ejager

I got called to do a pre-sale inspection on a home and didn't ask enough, or the right questions, for suffiecient details to allow me to properly price the inspection. At this for more than ten years and still learning, but that's another story.... When I was in the garage I looked over and wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew.... til I realized that this was just an over-designed irrigation system control and fortunately not included!

As well as the one on the left....

That is captivating. Good eye, and good skills.

People who have never owned a home are unaware of the costs of upkeep, repair and replacement. But by provincial legislation "The home inspector or the home inspection business is not allowed to give you an estimate of the cost of any repair or improvement identified by the home inspection." (Quote from government "consumer tip sheet"). We, are however, able to provide a comprehensive cost guide. There are good repair cost guides available from our national inspection organiation, provincially, and of couse, from the inter-web. I often share one with clients who desire it. Its important that when I say the shingles need replacement, they understand I'm not talking about $1000, nor am talking about $25,000 (unless the house is big enough, and I AM talking about $25,000).

That sistering work looks good. As Bill alread suggested, glued is my preference. Some of the wood we used 50 yrs ago up here would have been able to withstand that. The stuff that couldn't has of course been replaced; is that maybe why we don't see it, and why there are codes against it?

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