Jim Baird

...what a funny picture. No wall visible, no foundation. Truck way to small to o pull that tooth. Not many contractors would be willing to dig and pour with stumps that big inside.

I visited a new const. site where a friend did woodwork. Small local bank, in offices installed faux wood grain tile that was 8x24" or so. My unheard question was why not real instead of faux? Tile cannot have been cheaper.

Thanks for the reply, Les. I looked at Applegate site and they showed install between studs and talked about attics, but not about crawlspaces. This application was on inside of crawlspace walls. BTW the same termite man told me on site that they do not touch contracts with plastic foam sealed/conditioned crawls, which are very rare here. I think what we are seeing is diffs in termite infestation zones. Here in the Georgia piney woods we are very vulnerable to termite infestation. The further south you go the worse it gets. A friend rehabbed a 10th floor condo in San Juan, Puerto Rico many years ago. Even on the tenth floor he had to be sure that every stick of wood he used was treated. He took me on a drive and pointed out termite nests on palm trees that were forty feet off the ground. My termite inspector, who makes an annual visit to my home, has told me that chemical treatments through time have backed off from toxicity in the direction of safety to such a degree that his company will not offer a warranty for more than about five years. My original contract with them was a 20 yr repair guarantee. Now we just have a "control" contract where they will treat infestations they may find, but any repairs needed are my problem.

I appreciate the replies. Local termite licensee refuses to issue "termite letter". Buyer is asking seller to remove the material from the foundation walls and remove it from site. Clue, seller has occupied home but only as a second home and only after 9 months. They jacked price 60K over what they paid then. Only upgrade they made was vinyl plank floor throughout, and I think granite countertops. Don't think they know who/when cellulose was sprayed. I think the issue may be a deal killer.

I guess this was a handyman's fixit for a roof leak. Looks like a shower curtain modified into a drip catcher.

Thanks for the reply, Bill. "In these parts, I'd rather see insulation on the foundation and perimeter of the floor structure than between joists." My quick research shows about R-3 per inch of this stuff, vs R-19 for 6 inches fiberglass between joists. The termite guy was not sure he could issue a letter with all the obfuscation the cellulose presents. I don't think the seller has the receipts for the install, so how does anybody know it is borate treated?

So often see weird stuff. 24 yr old crawlspace. CMU foundation etc. No floor insulation, but CMU walls sprayed with chewed up newsprint or something. Termite guy happened to be there with me and he took lots of umbrage. My thinking is insulator arrived and offered a lower cost alternate to floor insulation. Photo shows buried water supply lines. Comments welcome.

Reminds me of a Frank Zappa song called Dirty Love.

Inaccessible crawlspace can be a big problemo especially in terms of termites.

It looks thicker than lap siding to me, more like the cornerboard stuff they make. Even so, product is not listed for the use. Looks like no way to practically correct. Is it a custom home? Signs like this tell us there may be plenty of other problems with wrongly applied product. I would tell buyer this is a big red flag, fairly describable as a structural defect. Don't walk away, run. Why did he do it? Likely just an early layout screwup. Sign of an amateur maybe.

"small, family operated with locations across Canada, USA, Europe, and Asia"... Zzzzzzzzzz.

Our local utility won't allow a unit to be fed via another one.

I doubt you could pay enough to override my scepticism.

...probably burns like those black invisible fires of Hell... "...Our earthly fire also consumes more or less rapidly according as the object which it attacks is more or less combustible, so that human ingenuity has even succeeded in inventing chemical preparations to check or frustrate its action. But the sulphurous brimstone which burns in hell is a substance which is specially designed to burn for ever and for ever with unspeakable fury. Moreover, our earthly fire destroys at the same time as it burns, so that the more intense it is the shorter is its duration; but the fire of hell has this property, that it preserves that which it burns, and, though it rages with incredible intensity, it rages for ever...."--James Joyce

...sure looks like automotive heater hose. Love the careful attention to the spray paint of the clamps.

I sure have not seen much 3-ply half inch decking. Have seen plenty 3-ply 3/8 decking, which usually does not survive old shingle strip without delam. What must have happened here was strip job required replacing some pieces, and replacement effort fell short of a good job. Photo shows what will be a soft spot until it gets corrected (or not) by the next re-roof.

The New Yorker did a story a few years ago about survivalist developments, some done inside de-commissioned missle silos!

"Stachybotris'll get you if you don't watch out!"

...I appreciate this kind of support. Client and I have talked. When shoes start to drop I feel ready.

...many times I have been startled by my electric screwdriver in my back pocket when I forget to lock it off.

Thanks for the replies. I inspected a home after a contractor referred me. He found weird stuff and advised she have me look. Evidence revealed by contractor showed serious effort to conceal structural problems. Another inspector preceded me but I did not see his report. An engineer followed me to prescribe a fixit, so I likely am only a choir member. My client has not answered me but I am giving it some days.

Thanks for the replies. I have not talked to my client yet, and I have about 30 days to answer defendant lawyer "request". Lawyer letters can make a request sound like a demand.

Letter from defendant lawyer in a suit related to my inspection of a dwelling demands "all documents, photos, etc". I am about to call them and inform them that my report stands alone as any documents I issue. They want me to have a notary sign off on my affirmation of my report as mine. Comments?

My most satisfying jobs are the ones when the client follows me like a dog on my heels and listens to my verbal description. Almost all of that kind like me better. I do take pride in my writing, but the verbal delivery feels to me like a job better done.