Inspectorjoe

Bill, you set a 28' ladder on a metal roof? That's crazy. I like the bucket truck idea. I hate walking two story roofs. I can't say it's just because of the height, because I used to fly an ultralight - a really flimsy ultralight. In it, I was as comfortable at 3,000 feet as I was on the ground. 3,000 feet was as high as I'd ever taken it. It took a LONG time to climb to that altitude with a 90 cc engine. Here's the view between my legs: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/108/276772440_3593ac22d8_o.jpg Here's the cloverleaf at routes 33 & 22: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/122/276771504_2716090637_o.jpg Jeez, I miss those days.

Mike types so fast that I'm sure he'll answer before I post this, but just in case ...... Yeah, I believe he means to stradddle the ridge. With your Gorilla (Little Giants too), you'll have to extend it up one rung so the straight inner rails don't touch. You want the outer splayed rails to contact the roof for the widest, most stabile stance. I dont extend mine too far up above the ridge at the upper gable, because I grab onto the rake end as I dismount and mount the ladder, to help prevent it from shifting. Also, I don't step onto the upper roof, but start out on my knees, again, so I can brace the ladder from moving. For those times when you need to put your ladder paralell to the slope, you may want to make yourself a rig like this: https://www.inspectorsjournal.com/forum/uploads/Inspectorjoe/2007114213553_Ladder1.jpg https://www.inspectorsjournal.com/forum/uploads/Inspectorjoe/2007114213714_Ladder2.jpg https://www.inspectorsjournal.com/forum/uploads/Inspectorjoe/2007114213838_Ladder3.jpg

This was put out by an energy consulting company. The title is Useful Information and Calculations. http://www.karg.com/Let%20Gas%20Flow,%202nd%20ed%20files/Useful%20info.pdf

I use a Craftsman 7.2 volt. It has a little built in light and is operated by a handy forward/reverse rocker switch. I go weeks between charges. It's not variable speed like my Bosch was, but after a week or two, I didn't miss it at all. http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product. ... Cookie=Yes

Chad, At least you haven't gone all curmudgeonly like me. It's a curse, I tell ya!

Mike: When I clicked on http://www.fihi.info, it was a dead link. A Google search didn't turn up much more than an old press release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/5/prweb122948.htm http://www.whois.ws/whois-info/ip-address/fihi.info/ Chad: Lon was a IHINA member a few years ago. At the same time he was (and still is) an associate member of the Lehigh Valley Board of Realtors. That struck me as kind of odd, so on another inspection board, I questioned Dennis R. about it. He replied that when he asked Lon about that, this was the reply: "For me to enter homes using an electronic display key, something that is used exclusively in my area, It was necessary for me to join this organization as an associate member." Well, that's simply not true. I've had a Supra Key provided by the Lehigh Valley Board of Realtors for over seven years and I've never been a member of any kind. The only requirement is to pay $129 annually to GE/Supra. Lon's Lab Pro web site states: "LAB Pro Home Inspection subscribes to the FIHI® Code of Ethics", with no mention of the, uh, close relationship. Next is: FIHI® certifies independent home inspectors who make these 6 pledges. Number 1 is: I will have no obligations to anyone interested in the outcome of an inspection other than my Client and I will tell my Client of any business interests or personal relationships that could be perceived to influence the outcome of an inspection. That's laudable, but he offers to refund the inspection fee if the deal doesn't go to closing. It sure seems to me that the chance of not being paid could possibly influence the outcome of the inspection. I could be reading the offer wrong however, since the meaning is a little hazy to me: "If you do not settle on your home due to the Seller reneging on the sale of agreement you signed with your Realtor, you receive a full refund of the cost for the basic home inspection." http://www.labprohomeinspection.com/refunds.html http://www.lehighvalleyarea.com/content/Inspection.htm

It was almost certainly for the boilers. At one time they used steam to power the hoists that carried the slate up out of the quarry and they also used steam to power the pumps that kept the groundwater from filling the pit. The smokestack is perched literally on the edge of a cliff above one of the quarries. In this picture, the stack is less than six feet behind me. You can see what happens to the pit when the pumping ends. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/174/442597115_a0f2012340_o.jpg That it is - especially when you consider how much the Lehigh Valley has changed in the last two decades, with all of the development brought on by the influx of people from NJ & NY seeking affordable housing. Very little around here hasn't seen drastic change. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and wish I'd had more time to spend there that day. The people that I encountered were very friendly and I had several interesting conversations. I found out that the slate house that I posted a picture of was originally the school house. What I didn't notice when I took the pictures (from the car) was the building was symmetrical, right down to the twin entrance doors. I could kick myself, because one of the guys I had a conversation with told me that his friend owned it and would probably be glad to give me a tour. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/438230830_2559ce5621.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/202/442229128_c9a3c38782_o.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/187/442229374_6da6758cd3_o.jpg I saw several hand pumps in front of houses on Main Street. I didn't try any to see if they still worked. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/442229960_b7ca708494_o.jpg I call this "privy row". I wonder if the seats were slate? http://farm1.static.flickr.com/172/442230627_9607ac16f7_o.jpg There was an ancient old man out painting this picket fence the first time I passed it. I couldn't understand him very well, but I bet he could have filled the whole afternoon with stories from the past - stories soon to be lost forever when he passes on. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/192/442231839_f4f5254d5b_o.jpg I have a short truth is stranger than fiction story. In the spring 0f ’81, my girlfriend at the time told me about a cool old abandoned estate that she knew about. It was very cool, but that’s another story for another time. In the woods surrounding the estate were long abandoned slate fence posts that bordered what had long ago been fields. Many of the posts were broken off, probably by vandals, but there were still quite a few that were still intact. I was fascinated by these posts, and wanted one in the worst way (one of my strange hobbies is collecting historic and unusual building materials). Thinking about the logistics of finding the owner of the property, getting permission to take one and the task of physically removing it from a remote area, I put the idea on the back burner, where it stayed. Fast forward to 1996, when I bought my current house. The garage was jam packed full of stuff. The seller said that it would be cleared out, but asked if he could leave some fence posts behind. I asked to see them and my eyes almost popped out when I saw that they were slate fence posts. “Where did you get themâ€

I doubt it. The box wasn't near a wall and was in the rear of the basement. I've never seen what you described, but around here, just about all of the lead service lines have been replaced long ago. This was a city house with not nearly enough elevation change to drain to daylight. To eliminate my sump pump, I've wanted to put such a drain in my house, but when I think about the 7 foot trench I'd have to dig, it somehow keeps getting put off til 'next year'. In that dampness? Not likely. Athough the slab doesn't slope towards it, I think that's the most plausible explanation, Mike. You haven't? Then I take it you've never seen a house constructed of slate. Large http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/438230830_cce64cb5d5_o.jpg Small http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/438230830_2559ce5621.jpg Or how about a slate smokestack? Large http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/438228920_9d52494fe8_o.jpg Small http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/438228920_e2b9c2cfe5.jpg Large http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/438226039_aac9589dbb_o.jpg Small http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/438226039_4a55af5777.jpg Large http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/438226698_a8c45758b7_o.jpg Small http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/438226698_47957b5231.jpg Or, instead of a slate house, how about a slate sided house? For those on dial-up, it's worth waiting for the big one. Large http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/438233080_942e02398a_o.jpg Small http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/438233080_51c282ff79.jpg The tiny boro of Chapman (population 234) is a few miles to the West of me. It started as a company town, Chapman Quarries. I stopped there this afternoon and walked around town. All the pictures here were taken today in Chapman. I saw lots of slate foundations (well, at least the parts that were above grade). Here are some other slate objects I saw: Sidewalk Medium http://farm1.static.flickr.com/161/438229701_fe1a7d55e8_b.jpg Small http://farm1.static.flickr.com/161/438229701_fe1a7d55e8.jpg Gate posts. I wonder when a gate last swung here. Medium http://farm1.static.flickr.com/173/438235824_78a005068d_b.jpg Small http://farm1.static.flickr.com/173/438235824_78a005068d.jpg Steps Medium http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/438223813_8abb1e0f80_b.jpg Small http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/438223813_8abb1e0f80.jpg More steps Medium http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/438234554_d56a8e7003_b.jpg Small http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/438234554_d56a8e7003.jpg And this very well preserved tombstone Medium http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/438228189_e71ee1a537_b.jpg Small http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/438228189_e71ee1a537.jpg History of Chapman http://www.chapmanquarriesumc.org/history-of-chapman-quarries.html

This morning I did a wood frame house that was built in 1860. Below the basement floor was a box constructed of slate. It measures 15" X 30" and is at least 26" deep. I don't know just how deep it is because there is a mound of dirt in it. The top of the box is flush with the concrete basement floor, but the floor slab certainly isn't original. The original basement floor could have been slate. Does anyone have any idea of the purpose of this box? I didn't see any evidence that a spring ever ran through the basement, so I doubt that it was a cooler. Download Attachment: Box_2.jpg 45.79 KB Download Attachment: Box_3.jpg 40.79 KB Also, the house a slate foundation. I've wondered if slate foundations were used in any other parts of the country. Does anybody else ever see them? Download Attachment: Slate_foundation.jpg 74.83 KB In addition to the slate foundation, the roof was slate. Where was the house with all this slate located? Slatington, PA, of course.

Al Austin wrote: Al, I wouldn’t worry about embarrassing someone. I’ve found that there are people out there who are absolutely immune to embarrassment. You’ve got to realize that there are people in this world who claim to stand for one thing, when in reality their actions prove just the opposite. I even know of an inspector who professes to adhere to the highest ethical standards, but for some reason also conjures up his own one-man inspection organizations. Sad, isn’t it?

According to the Maytag website, they're not going to actually fix the condition that can cause the water leakage and resulting risk of fire. Their solution is to simply provide the owners of the defective washing machines with GFCI's. Is it me, or is that really crappy? I think I've bought my final Maytag.

If I can stick my hand in with my thumb on the edge and there's still space beyond my fingertips. I honestly don't know how I came up with that, I certainly didn't base it on any published standards. Yeah, I could see that happening with a driveway. I think it would have to be a pretty big void for a wheeled refrigerator to break a sidewalk though. Of course, the one in your picture looks like it's not very uniform in depth. You asked about packing it with gravel. You would have a hard time packing it tight enough to offer enough uniform support. The only thing I can think to do is have it mudjacked, that is having grout injected under it.

Do you have a wider shot? Unless there's more to be seen in the 'big picture', that's something that I wouldn't bother commenting on.

Thanks for the (as always) quick replies. Yeah, I think the roofline ought to be extended. I wonder if the owner is up to a fight with the builder. Mike, I couldn't find the article that you remembered. I searched both online and on the CD's I have that go back to '86. I wasn't a wasted effort however, as I read a few really interesting articles including Builder Time Bombs from March 2000. Whatever that article said, I'm sure it included installation details that weren't followed with this mess of an installation.

I had a one year warranty inspection today. Believe it or not. the buyer has not yet moved in. A bay unit that looks like it was cobbled together by day laborers is stuck onto the side of the house. I don't have an overall shot of it, but it's visible in a picture that I took to document the snow covered grounds. The fascia is mounted out beyond the drip edge and the space between them is open to the interior. The only thing covering this opening is the shingles (that are cracking because of the lack of support). The windows are obviously designed to be used with vinyl siding, not the boards that are there. The boards appear to be some sort of composite material. Some aren't even securely attached. Even though this setup has had a year to leak, I couldn't find stains anywhere. I'm not sure what my recommendation should be. Tearing the thing off and starting over from scratch would be the ideal thing to do, but you know that's not going to happen, especially with the builders in this area being in a world of finacial hurt. Any suggestions would be welcomed! Download Attachment: Picture 002.jpg 156.44 KB Download Attachment: Picture 012.jpg 144.22 KB Download Attachment: Picture 017.jpg 120.22 KB Download Attachment: Picture 019.jpg 61.61 KB Download Attachment: Picture 029.jpg 94.02 KB Download Attachment: Picture 032.jpg 125.42 KB

I wouldn't have made it an issue for the reasons Steven gave. I don't always grandfather windows if they are original or replacements that are the same size as the orighnals, though. Once in a while I'll run across a late 50's ranch that has small sliding windows in the bedrooms, about five feet above the floor. Those I always flag for lack of emergency egress. With other windows, it's a judgement call that I sometimes struggle with. I'm prone to flip flopping on casement windows in bedrooms. Most don't open far enough, and some will open far enough if you take the arm out of the track. In the confusion during a fire, are people going to be able to disengage the arm? Twice in the past week, I've had houses with Plexiglas screwed in place over bedroom windows. The first was a 60's ranch that had them screwed to the exterior. Yesterday I had a 7,000 square foot (including additions) 1833 Federal style house that had Plexiglas screwed in place at the interior of every single double hung window on the first and second floors. The place was a nightmare to heat, but the owner didn't want to mar the exterior with storm windows. The windows on the unheated third floor weren't covered with Plexi, but they did have the sashes screwed closed. Over 40 windows were inoperative! The inspection was for the homeowner, who is considering putting the place up for sale. When I pointed out the glaring problem of no emergency egress, he proudly pulled out a fire ax. He said he keeps one in every bedroom, and when they have overnight guests, he shows them where the ax is and what it's to be used for. I have to admit, I was speechless. Download Attachment: Picture 160.jpg 89.3 KB

Make up air? In residential? Here in Eastern PA, the only time I see make up air is in commercial HVAC systems. It's extremely rare to see it in a residential system.

I loved Frank's podcast. I tried his flashlight trick for the first time today on 45 year old 1" X 3" tiles in a tub surround. Dragging the Ultra-Stinger turned up nothing. Then I did my old tried and true knuckle raps and found a loose tile. I dragged the flashlight back and forth over that area again, and couldn't pick out any difference in sound when it went over the loose tile. Maybe there's a learned art to hearing the difference. Although I think I'll stick with my knuckles, I'm still looking forward to next month's podcast and tip o' the month.

A foam pad? You mean like a structural foam? I'd think a soft foam would make for a pretty wobbly tank. What would be the purpose of it? I've never seen it.

If you use a subcontractor for your WDI inspections, don't go into the crawlspace til he's been in there. If he's a big guy, you may not have any cobwebs to go through. I made a rig to hold my ladder on a sloped roof. I don't use it much, maybe once or twice a month, but when I can't leapfrog, it's priceless. Download Attachment: Ladder1.jpg 108.06 KB Download Attachment: Ladder2.jpg 121.02 KB Download Attachment: Ladder3.jpg 98.02 KB Pictures, pictures and more pictures! I take lots of overall shots of basements and attics with the gain turned up on the camera. They are a bit grainy, but my puny little flash can light up a 50' long basement on the 400 ISO setting. When shooting down an old chimney, use a short telephoto such as 2X. That way instead of getting the newer rebuilt part, you can get down into the original section below the roofline. Download Attachment: Chimneywide.jpg 73.46 KB Download Attachment: Chimney2X.jpg 69.22 KB You can get a cool shot of cracked oil burner refractory by shooting through the inspection port, right into the firebox with burner firing. Download Attachment: Refractory.jpg 82.98 KB Any wet stains get a picture of the pegged moisture meter included in the report. Garage door beam height and railing spacing and height issues get a picture with a tape measure held against them. If I find yellow tagged HVAC equipment, I take a picture of the tag. If something isn't installed right, the installation manual is there and I can find the applicable section, a picture of that page goes in the report. And then every once in a while the seller leaves you a gift without them even realizing it ..... Download Attachment: Toilet.jpg 54.14 KB

It's a rare house that doesn't have a grading issue that I comment on - even if there are no signs at all that it has caused a problem. One big reason is that its a great CYA tool for basement moisture issues. In the past, I've had buyers think that I'm clairvoyent and can predict whether or not they will ever get water in their basement, even after I had gone to great lenghts to explain that I can only point out visual clues, and that I'm not a friggin' psycic. I breath a huge sigh of relief when I ask the complainer if they improved the grading and extended the downspouts as I recommended in the report, and they reply with something like uh, no, where did it say that? Boilerplate: The grading slopes toward the building. This will allow water runoff to accumulate next to the building and possibly run into the below grade areas of the building. The soil should be sloped away from the building. See Article 1S.02, 1S.03, 1S.04, 1S.05 and 1S.06 for more information. The grade at the bottom of the window wells is close to the windows. This could allow water to enter. You should excavate the excess soil and add several inches of crushed stone, keeping the stone several inches below the windows. You should monitor the wells for water accumulation after making these changes. With new construction: final grading around the building is not finished. If this is not done the drainage may run back towards the foundation. You should have the grading finished with the proper slope. See Article 2C.06 for more information. The fill at the foundation is new. The grade may be proper now but new fill may take 5 or more years to settle. You should monitor this area and add fill as needed to keep the grade sloping away from the building. See Article 2C.06 for more information.

Zeb, I don't think you can find all of the features that you can get in one unit, at any price. Your first decision is whether to go with the pin type or pinless. I have a pin type that I carry in my bag, but have used only once. I use a pinless electromagnetic wave type just about daily. You can spend close to a thousand bucks on a Tramex, that will 'read' the moisture several inches below the surface. For my needs, that may be overkill. I use an analog Wagner L606. I've had two. Both I bought from Amazon.com. It is on the fragile side, with the meter needle suspended in a jeweled bezel. http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Electronics-L606-Hand-Held-Moisture/dp/B0000224D1/sr=1-1/qid=1168404444/ref=sr_1_1/102-8564288-8584121?ie=UTF8&s=hi

Yup, circles and arrows. Everybody understands circles and arrows. Download Attachment: Picture 118.jpg 59.52 KB Download Attachment: Picture 163.jpg 49.22 KB

Kurt, Mike and Bill: Thanks so much for the speedy replies. I guess I should be thankful for the dumbass stuff that I see with newer construction. The market's pretty stagnant right now, so at least the Bozo work being done oughtta provide a little job security.

Today I had a 4 year old house with a crimped standing seam metal roof over the front stoop. This roof is dead level. Stains show that water ponds on it regularly. There are openings at the outer edges of the standing seams, and it looks like water enters at least one of them. This is the first flat standing seam roof I’ve ever seen. It certainly doesn’t seem right. There are no stains under it, so I’m guessing that there may be an EPDM sheet under the metal, but it’s not visible at the drip edge or the sidewall flashing (assuming that the flashing is there). I don’t know how big a deal to make of this. I’m leaning towards the universal ‘out’ of recommending further evaluation by a qualified roofer. Thanks Download Attachment: Picture012.jpg 131.37 KB Download Attachment: Picture009.jpg 122.59 KB Download Attachment: Picture008.jpg 101.58 KB