Jim Baird

Hey Kurt I think numero uno meant the window opening in the frame wall, prior to the install of the unit itself. Haven't even got to the outside yet. Item I meant to call was #4 re all projecting wood trim. Since the advent of this plastic brick mold stuff I have seen lots of yo-yos leave drip cap off the window headers. For some reason drip cap is not something today's carpenter thinks about.

Pic #3 looks like the deck has about two inches of fall in the wrong direction. BTW, do those steps to grade have any kind of lighting? It is fixable, but not easily so.

'06 IRC R703.8 Flashing. Approved corrosion-resistant flashing shall be applied shingle-fashion in such a manner to prevent entry of water into thewall cavity or penetration ofwater to the building structural framing components. The flashing shall extend to the surface of the exterior wall finish. Approved corrosion-resistant flashings shall be installed at all of the following locations: 1. Exterior window and door openings. Flashing at exterior window and door openings shall extend to the surface of the exterior wall finish or to the water-resistive barrier for subsequent drainage. 2. At the intersection of chimneys or other masonry construction with frame or stucco walls, with projecting lips on both sides under stucco copings. 3. Under and at the ends of masonry, wood or metal copings and sills. 4. Continuously above all projecting wood trim. 5. Where exterior porches, decks or stairs attach to a wall or floor assembly of wood-frame construction. 6. At wall and roof intersections. 7. At built-in gutters.

People erroneously have the idea that inspected work is certified work. The only way to go after a muni inspector is if there has been "gross negligence".

Just like the one in the "fort" our neighborhood gang built in a woodsy backyard, where secret cig smoking also went on.

I have been in dwellings where those I-joists were to minimum spec but the floor still felt like a trampoline. In our state plans are specifically not required for houses, so structural details are WAG's often. As an AHJ inspector I have often called for extra piers below point loads where common sense tells one it is needed. Builders often modify stock plans on the spot and mistakes are often made. BTW, anytime untreated wood is found in a crawlspace a termite contractor always notes it on his inspection report. I get the feeling that it makes for a good escape tunnel for him should WDO problems arise. Marc, being rusty on my French, what does "cuillon" mean?

I like that radio you can reach while lying in the tub...

From the '06 IRC: R606.6.1 Pier cap. Hollow piers shall be capped with 4 inches (102 mm) of solid masonry or concrete or shall have cavities of the top course filled with concrete or grout or other approved methods. That stack of lumber will compress some. How much? It's hard to say. If the pier is hollow and you are in NC, it could serve as a termite highway into the structure, as routine termite inspection can't see inside the pier. It is certainly sloppy, lazy, workmanship. Just because a builder is a "national" builder it doesn't mean he's better than anybody else. I would rather have something built by a one-at-a-time local builder who takes pride in his work.

There is this from '06 IRC re rodent entry: G2404.9 (301.14) Rodentproofing. Buildings or structures and the walls enclosing habitable or occupiable rooms and spaces in which persons live, sleep or work, or in which feed, food or foodstuffs are stored, prepared, processed, served or sold, shall be constructed to protect against the entry of rodents. But, then, bathrooms are not included in "habitable" rooms.

Sounds like Marc is well on the way to software design.

I don't watch TV, thank the Lord.

The slide down the slippery slope began after Tienanmen's "settlement" in 1989. Not a whisper of notice from the industrialized West.

Long ago I knew a fellow who built his own "system" using a cpl of steel drums for the tank. For the leach field he had a guy who'd rented a ditch witch for another job come by and dig him a pattern of ditch, into which he laid black plastic perforated pipe. He built his house from all sawmill lumber from a local sawmill whose owner had a front yard that was packed cheek and jowl and bumper to bumper with about twenty five Chevy II's. Those were the days when you were lucky to get a mortgage at 11 to 12 percent. Had a girlfriend long ago whose rented farm house had a straightpipe "system" emptying into an old erosion ditch. After the collapse of King Cotton a lot of the land around here just washed away, and it is evident on most of the now wooded slopes.

At a nearby major university a ten story dormitory was built in the 60's. By using an asbestos laden ceiling coat the thickness of concrete floor/ceilings was reduced to meet fire separation and structural needs at cheaper cost. Fifteen yrs later a student noticed a thin film on top of the soft drink in a cup on her desk. Analysis found the material to be asbestos raining down invisibly from the ceiling coating. Building was evacuated soon after, and an abatement done. Somehow, no class action lawsuits resulted, and the school launched an asbestos witch hunt that lasted for a number of years. They created, staffed, and trained a department within operation/maintenance that operated somewhat fitfully for a number of years before closing it down. Whether they got rid of all the cooties is likely never to be known.

Long ago a friend who was a retired electrical engineer (worked at Oak Ridge, TN nuclear facility when they used slide rules and not computers) told me he built his little shack in Gautier, MS and wired circuits with conductors only sized to meet demand at each location. He claimed the utility accused him of meter tampering because his bills were so low.

Sort of like this one on the feeders? Click to Enlarge 62.87 KB

When my grandaddy poured a concrete front porch on his home in the 1920's he threw a coil bedspring into it, to take advantage of the wire. You could see it from underneath.

better than what I see often. I call it a cap flash with no base under it.

Working space is lacking...

When I located the switch for the kitchen exhaust fan I had not seen its duct in the attic, so a return trip and an ear to the floor located the "terminal", apparently made by Harry Homeowner. Click to Enlarge 23.12 KB Click to Enlarge 46.55 KB

My daughters, a few years back, would have said "Gross me out the door!"

...earned your fee before you even got there.

Since I got a rechargeable lite along with a cordless drill I just carry the Mag in my back pocket as a backup, since the recharger can go dead suddenly. I like the recharger as it stands on its battery butt and ratchets up and down.

The repairman was just being "resourceful", Erby. Don't you get it? Reminds me of the water pipe repairs I saw in a foot and a half high crawl that were done with short pieces of garden hose and pipe clamps.

If this is a new installation I guess codes would apply. Here's the 2006 IRC on the subject: M1501.1 Outdoor discharge. The air removed by every mechanical exhaust system shall be discharged to the outdoors. Air shall not be exhausted into an attic, soffit, ridge vent or crawl space. The termination through might pass, but I agree that the potential for grease-laden vapor makes it less than the best.