Bill Kibbel

I can show you what it's supposed to look like. I've never seen one actually done (most chimneys I see don't have flue liners and the few that do, never, ever have the break).

If that's a radon mitigation system, everything is wrong with it.

Might the shingle manufacturer require "balanced" ventilation?

My notes show that the GH6 series is 1965 or earlier.

That's from the transition period, when earlier, non-parallel blades where still in use. Mandating parallel blades came after NEMA was created in '26. The earliest outlets where all "sockets". Notice they're porcelain and not Bakelite.

Ovalize.

There's 4 threads on here about that stuff. I get many calls and e-mails about it so I posted this: http://historicbldgs.com/terra_cotta.htm It's often incorrectly identified it as "telephone tile" Here's a pic of telephone/telegraph tile. It was not manufactured as a building material, but rather conduit for underground utility cable installations.

That chimney flue originally vented an oil-fired system. It wasn't adequately cleaned when the conversion happened. Oil combustion deposits plus gas combustion condensate equals sulphuric acid. As Kurt said, it's also probably oversized now. Here's your same picture, enhanced to see further down the flue. There's another offset that's more significant. There's also spalling starting on the left side of one section. There's probably more further down. I would also have tried to take a pic from the bottom of the flue. If there's no clean-out, the flue connectors sometimes magically open up enough to reach in with a camera.

A half-dozen from www.ASHI.org each year is about right. Much more from the local chapter website. Also, I get several referrals from other members. I've also had a few inspections that are directly linked to my participation here at TIJ.

Yes, I would. If there was an issue with a pent roof, before receiving the report, my clients would know exactly what it is from our discussion on-site. There would also be a picture with an arrow pointing to it in the report. Why make something up, if there's a word for it? If home owners don't know what the name of a house part is, why not tell them? I'd rather educate them then "dumb down" a report. If folks want to gather more information or discuss an issue with other professionals, I think the correct names for house parts would serve them better. For example, let's say they go to do some research, like Googling "little slopey-roof thingie". I'd think they'd find less than if they searched with the correct term.

It's called a pent roof. In that position, the pent roof creates an "enclosed gable". http://www.oldhouseweb.com/blog/pent-roofs-an-endangered-species/

It's a squirrel. The lower jaw is missing.

It's intended to do the same thing as this: The flue conn. has gotta be too long. The chicken wire was added to stop the critters from coming in the house. They just die in the chimney or flue conn. instead.

"R905.2.7 Underlayment application. For roof slopes from two units vertical in 12 units horizontal (17-percent slope), up to four units vertical in 12 units horizontal (33-percent slope), underlayment shall be two layers applied in the following manner. Apply a 19-inch (483 mm) strip of underlayment felt parallel to and starting at the eaves, fastened sufficiently to hold in place. Starting at the eave, apply 36-inch-wide (914 mm) sheets of underlayment, overlapping successive sheets 19 inches (483 mm), and fastened sufficiently to hold in place. Distortions in the underlayment shall not interfere with the ability of the shingles to seal. ***For roof slopes of four units vertical in 12 units horizontal (33-percent slope) or greater, underlayment shall be one layer applied in the following manner. Underlayment shall be applied shingle fashion, parallel to and starting from the eave and lapped 2 inches (51 mm), fastened sufficiently to hold in place."

I have it on good authority that anything with FPE on it ought to be yanked and replaced. And that's all I've got to say about that... WJ Could you please show us where an authority has written that there's issues with FPE fuse panels?

Expand your territory. I've been doing much more driving this year to keep it comin' in.

The red stuff looks like the spores from a common wood-destroying fungus. It's called surpela lacrasomethin' - the kind that brings it's own moisture up to the wood.

I'd suggest tossing Code Check and get the NFPA 211 to review for chimney, stove and fireplace inspections.

From what I've read/heard/seen is that only about the top 2 yards of the excavation have soil loose enough to require shoring. Below that, the virgin subsoil is usually well compacted and firm - short term. Horizontal shafts and trenches are more likely to fail than a round hole. I think there was more risk of livestock falling in than a cave-in. Stones were likely delivered by the same bucket-and-rope used to haul out the excavated material. The depth was determined to be adequate when the inflow became greater than the ability to bail out. Every dug well that I've seen under a house was due to a later addition being built over the well. It happens often with drilled wells too.

Yet another crawlspace with a deep end.

Could it be from improper storage of the product, prior to installation? "Storage: Containers must remain sealed, be stored out of direct sunlight and kept from freezing".

If you mean "discovered" by someone from Europe, it was Bjarni Herjolfsson in 986.

Around here in IRC land, they're supposed to be 6" above the roof or 6" above the anticipated snow level, whichever is greater. On new homes, most are between 5"-8". I don't think the municipal inspectors pay much attention to them. We once had 28" of snow, so I guess they should all be 34".

Breather vent: One per 1000 sq. ft. I didn't know that any mobile homes had attics.

That's a site-built, air-circulating fireplace. Heatilator is a factory-built version. That is asbestos on the inside of the air-circulating ducts. Don't be surprised if the ducts were formed with wood - I've seen it.