Brian G

From the 2003 IRC, in part: Wall Covering R703.1 General. (3rd sentence) The exterior wall envelope shall be designed and constructed in such a manner as to prevent the accumulation of water within the wall assembly by providing a water-resistive barrier behind the exterior veneer as required by section R703.2. R703.2 Weather-resistant sheathing paper. Asphalt saturated felt free from holes and breaks, weighing not less than 14 lbs. per 100 square feet and complying with ASTM D 226 or other approved weather-resistant material shall be applied over studs or sheathing of all exterior walls as required by table R703.4. It goes on to talk about horizontal application, 2 inch lap, etc. But then lo and behold we go over to the table mentioned and it says sheathing paper is not required under vinyl. I think that gets changed in the 2006 IRC, to be required for all exterior wall sheathing, period. With all of that said, it's nuts not to have a barrier under vinyl. Wind-driven rain will get behind vinyl even if it's installed perfectly, what's it like in the real world? Brian G. Vinyl - Having the Qualities of a Vine [:-paperba

There is no neutral on 220v circuits. He just used a cable that had one more conductor than he needed, for whatever reason. Brian G. Is Switzerland Really Neutral, Or Are They Actually a Grounding Conductor?! Film at 11. []

Question: If you have a main and sub panel in the same building, are you allowed to have a grounding electrode at each one? They would both be bonded to the same grounding system of course, but would a second electrode in a different location create any problems (differences in "potential", ground fault paths, etc.)? Brian G. Always Gotten By Fine With One Rod Myself [^] []

Jeez. Looking at that makes me want to move even farther out in the country. Brian G. Lover of Elbow Room & Privacy [^]

Jim's always ready to throw in crooked home inspectors when someone starts kicking crooked contractors. I wish I could argue the point, but...alas. [:-indiffe We don't have chimney sweeps here, so roofers hold the top spot all alone. [:-vamp] Of course, crooked HI's work in reverse. They don't take the client for $3800, they just leave the client wide open for $3800 in repairs on things they ignored. No better I'm afraid. [:-irked] Brian G. Lowndes County Roofer's Requirements: 1 truck, 1 hammer, and the Colassal Gall of a Con Man [:-headach

Originally posted by stuccoman If I were to write something astm would not like it! I do not agree with them on a few issues! That shouldn't be a problem. Just note where you differ with them and why, present your case to the collective TIJ jury. We can decide for ourselves from there. Brian G. Nobody ASTM Anyway [:-slaphap

"Have you seen one of those new "walk-through" beams yet?" [:-dopey] "Well I just knew they wouldn't want to keep stepping over the dang thing, so..." [:-dunce] No-no, you don't understand...we ordered it that way." [^] Brian G. A Few Options

Originally posted by hausdok Nobody can make it for you and if you gut tells you not to make the climb - don't. That reminds me of the philosophy of the kayakers I used to paddle with. If you looked at a rapid and your gut said "don't", you didn't; no stigma attached. Brian G. Still Here to Talk About It, So the Gut Must Know Something [:-mischie

I'd seen the Certainteed on-line courses mentioned before by Scott P. and others, but never got around to looking them up. That's quite a selection of useful subjects they have there. Bookmarked that puppy. Mike's at it again! Posting like a madman! [:-angel] Brian G. Always More to Learn [:-graduat

"For the past two decades, home inspectors routinely have been hired and paid by buyers; many states require inspections." I wonder who checked that "fact". Brian G. All the Myth That's Fit to Print [:-slaphap

I think you can read that either way. It looks very ambiguous to me. It doesn't indicate that they have to be the same, or that they can't be different. Lousy directions. On a common sense level putting two different size wires under the same screw is bad practice. It would be easy to get good contact on one but not the other. Maybe if they were twisted together tightly first... Brian G. What We Got Here, Is a Failure to Communicate (clearly)

For walking on I love the older houses around here, from about the 40's forward through the 70's. We don't get snow and steep wasn't in style yet, so they were sloping them down at 4 or 5 in 12. Some of 'em I could play Frisbee on, just run all over the place. [:-propell Brian G. Former Frisbee Freak [^]

Weird. The way they line up does suggest a larger movement, but how? How many lines were there like that? Brian G. Bumfuzzled [:-boggled

More.... So many defects up there to be found, Construction that looks anything but sound, And shingles that look like they've been ground, I'm so sublime, I make the climb MMMMMMMmmmmmmmm........ Don't let your silly self get crazy-bold, The ground is plenty hard or so I'm told, I sure as hell hope those gutter spikes can hold, But there's still time, to grab for Pineid="maroon"> Brian G. Call Me Butter 'Cause I'm on a Roll [:-dopey]

So Donald, you want to see round 473 of the roof walking debate? [:-crazy] I've always walked all I could, and a few I shouldn't have. Both kinds were learning experiences. I Walk The Line (HI version) I keep a close watch on these feet of mine, I keep my eyes wide open all the time, I keep my hands free so I can grab a vine, Because you're mine(client), I take the time MMMMMMmmmmmmmmm......id="maroon"> I find it very, very easy to walk slow, This is one thing you sure don't want to blow, One wrong move here and brother down you go, Because you're mine(client), I walk the lineid="maroon"> Brian G. The HI in Black [:-cowboy]

Originally posted by charlieb PS Brian, The rumor is -- those who feel the need to talk about their parts usally have well, RUSTY parts. Yeah well, if you don't use a tool it tends to get rusty. You're married too, right? [:-indiffe Brian G. But You Can Call Me "Rusty" Big Boy [][:-dev3]

Douglas will be in Jackson next week. Ask him then. Any damage to it? You know, scorched parts, etc.? Brian G. No Scorching Allowed on My Parts [:-sour]

Drain ends outside <6in. {6-24in.UPC} from ground IRC 2803.6.1 / UPC 608.5 The IRC code they claim to be referencing is the same one I posted (in part). It doesn't say what they're saying it does, but it's good enough for you anyway? Even knowing it's wrong? Forgive me Mike, but that's indefensible for a professional home inspector. Gentlemen, it's one thing to start from a position of knowing well how a thing is supposed to be done and what's required (or allowed) by the established standards, then deviate according to the situation and common sense. It's quite another to begin with only a few slivers of the same knowledge and deviate in the same way, particularly if the slivers are flawed to start with. It would leave an HI open to all sorts of potential consequences. We're supposed to know this stuff, or at least be willing to find out what's what, before we render our professional opinions and/or recommendations. I'm not enjoying this at all, but I can't help myself. Brian G.

Originally posted by hausdok If you're using a code book your's could very well be more explicit. However, I don't like the idea of having to interpret ever nuance of the codes. Interpret nuances? I'm not comfortable interpreting nuances of code either, but it's plain ole' English in this case. The entire body of IRC code covering this particular item is one paragraph, and your original (rather emphatic and unequivocal) statement about what the code says was just dead wrong. Jeez Mike. And what's J.P.? Is that like AHJ? Brian G. 'Splain It To Me [?]

Originally posted by hausdok There's no question that the codes say it must discharge to the exterior by gravity and terminate 6 to 24 inches above the ground, and when gravity won't work a watts 210 gas shutoff must be used in conjunction with a simple pressure relief valve and it must still discharge to the exterior. What code is that limiting? The IRC says "The discharge of the relief valve shall be piped full size separately to the floor, to the outside of the building or to an indirect waste receptor located inside the building. In areas subject to freezing, the relief valve shall discharge through an air gap into an indirect waste receptor located within a heated space, or by other approved means"id="maroon"> It doesn't seem to me that being piped to a basement floor is necessarily in violation at all, particularly if there's a floor drain (indirect waste receptor). We have very, very few basements here, but what I run into is water heaters in the middle of a slab-built house where no provision was made for the relief piping. At best they're tied to the plumbing vent system, which is expressly and specifically forbidden by some codes (the IRC being one). Brian G. Basement (Mississippi version) - the mint on the bottom of a stack of mints []

Originally posted by mgbinspect The first is when brick have been reclaimed and re-layed as "used brick". I've read that used brick aren't as strong in a wall as new brick. The reason given was that the pores in the brick are where the chemical bonding between brick and mortar occur, with the mortar/chemicals filling the pores. Therefore when the brick was used again there were far less open pores for the bonding process to take advantage of. Any thoughts on that? Brian G. Bonding...James Bonding [:-tophat]

My guess would be that something like that is pretty uncommon. Last I knew falls were the top cause of serious injuries and deaths in the home, but I don't know where electrical problems rank. Most wouldn't be of this nature anyway. Still... Brian G. Scary Stuff [:-skull]

Norm! You're alive! Long time no see. Brian G. Norm & Sasquatch...Mere Myths?

Ah Kurt...lovely, lovely, lovely. And not a hint of any idiotic, useless elements either. I saw a piece on some revered modern architect on 60 Minutes a year or two ago, who starts every project with a sculpture that looks all but impossible as a building. Floppy, wobbly, wavy, and endlessly curvy looking, every one. Then they figure out how to fit a building inside the shape, which leaves all sorts of dead space, dead ends, and hard-to-use oddball areas. I couldn't help thinking how absurd it was to celebrate such work as "great architecture", comparable with that of masters like Wright. Interesting to look at, yes, very; practical and useful performance, no. Then again, I'm a dedicated form-follows-function guy. So sue me. [^] Brian G. Now I Know What to Do With My Den [:-dopey]