John Kogel

Windows are exterior. They are part of the building envelope. They get repaired or replaced from the outside. Need more logic than that? But we tend to inspect them most closely from the interior. And that is the view the buyer will get. I have seen the failing gasket, but never that bad. The sagging gasket can be a real concern for the buyer and understandably so. It looks terrible, but if the seal isn't broken, there is no great incentive to replace the glass. It is an expensive cosmetic issue. [:-graduat A kid must have shot his thermopane window with a BB pistol one day. I said "The glass is broken" The realtor butted in with "But it's only broken on the inside." I said, to my client "The seal is broken".

Maybe a hot water circulation pump is kicking in.

Page 11 "the attic is ventilated with fiberglass batts" I haven't taken the time to read it all yet. I would prefer pics with comments under them. Not all of them need a comment, but if you comment on what we see in some of the pics, it helps a lot. I would skip over the text and just look at the pictures if you handed that report to me. I have read the summary. The talk about the GFCI's is confusing. It says "GFCI's are installed", I think you mean in general, then "GFCI's are not installed", I think you mean specifically here. I suggest the general info dilutes the safety issue if there is one. The part about the flue for the water heater is not clear. Is it plumbing or should it be in the HVAC section? Is it a hazard? Is the stained plywood floor a problem? Will the plywood need to be replaced? If not, then it is just a stain from a past leak, no? The TPRV discharge tube is wrong, so I would just say "Install a proper tube to within 6" of the floor". The worm or beetle tracks on the rafter are not defects in my book. I might say that I saw them and they are not an issue, or I would not even mention them.

Re: your drainage question. in this area at least, townhome are all joined at the hip and the drainage is continuous for the whole complex. So, yes, one unit will leak into the one next door, and hopefuly the water will make it to the stormdrain. My pressure here is 90 lbs. I should install a regulator but I hate plumbing. And one of these days, I'm going to really hate plumbing. []

Those little circuit breakers are still available. Usually seen on the kitchen range receptacle. Also in-floor fan heaters. https://www.elfa.se/elfa3~eu_en/elfa/in ... &toc=20525 The only name I came up with for you was "oddball". [] Maybe they are just pushbuttons, but they look like CB's to me.

Sure, blame it all on Hurricane Isaac! Good bet you are right, if that wall is facing the wind. The raw backsides of that MDF will be growing little mold farms. If the people search around, they can still find real wood trim. I know I can get wood here if I look for it. Wood doesn't soak up water like a sponge, why we used to use it to build with, eh? [] I'm sure the dog would give it one sniff and then take a leak on it.

Around here, it is all click-plank, so to speak. Glued or nailed, it will be Pre-finished hardwood or engineered hardwood, and it goes in last, just ahead of the final trim. But often ahead of the kitchen island. We just don't see sanded floors anymore, even in the high-end units.

I saw that, but his other pic shows the meter in the red, so he does have high readings. Yep, this calls for a sniff and taste test. Bring it to a Lab! Black, Golden, or Chesnut, no matter. []

Yes, a disconnect is required as a rule, but there may be one hidden closer to the source? Does pulling the inner door out and down maybe open the circuit? I can't see the diagram very well. But it looks like it may be a disconnect as well as a door. 10KA is a fuse rating, but not the size, and many different sizes of fuses come in green, so no help there. The nuts and bolts are from where?

That is MDF, is it not? There is not much doubt that there is moisture there. Maybe a plumbing pipe is leaking in that wall. Also water can run a long way along a sill sometimes, and it could be leaking into the attic near the eave where you can't see it.

It has character. I'll bet it has been well kept.

I agree with Bill, that the pipes had the coating before they were installed. I would have called it oxidation, probably from exposure to the weather in the lumberyard. The duct tape looks like it has been applied over the coating. I wouldn't even mention it in a report. The cheap plastic duct tape I will mention verbally, replace it with metal foil tape.

Thanks, guys. I'm convinced now I'll just stick to a straight edge and a tape. Why? Because percentages and degrees are for eggheads who wouldn't dream of setting foot on a roof. Sorry, Marc, no offense intended there. [] Rise in Run, the roofer will get it, no debate. The app is cool, but I guess first step is to buy the phone ..... and my Motorola flip phone is still good. John is right, 2 in 12 is the minimum for shingles and even then it makes for a pits poor roof.

I set my timer and have a 10 second count to position the pole, then hold it steady. Bring it down, check the pic. The tripod has an angle adjustment. Auto focus. Trial and error. I imagine the fancy rigs have a remote viewer. The pole I use doesn't replace walking the roof. It gives me pictures where there is no way to get up there, such as a condo roof where access is denied.

I would think a drain specialist could get a snake into those drains somewhere. Houses that young here will have cleanouts installed around the exterior corners. Is it possible that the storm drain is overflowing back to the house? Is the house in a low spot relative to the surrounding houses? BTW, thank you Les, for tasting the Ochre for us. []

That truly is a unique valve. Thanks, Bill. And thanks, Tom, I have bookmarked the little Honeywell Booklet for a winter read. I wonder if some of their success in the business stemmed from their ability to explain so well how their systems worked? I can picture the family huddled around the stove while Dad read in the brochure how they were finally going to heat the whole house. []

1920's. it was originally knob and tube wiring with fuse panels. Maybe, hopefully, there have been some upgrades. It would be helpful for everyone involved if you can get a detailed description of what you have there now as far as service panels, subpanels, and branch circuits. The high voltage circuits for ranges and dryers may need to be upgraded. Try to find out what's been done and document all the info. If the other tenants are clueless, it would be worthwhile to have them all contribute to an overall inspection, with a report from the electrician. You can spread the cost that way.

My crystal ball tells me without any other info.... [] The building was built between 1966 and 1978 and there are solid Aluminum branch circuits. Connections to outlets and fixtures should be checked thoroughly every 10 years or so. But since I am neither clairvoyant nor a licensed electrician, this is just a wild guess.

Never toss out a perfectly good leaky garden hose. If that is a 120 volt tap off that 240 volt circuit, good bet that tap wiring is too small of a gauge for the breaker size. As you know.

A concrete curb keeps the water out. It could use some grout or caulking. We don't know what's behind that door, so more info would help. Slab floor, basement, age of home, ht of floor inside?

I have a camera tripod taped to a paint roller handle which screws onto a 12' extendable paint pole. I used black electrical tape for a professional look. [] With a pruning pole attachment, I can go 24' up. Only done that twice since I built it. I use the paint pole either from a balcony or from the top of a ladder, about 5 times a year. Some people use the movie function of their camera. I prefer to use a camera with a 10 sec timer for still shots, quicker to upload and use. I can then show these pics to my clients on a laptop. Here's an example from a month ago. 12 in 12 pitch with an invisible flat section. I'm at the gutter on my long ladder, two stories up. The white spots are seagull poop. They love flat roofs on the waterfront. Click to Enlarge 75.36?KB This is all I could see from the ladder and no, I ain't climbing up that valley. Click to Enlarge 51.8?KB I got 5 or 6 good high res pics of the roof with the paint pole. Click to Enlarge 43.12?KB This pic is blurry maybe from the wind shaking my pole, but there's the pole cam shadow, lower right.

I'm afraid you are right. It is trouble that will require big bucks to repair, basically tear it all off. One good thing is that the original plank sheathing may still be ok. The old wood can handle a bit of wet, and the wall cavities are probably hollow.

You could twist an ankle stepping off that thing. I'd call for a 6 " step. [:-graduat My long ladder was in no danger of slipping today. But I had to be careful not to step on the neighbor's gas meter. Click to Enlarge 65.64?KB One day last spring, a home inspector sprang into action by way of this handy trampoline. [] Click to Enlarge 58.91 KB

Right, 5 in 12 I would walk. It looked steeper to me last night. [] Since I am only there for a quick look, I don't approach it the same way a guy putting up siding would. It is quicker and safer to move the ladder around the house. Not long ago here, a mason fell to his death while repointing a chimney from a ladder. Now they are required to put up scaffolding, even for a 2 hour job.

I would walk only if I suspect a problem not visible from the gutter or those upper windows. Then I would get pictures from my tall ladder at the sides and rear of that higher roof. I will no longer set a ladder up on that lower roof to go to the top of the upper roof. My fees are not high enough for that. I will get closer pics with my pole camera if something looks suspicious or there is an invisible roof plane up there.