Inspectorjoe

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

It sounds like both you and Mike have similar regrets, Bill. I have a regret too, although it's not about a guitar, but a camera. The owner of Orr's Department Stores willed me his photographic and darkroom equipment, which included a early 1940's Speed Graphic along with several thousand negatives taken with it from 1941 through the mid 60's. The Speed Graphic was in perfect working condition and included roll and sheet film backs and a Kalart rangefinder. The rangefinder was incredible, allowing you to focus in total darkness. It sent out two light beams. You turned a knob until the two beams merged into one, and you were in focus. I played around with it, using both roll and sheet film and was amazed at the sharpness of the lens. One afternoon I took some prints that were taken in Center Square Easton in 1944 and shot the same scenes again (in 1989). That was pretty cool. After playing around with it, I figured that I'd never really use it, so I sold it for $125 back around 1992. Damn! Wow, Steven! Your son is going places. The Maid just blew me away. Those prices are in the upper range. There are a number of models that list for under $5,000. On the other hand, a Limited Edition (50) D-100 Deluxe in Brazilian Rosewood will set you back $109,999. http://www.martinguitar.com/catalog/PDF/MartinPriceList.pdf They seemed genuinely happy, especially considering that they have to do their jobs with a parade of gawkers in their faces, blinding them with camera flashes. I tried to be as unobtrusive as possible when taking pictures, but really, no one seemed to mind in the least. I got lots of spontaneous smiles. Funny story: Currently, the tours are led by production workers. When we first took the tour last year, there was only one tour per day, led by a salaried employee. The tour had stopped at a brand new automatic buffing machine. While the guide was extolling the virtues of it, Chris Martin walked up and joined the group. I knew who he was, but my wife didn't. My wife then asked the tour guide: "Doesn't this machine put people out of work?" The poor guy, knowing the company owner was standing there listening, had a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. He stammered out a few lines, and then Chris took over, answering that it freed people up to do other work, or something to that effect. In the same vein as Martin Guitar, there's another Pennsylvania company with a long, long history. DG Yuengling and Sons touts itself as America's Oldest Brewery. It was started in 1829 by David G. Yuengling. Today, it is owned and run by his great, great grandson, Dick Yuengling Junior. They've been brewing beer in their Pottsville plant since 1831. Back before refigeration, they stored the beer in caves cut into the hillside behind the plant. When we toured the plant in the mid 90's, the caves were closed up, but I see on the web site, they are now open for touring. While the caves weren't open during our tour, we did have an unexpected bonus. On our way out, we ran into Dick Yuengling, who was standing outside. He said that he was waiting for his daugters and that they were going to a Phillies game. We talked for close to ten minutes. He's a heck of a nice guy. http://www.yuengling.com/index.htm

Think exquisite craftsmanship in mass produced goods is a thing of the past? Think again. It’s alive and well in Nazareth, PA. Guitar maker CF Martin & company was started in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin Sr. 174 years later, the company is still privately owned by the Martin family & run by Christian Frederick Martin IV. Most of their guitars are still hand built, by actual craftsmen – craftsmen who don’t work piece rate, but make an hourly wage. It’s not a small operation either, as about 900 people work at the Nazareth plant and office. Quality craftsmanship doesn’t come cheap. Their Standard Series D-45 in koa lists for $9,599. If that’s too steep, you can get the same model in rosewood for only 9,299. It's quite amazing seeing these guitars built from start to finish. For anyone interested, here are some pictures that I took last Friday when we toured the plant. Friends from out of town wanted to go. It was the second time my wife and I have taken the tour. There’s a slide show mode if you have a fast connection. http://inspectorjoe.photosite.com/martin http://www.martinguitar.com

Uh, I think that's one picture that I'll take a pass on. Thanks anyway .... I guess.

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.

Hi Ray: It just struck me as pretty odd that a web site designer would ask: Do Contractors really need web sites? That's kind of like a home inspector going on a realtor message board and asking if home buyers really need an inspection. You may be trying to reinvent the wheel. I'm sure that you're aware that there are a number of companies that market do it yourself template based web sites, with prices lower than what I assume your target price $19.99 is. Maybe you're planning on templates customized toward contractors? That might be a good angle to give you an edge. I checked out some of the sites in your portfolio. You definitely have a flair for design. You should check those links. The domain name for MillionDollarBoston.com has expired.

Fishin' for leads? You might think about redesigning your survey so that your real intent isn't quite so blatantly obvious.

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

Hey Mike, ever see the movie Willard? Not the remake, but the original from 1971. It'd be a good movie for you to rent this weekend. When you watch it, make sure you turn the lights down ........... way, way down.

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

Nice message board. With subject headings such as "Magnesium residues classification and revalorization", it may come in handy as a non-narcotic sleep aid.

One of my pastimes is reading inspection reports. I'm always looking for better ways to state things, as well as as well as looking for examples of what not to do. Below are two screen shots from an actual report. I'm not going out on a limb by saying that it's a stupefyingly bad (good?) example of what NOT to do, from the idiotic first sentence in the first screen, right through to the nonsensical last paragraph in the second screen. I think it was Kurt who said that lately, he's been embarrassed to be known as a home inspector. After seeing this, I want into that club. http://static.flickr.com/139/328200147_470caddfa4_o.jpg http://static.flickr.com/136/328199779_eb0b76a9da_o.jpg

Wow, that's not very expensive. Grainger has it for $10.74. Since I'm ordering some stuff from them today (including yet another set of left-behind thermometers), I'll try it. I've always used the disposable paper ones, but they steam up my glasses and I often end up taking it off. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/itemDetailsRender.shtml?ItemId=1611607064 Speaking of protective gear, Grainger has a great election of Tyvek coveralls. After some trial and error, I finally found the perfect hooded and footed one, but they don't seem to stock that model number anymore. This one looks essentially the same: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/itemDetailsRender.shtml?ItemId=1611606791 Does anybody have a good glove recomendation? I bought a box of nitrile gloves, but my hands sweat too much to wear them for more than a few minutes. I'm back to using cotton jersey gloves, but I have to take them off whenever I take a picture. That kind of defeats the purpose.

John, I don't know if they're going through with the purchase. The only time I typically find out that buyers back out of a deal is when I get a call from them to inspect another house a short while later. It's been over two weeks and I didn't get a call from these buyers. I was hoping that they would decide to pass on it. After talking with them and asking about their past experiences with houses and maintenance issues, it was pretty clear that this wouldn't have been a good fit for them. While I didn't try to discourage them, I did bend over backwards to open their eyes to the money and time that they were going to need to devote to the property. There have been a few rare times when I've come right out and told a buyer that a particular house wasn't the right one for them. I know a lot of inspectors would say that's overstepping my bounds by a mile, but I don't really care. I don't do it willy-nilly, but if I have a naive, inexperienced buyer who tells me he's stretching to buy a place, and I know the place is an absolute disaster that he won't have the know how or money to deal with, well - I come right out and tell him "you don't want this house". I kinda think that should be the agent's job, but if they don't do it, I gladly step in. I may lose a referral or two, but I sleep like a baby.