Inspectorjoe

That's a very diplomatic reply, Les. It's good that you beat me to it.

I guess I could have done an accidental selfie with my reflection in the water, but that might have caused viewers to hit the stop button.

Why would you have both?

Then where did they get their drinking water, Bill?

They did years ago, Marc, but the owner of this one said she uses it to water her flowers. Back when they were in use, cisterns were generally filled with roof runoff from the downspouts. There was a diverter in the downspout feeding the cistern. One branch directed water to the ground. At the beginning of a rain event, runoff was directed to the ground, to keep dirt and debris out of the tank. Once the water was running clean, the water was diverted to the tank. I've done some inspections that had active cisterns, using electric pumps to supply the water. Most were used to fill swimming pools or for irrigation. One was used for the domestic water. The water that came out of the faucets had a greenish tinge. It was disgusting. It was an estate, the seller having died in her 90's. Perhaps she had been chlorinating the water while she was there.

My pleasure, Bill. Two days earlier, as I was telling the buyers that they should secure the lid in place or fill it in, I gave the handle a turn, which normally would either turn with no resistance or be frozen in place. I was surprised to find resistance. When water came out, I had to stifle an 'oh sh*t, it works!' exclamation.

I don't know how common they were in other parts of the country, but when I was growing up in Eastern PA, cistern chain pumps were ubiquitous. I've never seen one in operating condition - until last week. I shot some video of it when I returned to pick up the radon monitor. The seller wasn't supposed to be home (but she was), so I wasn't dressed all that nicely. Facebook video

Two more articles have since been written. The title of this one quite amazing. I seem to have opened a can of worms.

Thanks, Chad. Bill, this may have been the first time I've gone on a weekend. I forgot to mention the show to my wife early enough for her to get a day off from work. The character of it has changed drastically (for the worse) about 10-15 years ago when they added the new buildings. Still, I do look forward to it every year. Kurt, it boggles my mind how the management of such a high-profile, densely populated public building can thumb its nose at basic fire and life safety standards. For years the fire corridor has been used for vehicle storage. The city claims it has no jurisdiction in state owned buildings. I wonder if that's by statute or simply not wanting to step on toes. Click to Enlarge 62.58 KB

This past Saturday, I went to the Pennsylvania Farm Show with my wife, her brother and her 79 year old friend. The Farm Show is often extremely crowded, but that afternoon, conditions were outright dangerous. Thousands of people were packed into a long L-shaped corridor. It was near-gridlock. My wife's friend was nearly knocked down. I didn't see it, because we were somewhat separated, but I was told two young women saw it, and stayed with her until the ordeal was over. I was incensed that management of the state owned and managed facility took no action to alleviate the situation. Yesterday, I sent a letter to the editor of the local newspaper. It was published today. They published it exactly as I wrote it. I can't say the same for a story they wrote about the situation. They got most of what I told the reporter right, but some of the words attributed to me weren't exactly what I said. There is a link to the article at the end of the letter. Letter to the editor

Right back at ya. Brighter days ahead!

Gee, It doesn't seem like I'll be getting any answers from 'Split Block Certified Will'. A while back, there was a Chicago inspector who posted here occasionally who had his own one-man organization. He was supposedly an engineer, so his schtick was say that you should only use a home inspector who is also a professional engineer AND a member of his one-member society. Being the nice guy that I am, I made up a logo for him to use. My offer was apparently declined. It was also removed from here after I posted it. I still have a copy. Maybe it's OK to post if I pixilate part of it. Click to Enlarge 30.27 KB

Looking to satisfy my curiosity, I did some more googling. I came up dry, but did find a related message board post. I find it kind of odd that a 'certified expert' on this issue would post on a message board, his theory about a particular installation, and ask for feedback. Will Decker, "what say you"? Edit: The link doesn't work when I try to make it a hyperlink. Copy and paste it into a browser. nachi.org/forum/f23/next-split-faced-block-problem-86671/

Will, I'm curious about the Split Block Certified program you talk about on your site. This program, called "Split Faced Certified", is a complete regimen designed specifically to solve this problem. A subject building is inspected by a specially certified inspector. If there are any outstanding issues, these are specified and can be repaired by certified contractors with special expertise dealing with split block water intrusion problems. We have even engaged with some insurance companies and banks who can provide funding for the repairs. When the work is completed, the building is re-inspected and a certification issued. This certification should go a long way towards alleviating any fears that unit owners or prospective buyers would have about the building. This program is specific and is trademarked. Only certain inspectors, contractors and Architects have been trained and are qualified for this program. Look for the "Split Block Certified" seal to be sure that your building will have no problems. I googled "Split Block Certified", but strangely, it brought up only three results, all originating with you. For some reason, you also refer to the program as Split Faced Certified, so I googled that. That returned only two results, both originating with you. I'd love to know more about this program, but can't seem to find any info about it on the net. Who are some some of the inspectors, contractors and architects who are trained in it? Where did they get their training, and how does the certification process work? Thanks Click to Enlarge 16.58 KB

One of my (many) regrets in life is not going to see Zappa perform. I've been a fan since high school, around '75-'76, when I borrowed Overnight Sensation (on 8-track) from my brother. I was in AC for a few days last month, but didn't go to House of Blues. I wonder if the quilt is still there. The panties thrown at Greg weren't pre-worn of course. The band has a huge, rabidly loyal following - and with good reason. They're immensely talented. They only do 60's covers, but they do them very, very well, and are always pushing the envelope. This clip is a good example. The woman who starts out on bass then moves to keyboards isn't a musician - she's their business manager. Her only musical background was some piano lessons when she was a kid. She learned to play the bass this past summer just for this song. For some reason, the camera stopped recording before the end of The End. Damn! The music scene here in the Lehigh Valley has always been diverse and very good. I think I'm going to pick up a hobby I dropped over 20 years ago - capturing video of local bands. Here's a video I shot last month in a parking lot at a garlic festival. All four members of the band are outstanding.

You can't go wrong with Bethlehem, John. It's only about three hours away from you. Be aware that it's overrun by tourists between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but if you come with your wife and she's not into old buildings, there's plenty of shopping opportunities to keep her occupied. I'd be more than happy to take you around. This is America's first industrial park: Download Attachment: 1 048.jpg 948.68 KB The 1741 Gemeinhaus is the largest 18th century log building in the United States: Click to Enlarge 65.97 KB Click to Enlarge 64.63 KB Click to Enlarge 115.6 KB Click to Enlarge 112.17 KB Plus, Bethlehem is a politically diverse city! Click to Enlarge 76.38 KB

With Halloween almost here, I thought I'd share a video I made that features a zombie who has a knack for collecting women's panties. I don't get it. What's he got that I don't have?

John, it's definitely the finish coat. I called a sharp local EIFS inspector and asked him about it. They are chopped strand Fiberglas fibers that were added for reinforcement. They usually don't show like that, but it's not a problem, other than being unsightly.

Today, I had a 1925 house with Fiberglas-reinforced stucco. I don't know how old it is, but it's obviously not original. The fiber strands are uniformly exposed. I don't recall ever seeing this before. Does anyone know if it's a problem? Click to Enlarge 47.81 KB Click to Enlarge 78.05 KB

http://www.historynet.com/home-sweet-ho ... e-song.htm http://www.kristinascarcelli.com/homesweethome.htm

One final note on this. Since I no longer need to put the three section ladder inside the van, I bought a 28' Fiberglas two section ladder today. It's 15 pounds lighter. That will be helpful lifting it onto the van, but even more helpful when extending it, since that weight won't be way overhead. Anyway, I paid for it at the Beth-Allen Ladder showroom, then drove a few blocks to their warehouse to pick it up. Two guys were waiting outside with it when I pulled up. I got out as they were walking toward me with it when one of them says very seriously "I can't load this ladder onto this van". I knew immediately what he was getting at - Beth-Allen is a Weather Guard distributor. He was kidding of course. They looked at the Van Tech rack and went ape over it. They said it looked a whole lot better-built than the racks Weather Guard makes for mini vans. So if anyone is looking for a rack, I heartily endorse Van-Tech.

I use a 6' photographer's monopod. I haven't needed anything longer. Like Maxsam, I get a lot of washed-out shots for no apparent reason. If a roof access hatch has a combo lock on it, I often find the combo written somewhere close by.

I had decided to go with the Weatherguard rack (with the trademarked red tips!), but it wasn't available in black. I found what I wanted at Vantech - aluminum painted black. I ordered a set online from the manufacturer last Sunday night. When I came home mid-afternoon Tuesday, the box was on my porch. It was $329 and no shipping charge or sales tax. I'm guessing they're made in the US, in Brooklyn, but where they were made wasn't printed anywhere. It's really good-quality. The brackets are made to fit a flat roof - which my van doesn't have. Since they are made of aluminum, it was easy to bend them to fit the contour of where they were going. I ended up spending about 8 hours installing it. I could have done it faster, but I spent a LOT of time making sure everything was just right before drilling 8 - 7/16" holes in the roof of my new van. I bought the high profile model. That has the ladder about 10" above the roof, which allows the liftgate to open nearly all the way. It's a struggle to get the ladder up there and over the side brackets, but it will be easier when I dump the three section fiberglass ladder for a two piece 28' aluminum one. With a two section ladder, the liftgate won't open so far, but I'll still be able to open it enough to get stuff in and out. The rack comes with a stop for the front bar to prevent forward ladder movement and a guide for the rear bar to prevent sideways movement. A Velcro strap secures it. I bought a cable lock for added security from movement and theft. Click to Enlarge 66.82 KB Click to Enlarge 63.29 KB Click to Enlarge 62.3 KB Click to Enlarge 69.99 KB Click to Enlarge 64.84 KB

No, John, it would hit the windshield. I'm OK with giving up on the idea. That was reinforced yesterday when I had a house that was down a long driveway, below the road. I couldn't drive down because they were putting in a new septic system. It was a long way to carry my stuff. Another thing I didn't think of, was pulling the ladder out while parked on a city street. I'd have to either have an empty space behind me, or double park while I slid the ladder out the back.

I was kidding, of course. I even positioned the van so people driving past wouldn't be able to see it while I took the picture.