASHI rolls or anything else anymore, so any help would be appreciated. One Cleveland Wasn't Enough? [] Brian G.
  3. I love 'em all, except for the rare crazy. "Man's best friend" is not just a cutesy saying. One Austrailian anthropologist believes homo sapiens succeeded (while neanderthals died out) largely because of our alliance with dogs. We gained an early warning system, prey tracking and chase capabilites far beyond our own, and an expanded/varied fighting ability. They got use of our big brains and all that comes with it (shelter, planning, steadier food supply, tools, etc., etc., etc.). It's just one theory, but I think it makes a fair amount of sense. Brian G. Dogged Fan of Canines [:-thumbu]
  4. I had a background in carpentry and electrical, and I wasn't sure I was going to get anything useful from HI training. WRONG. I got a lot out of it, but.... 1. I went to the best school I could find, which was 2 states away. 2. I didn't go outside to smoke every 10 minutes. Others did. 3. I shut off my cell phone on the way in, I participated a lot in class, and I went back to my room at night and studied. Others did not. If the school is any good and you go at it in a serious way, it'll help a lot, but you'll still need a ton more from a place like this. And I have to echo the "This is a terrible time to go HI" sentiment, though your area may be doing somewhat better than some others (find out). Brian G. Good Luck, You'll Need It [:-wiltel]
  5. Congradulations Mike. Your efforts, combined with those of other willing souls, have helped a lot of inspectors help a lot more clients. You should be proud. [^] Brian G. Salute! [:-party]
  6. Jeez, a cement/concrete roof. I ain't never hear'd tell of such. All I can think is to be very frank about how unusual and unpredictable this roof is, and how bad things could get if it goes horribly wrong while they own it. Can you imagine what it might cost to remove that sucker and replace it with something normal? I would also say something like "It's far more likely to leak than to not leak, now, later, or sometime". Brian G. Bizzaro Roofing Inc.
  7. I love it. I spent a LOT of Saturday mornings watching those classics. Brian G. He Ate Bugs' Liver With Some Farve Beans and a Nice Chianti [:-mean]
  8. Originally posted by SNations If there was no problem with condensation with the existing insulation, I can't see how adding anything more would cause condensation. My guess is that the "condensation due to bubble wrap" theory is based on the vapor barrier aspect of the bubble wrap, rather than on the insulating value. I've seen the original insulation on that particular ductwork during my carpentry years, and it was some sort of fiberous stuff with a heavy paper wrap. It probably breathed somewhat, though I can't say that type of insulation is common around here, or how anyone else would have known that. Locally, most of it is fiberglass with a foil/paper wrapping. I thought the idea of an impermeable vapor barrier on ductwork creating condensation was at least passingly plausible, but it might be total B.S. in actual practice. Brian G. Knowledge Permeable, To Both the Useful and the Useless [:-boggled
  9. Ahhh... That must be what the rumblings were about. Thanks Mike, I'll pass it on. Brian G. Smarter-er Again [:-graduat
  10. I'll have to ask about foil / no foil thing. It was put on during an overhaul to a new HVAC system, by a local contractor named....Scott Patterson. Seriously. [:-slaphap Brian G. Branching Out Scotty? []
  11. It just never ends...always something new and different in the inspecting world. Originally posted by Scottpat That is just bazaar if it is a radon mitigation system. Beware the homophone Brother Scott. A "bazaar" is a market place; "bizarre" is the one you were thinking of. Brian G. A Bizarre Bazaar Might Be Cool [:-magnify
  12. Yesterday a family friend asked me if bubble wrap applied to ductwork could create a condensation problem, and if there were any necessary steps to avoid the issue. Her's was apparently put on right over the old, existing duct insulation. I can't say I'm up on this one; never seen any. Anybody got the hard intel on this stuff? Brian G. Bubble Rap - What Toddler Gangsters Listen to in the Bathtub [:-paperba
  13. Yeah, a lot of those are funny as hell (if you don't have a 1,000-question-a-day kid in the room). My pet peeve concerns advertising for fast food places. They show you these sandwiches exploding with meat and toppings, but when you buy one it's flat nothing with 1/2 the stuff they showed in it. Blatent false advertisement we've come to accept without a word...sad. That, and the ones who ask you "Medium, or large?" when you order a combo, as if "small" doesn't even exist. Flat-out unethical. Brian G. I May Be Crazy, But I Ain't Blind [:-boggled[:-blindfo
  14. Jimmy Morrison's wet dream....an actual bar in his own basement. [] Brian G. Serving No Beer But Guiness, Of Course [:-drunk]
  15. I've seen my share of those, mostly because we've had an ITE-heavy wholesale electrical distributor in town for 50 or 60 years now. Dumb design, never should have been allowed as service equipment in residential use, but not dangerous as far as I know. Brian G. Electrical Does Not Improve With Age [:-indiffe
  16. OY! Yeah, it's screwed up royally. No telling what the original intent was, nor does it matter, 'cause it's fubar. Just tell your clients it's all wrong and it's important to get a smart electrician to set things right. Brian G. Emphasis on *Smart* Electrician [:-graduat
  17. "The finest living experience anywhere in the world." Wow. Realturd hype has hit a new high. [:-crazy] Brian G. And Don't Even THINK of Copying My "Realturd" Invention...It's Trademarked and Copyrighted [^]
  18. Very cool. Brian G. "Droning On" Was Never More Fun [:-slaphap
  19. It's not as revolutionary as the plywood drip pan for water heaters, but it looks highly functional to me. [^] Brian G. Is Patent Leather Patented? [?]
  20. Originally posted by Jim Katen If you've never been sued, it seems like a racket. If you never get sued it IS a racket. But hey, even though I'm out of it now I still have 3 years of liability following me around. It ain't over 'til it's over. But it can protect you from financial ruin if you're ever faced with a 6-figure lawsuit. You don't have to make a mistake or do a damn thing wrong to be involved in a game-changing lawsuit. No denying that. I understand why some people want it, required or not, but I would have kept my money if I could have. How much you have to lose in the first place figures in heavily. Brian G. Nobody Wants to Slaughter a Bony Pig []
  21. I think E&O is largely a friggin' racket. I had to have it because the state required it, but never even had a threat from a client. I always thought of it as a "keep every Tom, Dick, and Harry out of the business" fee. I figure I paid them somewhere between $20 - 25,000 over my time as an inspector, and never got a damn thing else for my money. Your mileage may vary. Brian G. I Want a Refund [:-grumpy]
  22. Yep, that's an electrical fitting. At the risk of being "improper", I've always found electrical conduit and fittings to be far tougher than their plumbing counterparts (the water line to my old mo-bile home is the same stuff, which easily stood up to being re-trenched by machine). I'd mention it, but confidently tell them not to worry about it. Brian G. Sometimes the *Right* Stuff Isn't the Best Stuff [8]
  23. I saw a live one fairly close-up once at the Memphis Zoo. He was in an enormous outdoor enclosure, recovering from a wing injury. Son of a guns are HUGE, way bigger than any birds I was used to seeing. It's not hard to see how the "eagle stole my baby" stories got started. Brian G. What Bird Is Big Enough to "Stole" My Wife? []
  24. This is out of the current line of the thread, but I dropped ASHI last fall in an effort to save money and stay in the game. At one time I was getting enough referrals in a year's time to justify the cost, plus I felt it was important to support the legislative and higher standard efforts of the organization. When money got tight I just couldn't see $400. Dropping that and my Alabama license saved me over $1000. This is strickly a view from the outside, since I never held an ASHI office, but it appears ASHI spends a tremendous amount of money on plane tickets and pricey hotel rooms for staff and elected officials to attend meetings and such. I always wondered if a certain amount of that couldn't be done by conference calls, Go-To-Meeting, or something. *Full Disclosure* I personally benefitted from that largess a couple of times, when I was generously allowed to share a paid-for room at national conferences. Brian G. No Matter What Jimmy & Scott Say, We Did NOT "Trade It Out" []
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