Bill Kibbel

It's called English Interlocking Tile. I don't know of an exact match being manufactured today. Mortenson Roofing is well known in the historic preservation world for their extensive collection of salvaged roofing tiles. I'd bet they could tell you if there are new or used tiles to match. http://www.mortensonroofing.com/ id="left">

The old "plastic" fittings that were used with polybutylene tubing are manufactured of acetal resin. Acetal resin is subject to degradation from chlorine. The "plastic" fittings used with PEX are polysulfone, a thermoplastic polymer. There have been no issues with these fittings when installed correctly for water distribution. There would probably be much less confusion if we used the specific and correct names of building products. Generically identifying plumbing system components as "plastic" can cause incorrect conclusions and leads to unnecessary fears. Acetal, polysulfone, PVC, ABS, CPVC, polybtylene, HDPE and PEX are all quite different and have different characteristics.

LV appliance connector. LV = low visibility, for stuff like gas logsets and grills.

If there are only 2, they are likely additional circuits added later. Although, "mid 1960s" is when aluminum wire, small enough for house wiring, started to be manufactured.

That's the Lennox air purification system. Air passes through the pleated filter, then 2 UV lamps and then some kinda coated screen. Filter, lamps and screen get replaced annually.

There are 2 red, bell-shaped devices on the water feed pipe. The one on the left, with the handle, is the pressure relief valve. Boiler-mounted relief valves weren't required when that was installed.

Those of you in areas that don't have a second shutoff at the water service entrance: Has your area adopted the IRC? Is there an amendment eliminating the requirement?

The IRC requires an accessible main shutoff valve "near the entrance of the water service" in addition to the water service valve at the curb or property line.

Where did you get it? Do you have a link for the detector? The first one was some German brand that detected 3 gases, CO & O2. I probably got it over 20 years ago for under $200.00. A guy from a company that installs and services sewage pumping stations got it for me. The one I have now, from MSA, was purchased in 2002 for $350.00. It only detects explosive/combustible gas and 02. I have a separate CO monitor from AIM Safety Co. that I got for about $120.00 - it was being discontinued. There are many brands of multi-gas detector/personal alarms available, but they're more sophisticated now. They're also about twice the cost, since my last purchase.

If they're 40" deep, they're groundwater monitoring wells. They are installed in relation to a septic system. It could be monitoring conditions for/from a septic system on an adjacent property.

Newer members might not have marked their location yet. I don't see any markers north of the border. http://www.mapservices.org/myguestmap/map/asiedydd Zoom into your town, or down to your actual street address if you want, then double click to mark the location. Enter your name, a greeting and a website. Use inspectorsjournal.com if you don't have one.

A huge chunk of my inspections are of old buildings in historic towns along the Delaware river and the 18th century farms between these towns. In 1955 there was a devastating flood that was discussed by locals for 50 years. No one expected any major flooding for another 100 to 200 years. Then, between Fall of 2004 and Spring of 2006, there were 3 major floods. During each one, I would click through the 4 major local newscasts and nearly every person interviewed was a past client. When folks could safely return, my voicemail filled up with requests to come out and evaluate flood-damaged structures. I would go out to a property and before I finished, there would be 2, 3 or 4 folks asking If I could look at their property next. After the third flood, I had been in probably hundreds (I really didn't count) of buildings that had been significantly filled with water. I was absolutely amazed at how well the old buildings survived structurally. Most of the old buildings were constructed of stone and clapboarded timber frame or balloon frame on stone foundations. The water flowed in and when the river receded, it flowed back out just as easily. The most common issues were mortar loss and basement floor slabs had heaved, but it was rare that there was an immediate danger. Most buildings that I saw that were built in the second half of the 20th century didn't fare as well. Damage and displacement was more frequent and more severe in the newer buildings. Many folks that pumped out their basements early (before the water drained out of the saturated ground surrounding their homes) got to watch their CMU walls bulge in from the pressure. Some failed catastrophically. Click to Enlarge 31.83 KB Click to Enlarge 33.47 KB Of course, things other than the structure are always a complete mess. Here, all the major components of a building's systems are usually in the basement. We're not in a seismic activity area so we don't strap anything. Water heaters, hydro-pneumatic tanks and oil tanks break loose and float. Furnaces don't survive. Most boilers can be salvaged, but all electronics need replacement. All circuit breakers need to be replaced and the panels cleaned out. Before the building dries out, everything needs to be rinsed and washed with a disinfectant. Sometimes there is concentrated fuel oil or sewage that requires serious, professional effort. Every receptacle/outlet/switch box has to be opened up and cleaned. If there has been insulation in the walls, they all have to be opened up for replacement. Uninsulated plaster walls did okay, although some plaster that was saturated later became unkeyed from the lath in some spots. All drywall has to go. A lot of old floors settled back down. Newer hardwood never would return to original after saturation. Other floor coverings, paint and wallpaper all get replaced. The sooner you can get things to dry out (without using heat) the less damage there will be for needing replacement.

Click on the "Library" tab above, then "Porches, Decks & Balconies". The second listing is a very comprehensive guide on deck construction, based on the IRC.

Aluminum tubing is permitted by national code, as long as the gas is not considered corrosive to the material. There are many municipalities that have an amendment to the national fuel gas code prohibiting aluminum tubing for gas distribution. Some allow it for NG, but not for LP. Some local gas utility companies prohibit aluminum tubing. Here's an excerpt of an installers manual I have that is distributed by a gas co.: "When installing house piping refer to the National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI Z223.1/NFPA 54 except for the following modifications. 1. The Company does not accept wrought iron pipe, ductile iron pipe, brass pipe, brass tubing, aluminum pipe, or aluminum tubing."

On an inspection of an industrial complex, I entered a building that had a severe NG leak and couldn't breathe. The gas company investigator said his measurements showed there wasn't nearly enough oxygen left in the building for the gas to ignite. I have since regularly worn a multi-gas/CO alarm on commercial inspections.

Not much that I can add to what you already know. The conditions affecting that basement would have been detrimental to any material used for foundations at that time. Just like skin-fired brick foundations, applying "waterproof" paint or other sealers on the basement side of the walls just traps the water and saturates the material. The original of the image you requested is too large to post here, so I uploaded it at: http://historicbldgs.com/struc_tc_anchors.jpg If you like to collect stuff like that image, and/or inspect a lot of structural TC buildings, try to find a copy of Fireproof houses of "Natco" hollow tile and how to build them.

I don't know of any structural terra cotta that was manufactured to need any specific maintenance. I've only found that it needs repairs long after it was installed wrong or someone did something stupid to it. Watcha got?

LP is 1.5 the weight of air - not "much" heavier. Gasoline vapors are much heavier than air, like 4-5 times. I certainly agree about the alarm comment, but to recommend it only for LP is not basing the recommendation on facts. I'm sure all of the regular contributors here exceed their SOPs. I just don't feel that HIs should be implying that LP appliances in a basement are more of a risk than NG appliances. NG is lighter than air. Are NG appliances more dangerous to install in a room with a ceiling? The linked stories of catastrophic explosions offer no indication that they occurred because of "heavier than air" LP pooling in a basement.

Anyone have any statistics to back up the claim that an LP appliance is more dangerous than NG appliance when in a basement? Does the "personal experiences" include any incident of pooling LP in a basement was the cause of a catastrophe? I just Googled to try to find any statistics. I didn't find any. The third search result was this: https://www.inspectorsjournal.com/forum ... ic_id=7953

There is no national code requirement prohibiting LP appliance installations below grade. The drain thingy in the diagram is nonsense. LP could only pool "like water" in a completely sealed chamber that lacked any air movement (it isn't gasoline vapor). A LP leak is the same as a NG leak, above grade or below grade. With the correct amount of oxygen present it can ignite.

Install a full soldered-seam metal cricket behind the chimney. Install a counter flashing over the steps, let into a reglet that is cut into the stone. http://www.oldhouseweb.com/blog/your-ne ... ng-reglet/ Are those limestone or sandstone? I'm concerned about the mortar recipe (and the application of the mortar). id="left">

No, it's not a "pump" - it isn't "pumping" anything. It's circulating water. OT - OF!!! M. That defines a pump. IMHO Marc A circulator on a closed-loop system is a wet-rotor centrifugal pump.

I think your description would be the most accurate name.

The repair would be the one used for cracks in historic cast stone - low-viscosity epoxy injection. That is, after the cause of the cracks is determined. I read something similar in a publication from (I think) the Cast Stone Institute.

Kyle, I agree about the copper piping, but have given up reporting it. Almost every time I've reported it (hundreds), the installer calls me and states that it's not required by code. Only a couple manufacturers mention it in their installation instructions, but when contacted, refuse to condemn the installation. In other words, they always side with the installer rather than stand behind their own published document.