John Kogel

If it is a standard Metal tub, it rests on the floor only along the front edge. The side along the wall hangs on the wall, so leveling the floor under the tub would be unnecessary. It is important for the tub floor to slope towards the drain, so that is where you need to check when you install it. As for the rest of the floor, I would just use the tile thinset to take up the dips in the floor, and 1/4" won't amount to much if you correct for it with the thinset.

It has a shutoff and a drain tap, eh? []

I like it! I've been contemplating an easy pan to slip under my tank without desoldering the danged thing. A threaded nipple and a bit of goop will make a drain. []

Maybe the angle, perpendicular to the roof? Too bad about the exposed nail, too.Nice catch!

You could possibly use "could possibly" in place of "may". It could possibly seem more intelligent than "might" to some people. Now what's a better way to say "raised foundation"? A lady called and wanted to know how I could say the house had been jacked up. []

Something nobody's mentioned yet - some of those cleanouts could be for the perimeter/storm drain system. Around here and I imagine in most places, they are kept separate from the sewer lines. Sometimes there are double pipe systems, perimeter and downspouts are kept separate, so you see even more cleanouts. Some cleanouts could be left over from the septic drain field system. A vent out in the yard won't help the basement plumbing very well. They may have tied all vents into the one you saw at the kitchen. It's hard to tell from here. []

As far as I know, the Hardy plank comes from the manufacturer with a primer coat only. The mobile home builder most likely applied the paint, or hired a painter to apply it. There may have been moisture in the air or on the walls when they did the work, cold temperatures, or poor quality paint, but it is not normal for paint to peel from 7 year old Hardy Plank. The fascia boards are a different story, looks like poor quality material but it's hard to say. A handyman can paint some, replace some, and install gutters. Do you get icicles hanging off the roof there? Ask other mobile home owners what they've got. As far as getting a new paint job from the builder, I would not hold out too much hope after 7 years. On the bright side, you are not trapped miles below ground in a mine in Chile while the mine owners are declaring bankruptcy and walking away.

Clams have butts? Yes, and they're very tight because it has to keep out the whole ocean. I think Mike O. and my father are of the same generation. Yer damned tootin' they have butts. The problem is that the number of folks that have actually seen one is as scarce as hen's teeth. [] ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike You really need to have the IR camera for that. Even so, you gotta sneak up on them in the moonlight at low tide, or they'll just clam right up. []

That's a funny one. []

All the above comments are relevant, but it may come down to this - If the Authority Having Jurisdiction in your area says it is OK, then that may be why the electrician is arguing with you. Check with the authority first, (get an e-mail from him if possible to print off and show people). In my area, the double taps were allowed for many years, but the transformer had to be mounted on the outside of the load center. So I don't mention those older installations, unless it's laying loose inside. The thinking is that the soft stranded wire does not compromise the branch circuit wire connection the way a hard copper wire could. See Jim's comment below. [] New installations in my area - the tranny is in a closet or in the crawlspace on the side of a junction box. The new AHJ's don't allow it to be double-tapped. Correctly so.

That was my first thought. Creepy. Not enough ventilation for a growop, unless they're into mushrooms. That's it, it's a mushroom grow-op! Call Mike Holmes. Gotta get that place on TV, pronto! Bain, they'll be wanting copies of your report so Big Mike can call you an idiot on camera. Ouch. OK, I just read your fresh post. I think the emergency preparedness ought to include a way of getting out of that rat hole, no? []

The 3 mill is for lost revenue if her voice gets moldy. [] If someone is that sensitive to mould, don't you think they'd get a real mold inspection done, instead of just an HI? And why did it take 3 years for them to see something the HI was supposed to find in one afternoon visit?

I use Telesteps because it was readily available and on sale at the time. [] Xtend and Climb are heavier and stronger. I use Telesteps inside only. I keep it clean in the cab of my Tacoma. I treat it as something made in China from recycled beer cans. In other words, if it's a tough climb over 8 or 9 feet, I go get another ladder. In 3 years, I've had no problem with the feet. I've taped the top corners with white electrical tape to eliminate black skid marks on drywall. [:-party] My 5' fiberglass stepladder has a paint tray I've added so it is my portable outdoor desk. I rarely use it for climbing. My folding Jaws ladder makes a good stepladder for garage attic hatches. I rarely bring the Telesteps up onto the roof for a second storey climb. I prefer to go with an extension ladder for the tall houses.

Sheesh, you guys, it's a plain old "Lop-sided wingnut". But Jim, it sounds like you are describing a "crank", something Grandma would understand very well. []

Another concern is keeping the drain(s) clear. The drain has to be in the membrane below the level of the pavers, so it should be easily accessible. I've seen them covered so you have to lift pavers to find them, wrong.

Googled 'lead roof jack' and got this. Click to Enlarge 19.98 KB Done right, the lower part of the lead apron laps over the lower shingle so it is visible. No nails go into the lower portion of the jack. Then any water that gets in around the stack should stay up on the surface and flow out onto the shingles below. The way they did it is pretty but not correct. They don't know jack. [] Will it leak? Probably not, provided there are no nails in the area below the stack. Can't see if there are any nails through those lower shingles into the jack. That would be potential leaks. So my vote -Keep it caulked or fix it.

I walk 100% of the 4 in 12 asphalt roofs, 95% of the 6 in 12's, none of the steeper ones unless I have to, ditto old cedar shingles, none of the mobiles. So I think it's a regional thing. Good point about the snow. I voted 80-90%.

Sorry, but I don't agree. A new 2" standpipe will free up your new sink so it can be used for other stuff while the washer is running. You can use ABS or PVC pipe with a trap, because it'll mostly be hidden behind the new machine anyway. You'll need to install a tee with a short stub into the iron drain pipe with an adapter. Then a Fernco adapter back to the copper stack. That's what I'd do anyway.

I just look for significant variations, by sampling over a large area, then close in to the problem spot. If the readings are all similar, move on. If they all read high, then it's pretty dificult to make a call. BTW, if 999 is 100%, then 60 is close enough to 6%, no?

Just curious - Did you report it as a grow-op, suspected grow-op, or just a house full of defects and junk?

I hope you knocked first. Not surprised the lining's torn, it's well used by the look of it. []

We never hear of expansive soil here. I think where we are, north west of the Pacific Northwest, the clay never dries out.

No I think the standards were pretty similar up here. Good concrete work in general. I try not to discourage people if there's no sign of ill effects. The price was high for the trouble of upgrading, I suspect. It looks like they smeared concrete over 2X4's to create the illusion of a wide footing. I wonder how many times they got away with it?

This 1948 one story bungalow doesn't look like it's sunk an inch in 60 years. There are no large cracks in the foundation perimeter walls, poured concrete. I was a bit surprised to see rotten wood or air where the footings should be. Was this ever considered to be an OK way to build? Or is it an example of a builder cutting corners and getting away with it? My clients walked. Click to Enlarge 56.64 KB Trying for more pics Download Attachment: crawl2.jpg 77.98 KB Download Attachment: crawl4.jpg 71.63 KB

Maybe if you told the client that you have pictures of the old leaky roof which you took while estimating the job .......? Is the damage to the structure from old leaks? On the other hand, tarps can leak, you must know that. Sometimes just asking the client what would make them happy can resolve the issue. It sounds like there is a lack of communication there, but yeah, there are people no one can reason with, and you must have seen that before as well. Good luck with it.