Bill Kibbel

New Jersey; 1654 Swedish/Finnish log structure. New Jersey; 1675 Dutch farm. Pennsylvania; 1682 Quaker farm. Outbuildings also from the late 17th/early 18th century including a jail with the original doors and hasps. The original owner was the constable for the township. www.buckscountyestates.com/burglea.html I recently sold my last home that I meticulously restored, built in 1690.

"I think we at least have it narrowed down to a combination of wind, rain, freeze and thaw." And internal condensation. I hope I'm not giving the impression that I have any hands on experience with masonry. (Which side of the trowel does the mud go?) My background was in construction management and restoration consulting. I was just fortunate to earn an education at the point that science proved that modern methods and materials were destroying architectural heritage. Researched, documented and tested preservation measures in effect for decades in the UK have yet to be implemented to any significant degree here. Now I have had some broad experience with traditional timber framing and joinery.

At the beginning of my HI career, I inspected several of that style in a neighborhood built in the late 30s. Very unusual for this region. Often had to wear my Wellies to inspect them. I always called them elevated ponds and told them to build a real roof. 20 years later, almost all have shingled hipped roofs.

Any chance the rep didn't have a ladder? Was he at the correct house?

On the other side of the pond, where I've learned the most about old masonry, the debate over the direction of the "leaning stack" has been going on since before the first brick was fired on this continent. The statement that they all lean towards the prevailing wind and rain is the usual explanation heard in the US. The conditions directly around each individual chimney and within the flue is what dictates which direction the chimney leans. The most common tendency is to lean toward the center of the building. I have seen this in old towns where chimneys on buildings in the same block do not all lean the same direction. It is also common to see Georgians, with the paired chimneys at each gable, all leaning toward the roof.

This photo shows a screw securing the meter box that pierced the back of the panel and punctured into the SEC.

"...he keeps telling me it's normal to have water as long as it'll drain out eventually. Is it true?" I'd hold his face under the water and say: "It'll drain out eventually". I have a hunch that the indoor pond under the house is just scratchin' the surface of what's not "normal" for acceptable construction.

"Have you ever wondered why you may not see large cracks and voids in an old masonry building's mortar joints even when the masonry has settled? Some assume it is because the old lime mortars are more flexible". I would say that could be the case to some degree in certain circumstances. The way I understand it, when structural movement occurs, lime based mortars can better accommodate movement due to its plasticity. Lime mortars also tend to crack in multiple smaller cracks rather than fewer large cracks. These smaller cracks then tend to coagulate congeal self-heal. I had the pleasure of receiving some education on lime mortar, plaster and render from the Mortar Industry Association in the UK. The U.S. Heritage Group also provides a good program "Understanding Lime Mortar". This presentation will be available at the Traditional Building Conference in Chicago on April 5-8.

"ROOF, FLASHINGS, CHIMNEY: At the time of the inspection, snow was covering the entire roof and these items could not be completely evaluated. If requested, we can return to the property; however, we must be notified when the roof is clear. We will then make one revisit when our schedule permits". I have to return to about 40%. I probably killed the deal on the rest.

I'd like to add to the list of: "What are the unique and successful features of the Rumford?" 6. The "rounding off the breast" in the throat to create a venturi nozzle effect to draw smoke up into the chimney. Unfortunately I see many 18th C. Rumfords that no longer function due to 20th C. alterations. 1. Cast-in-place liners that are formed around the inflated tube always change the critical flue ratio needed for it to work. 2. Adding damper assemblies that create turbulence in the throat.

In a crawlspace under an addition to a colonial farmhouse covered with black plastic, I discovered a 35' deep hand dug stone lined well. When my hand put pressure on the plastic and no earth resisted, so I thought I might cut open the plastic and take a little peak. At a remote vacation home on a lake, it was raining buckets, I thought I would get the roof done quickly. No one was there yet as I scrambled up the slippery front span of the gable roof to the ridge. Just as I stepped to straddle the ridge, I quickly realized there was no rear span. No shingles, sheathing or rafters! The first inspection that I used an umbrella to inspect the interior, but not the last. Apparently, the PO was in the process of adding another level, but ran out of money and sold. Since that incident, I always do a walk around before the roof. Nail behind knee cap - Don't wear soft knee pads. Hantavirus and two bacterial respiratory infections - Wear a good respirator. Protruding nail caught left eye, Em. doc said It will never work again, but was wrong - Watch where you're going in old barns. I'll probably remember some more.

Homeowners also misinterpret or amplify conditions when describing them. I wrote a goofy little piece in my column about maintaining stone foundations. Now I get regular mail from folks who have a little flaking to the old mortar coating that are quite sure their 250 y/o stone farmhouse will crash on top of them if they venture into the basement. The plumb bob thing and "two walls braced with beams" concerns me though. I'm wondering if he is trying to apply the V3 rule to a cracked/bulged/leaning foundation pushing in.

Most of my gizmos only come out of the toolbox when it is necessary to illustrate something to a bonehead seller or agent that can't comprehend experienced HIs can actually identify issues using normal senses. I think srowe's gadget came in handy for that purpose. "Look, three burners hot. The rest - not hot".

Around here it seems to coincide with the transition from balloon to platform framing and cmu foundations. The ground doesn't move here and we don't get winds that will move a building (maybe a carport).

Glass in "hazardous locations" doesn't have to be tempered to meet the safety glazing standard but it should be permanently labeled with "16 CFR 1201" Folks often wonder why I'm standing on their tub staring at the window.

Horizontal joints must have Z-flashing. Vertical joints, if installed over a weather resistive barrier, are not required to be sealed but are installed "in contact". It is preferred to install PVC "H" channel, battens or leave a gap and caulk.

Do licensed union plumbers out there get paid by the joint?

The first thing I do when purchasing a home with hydronic heat is replace whatever's there with a WM. Then I can completely ignore it other than vacuuming every few years.

Around here, wiring is permitted to pass through return air cavities. E3804.7 Air handling-stud cavity and joist spaces. Where wiring methods having a nonmetallic covering pass through stud cavities and joist spaces used for air handling, such wiring shall pass through such spaces perpendicular to the long dimension of the spaces.

www.epinions.com/pr-Sony_ICD-P17_Voice_Recorder I was just thinkin'. It's been great for dictating reports from start to finish but it might not be the best choice for occasional notes during the inspection. If it sits idle for too long, the pause feature times out and you have to start another file.

All 7 of us use the Sony IC recorders. We dictate the entire report and e-mail it to one of several typists each night.

The CPSC and many manufacturers recommend 120°F max. for domestic water heaters, so that's what we recommend. Not everyone has sole leather skin like Chad.

Jim wrote: "The auto-reverse feature on a garage door IS NOT INTENDED TO PREVENT SOMEONE FROM BEING KILLED, CRUSHED, DENTED OR OTHERWISE HARMED by the door as it travels downward. Its ONLY PURPOSE is to prevent entrapment. That's all that's being tested by the 2x4." That last part is correct. The 2x4 test only verifies the functionality of the reverse feature. That's why manufacturers' instructions I've read describe the "Force Setting Test" immediately after describing the "Reversal Test" Those instructions are similar to the ones listed in the DASMA guide. Tim wrote: "Not trying at all to be argumentative Bill, But how did you come to the conclusion that the ANSI standards do nothing to adequately measure a life safety issue?" Again, the 2x4 test does nothing to evaluate the amount of force it takes to reverse the door. I'll describe an experience to help illustrate this point. I grabbed a shovel and used the handle to do the reversal test. After snapping the 1.25" ash handle, the door reversed in at least a second. This would have easily passed the 2x4 test. Using a force gauge at 12" from the floor, the door reversed at about 130 lbs. After simple adjustment, the door reversed at 11 lbs. I just can't walk away from a home after only using the 2x4 to test the safety of pre '93 automatic garage door opener.

The Cap'n and Paul are two inspectors that I would want to inspect the home where my family will be living. They have enough sense to ignore a published test procedure that does nothing to adequately measure a potential life safety issue. When they are testing that automatic feature, they are picturing my children and pets laying under the door and not fearing potential claims if the door is damaged or some installer disputing their opinion. This is just one example of HIs not daring to point out potential issues because there are no published standards or codes to support their opinion. Is ignoring the potential for injury or death to an occupant of a building you inspected more important than having the possibility of defending your "subjective" opinion?

I don't think its nitrogen. Nitrogen is an ingredient of some corrosion inhibitors added to commercial boilers. Perhaps someone was referring to nitrogen oxides, which are a group of corrosive gases that contribute to "acid rain". It's common to see corrosion to copper roofing and flashings in urban or industrial areas with elevated NOx emissions. I have heard that some municipal water facilities treat for NOx and NO2.