Jim Baird

Foundation, wall, what's the diff. This 65 yr old one has a double-wythe red brick foundation wall/veneer that bears the floor frame on its inside wythe down low, then looks to have a wall frame of pine on top, with gypsum lath and plaster inside, single wythe brick outside, but on building ends, even way up in the attic, brick is double wythe again, and on ends, outlets are baseboard mounted, no on wall. I enjoy variety in building style but have not seen this. In the pic you see fat pine joists bearing on inner wythe with blocking in between. Click to Enlarge 51.76 KB Then see double wythe at gable end window. Click to Enlarge 61.93 KB

Always fun looking at the older systems, no? See photo of "pullchain operated" return register, baseboard mounted and really dust-choked. Wondering why an occupant would want to control return this way. Typical room had return and supply, both baseboard mounted, opposing each other across the width. Click to Enlarge 47.94 KB

My plumber friend calls those "no-hub" connectors, for making difficult connections between old cast iron and new PVC DWV pipes.

Also a rafter that has turned, if pulled back straight, may push the shingle nails up through the surface. I have suggested to a carpenter who called me about it that stopping the movement where it stands is the best you can do short of tear off, out, and rebuild.

Thanks, Marc. I was thinking like that as well tho I haven't suggested a fix method. The gussets will make the support but I think a fat horizontal tie as well, nailed to the bottoms.

That's a really inaccurate way to measure water temperature. And a better way is...?

I pointed out the lack of bearing too, Mark, and yes, one or more had begun to split. If you could fit in a ridge board and fasten those ends somehow it might arrest the development, maybe.

At least six in a row rafters meet at peak with engineered trusses with no ridge board. Every one has rotated. Surprisingly it doesn't look that bad from outside. Download Attachment: P2270062.JPG 80.79 KB

"...That area is required to be conditioned here..." Come on, John, you are in Canada, not the live free or die usa.

Around here it makes a diff when permitting a bldg, with different fees for heated or no. BTW the building code still does not require cooling for dwelling, just heating. I have met realtors on site who refuse to discuss square footage because they claim it can be a bone of contention.

The foreground one maybe, the one in back looks like even less slope. Love that app.

How big or how tall? I like the vertical distance to the window sill.

Yeah, but, according to Mary Poppins they are lucky as lucky can be.

...peace in the valley, bruthas. I just want to remind all the participants what a good exchange of learning goes on here.

What Marc said.

...with the AC, no. With the box fastening, yes. As an AHJ I had a discussion of bundling with an electrician whose wire puller put a bundle of romex into a pvc sleeve to penetrate a ceiling frame. His argument about typical residential loads won my approval.

In my area there are private training companies that train inspectors for AHJ service.

Have seen splined 3" flooring from ca. 1900.

The discoloring is right on top of a coupling, no? A repair with an alternate to soldering?

Looks also like plain old physical damage, like maybe by the top of a forklift or other kind of lift device.

...I guess it's not strange, Mark, just style.

Rated assemblies can be put together a number of ways. If there is an HOA maybe they are lucky enough to have some original plans with details that show how things are put together.

The installer in the OP turned away from the building before he got to grade. Looks like a case of how much pipe was on hand that day. In our area the utility refuses to connect to listed disco/meter bases that have too narrow a tray on the left hand side, citing setttlements and resulting too tight bends. I wonder if the OP had yet been approved by utility. It's the same here, but why should that make a difference to a home inspector? The potential problems in the original post are real and there'll never be a better time to fix them.

In our area everything on the supply side of that meter box is the utility's turf, and all installation approvals are up to them.

...why we have licensed pest control.