ejager

Brilliant Marc. Simply Brilliant.

Once again I fell for the click-bait - its not 3 photos we should take, its 1300 (or is that 130,000?). I've got to say that taking a picture of everything that is is not wrong (non-defect areas) would be considerably more time consuming than simply just doing a good inspection. Do I have to shoot a picture of all sides of every appliance, every wall, every ceiling, every window (inside and out) every door, hinge, handle? Do I need to back that up with an IR picture, and a picture with a moisture meter beneath every upstairs fixture, or the location of every possible drain pipe connection? Do I have to shoot videos of the toilets, taps and fans to document that they were working properly at time of the inspection, and shut off when I left? Maybe I should measure the layout of walls and posts in case something changes? This all gets pretty ridiculous if we let it. I am not inspecting to document every single thing that is right or wrong within the home. I am helping my clients to better understand the size of the job that they are buying; I am helping them better understand the risks of purchasing that particular home.

This steel house was built here in Calgary in 1992. Full basement with Steel SIPs below grade, both floors above grade and for the cathedral ceiling. All interior surfaces of exterior walls were steel. Most interior walls were also steel (a few were drywalled). Floor joists were also steel with steel panels for the ceilings and OSB sub-floor. Steel siding, steel roof trims etc. Anyone able to send me some information on steel SIPs below grade? Though most of the foundation was covered in preserved wood sheathing and parged, beneath the decks there were areas where the exterior skins of the basement SIPs were steel. No separate ground wires to the panel as each location had a 'local connection' to the steel home. The wires were run within metal chases but there were no boxes for the lights and outlets.

I was looking forward to inspecting this 'new home on an old foundation'. Imagine the disappointment when the report turned out to be a such a long one: from typical (but numerous) little things like old smoke detectors, dirty filters, to poor venting, combustion air supply, heat and return air, and (already mentioned elsewhere) roof flashings, and then there was the cornucopia of deck issues...

Interesting how things vary from location to location. The metal base kind went out of fashion for plumbing stacks a while ago here in favour of the all rubber, and that more frequently now its the newer thermo-plastic base with minimal rubber around the stack only (https://www.oatey.com/2375038/Product/Oatey-Thermoplastic-No-Calk-Roof-Flashings-Standard-Base_ Still see the metal base with rubber for electrical masts, sometimes more than we should. 😄

I had one the other day; all the flashings were changed when they re-shingled about 5 years ago, so cannot sure where this boot sits in the formulation timeline, but it has that pebbled surface. The other boot on the same job was just fine.

Now that's an interesting avenue of thought, Jim. It was a relatively modest sized (less than 1200 sq ft on main floor + same in basement), 14 yr old, semi detached "villa", with a fully developed walk-out basement. So I was surprised to find two furnaces; there is certainly more than enough heating capacity. Without doing calculations, I typically see larger two story detached homes, with many more sq ft of exterior wall, having less total heating capacity. This home also had two thermostatically controlled gas-fireplaces. The furnace thermostats were appropriately located. I can see where between the sizing and the fireplaces there could be issues with short cycling. The homeowner was diligent about clean filters and what she thought was maintenance (by a duct cleaning company). The furnaces didn't short cycle in the time I was there but off-season tests are not always indicative of everything that can/does go wrong. Thanks!

Thanks for the reply Jim, I am quite surprised to hear that there would be so much condensate on a mid efficiency furnace. I can certainly understand that a high efficiency furnace with secondary heat exchanger might have condensation, and can certainly understand (and have seen) where a plastic flue collection box would work.

I've certainly seen older systems with NO staining, or deposits at the flue collector gaskets. (maybe they were changed....) These were two Lennox 80% furnaces, one 44,000BTU for the basement, and one 88,00 for the main floor. Vented together with a water heater. Plenty of combustion air available in the furnace room. No other signs of problems. What could be happening? How much is too much? What consequences/worse case scenarios can be imagined?

Maybe the height of the riser has been altered, now exceeding max permissible? As the carriages were probably cut for the original flooring plan, depending on the flooring types at the top and bottom of the stairway, those first and last riser measurements may now be different... I know I'm reviving a older thread but I really don't care for this nosing 'technique' for several reasons (not clean looking, my large feet have tripped on these raised edges traveling down stairs, and I typically find laminate to be quite slippery) and am hoping to find support/justification. Thanks

I understood anti-oxidizing paste to be a requirement, but that could be just a Canadian thing.

Glad for the title... I was stuck on why they were building a fence so close to a fence....

So I've always understood that the bottom half of roof flashings for penetrations should be visible; at the very least the bottom third if the rows and shingles don't align for more exposure. During the inspections on new(er) roofs that I do here in Calgary, the exposure has steadily decreased over the past 10 years, with some instances of none! What does the brain trust here have as opinions and supporting documentation? The Youtube stills are from a video from Canada Roofing Contractors Association/ BuildCanada (https://youtu.be/GHhwwsLX_mg) and an IKO shingle install video (https://youtu.be/sBwxw3KsVOM). One other problem with the IKO video is the use of petroleum based sealants (IKO Shingle Stick (a bitumous mastic)) with the poly-propelene roof vents: From the

Morning all, I'm suspecting someone who watched a shingle install video once tried to do a flat roof.

The municipal green cart program here in Calgary composts regular kitchen waste, meats, pet wastes (kitty litter included), fireplace ash, untreated lumber and yard wastes. The advantages of shredding, in-vessel (containered) composting, & mechanical ventilation: 60 days from waste collection to compost distribution. http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/WRS/Pages/Recycling-information/Residential-services/Green-cart/Green-Cart-organics-composting-facility.aspx#process