Report for Critique - Jim Katen

[Terence McCann]

In the crawlspace, some of the support posts & piers are

well installed and some are poorly installed.

I've never heard of something being "well installed". Could be a regional thing I guess.

How about well built? Well maintained? Well made?

I think you're just tripping on the passive voice in that sentence. How would your express the idea?

- Jim Katen, Oregon

All your examples of "well" I've heard, and used, many times, I've never heard it applied to install is all. I use correctly or adequately. Tis no biggie though as the meaning is clear.

[asihi]

I really have nothing to add that the other guys haven't mentioned. I just want to comment on your writing style. Years ago when I first got started I came across Walter Jowers website. After I read some of his sample reports, I told myself that's how I want to write.

I sent Walter an e-mail asking for some advice and he wrote back with a simple statement. He said write like you're having a conversation with the reader; write like you speak. And that's how I felt reading your report. This is the type of writing style that I strive for on my reports. I try to stop every once in a while and read a paragraph and ask myself "would I really say that to someone". Your report is simple to read and understand and to the point. I especially liked the WAG after age of the roof

A quick word about the "glamour shot". The reason I put a picture of the house on the front of my report is more for me than the buyer. I"ll forget names as soon as I meet someone, but I remember faces. The same goes for houses. I'll forget the address, but remember a house that inspected years ago. I've had past clients call and ask questions about their building and even though I had the report in front of me, I had a hard time visualizing the building-until I starting putting the pics on the front of the report.

[kurt]

I do a glamor shot for the same reasons. It's the handiest place to put it if I ever have to review the report again (and I pray that I don't).

If I didn't have a reference shot of the house, I'd be lost.

[Larry Cerro]

Hi Jim,

Great report. You are living proof that this job does not get easier as you get older. It is the one business where the longer you work, the more you learn and the longer the inspection process takes.

I have some questions/comments for you.

I noticed that you did not mention that the crawlspace vents were level with or below grade. You did not find this worth mentioning?

Also, even though the woodstove was obsolete,you didnt mention its clearance from the walls (but you mentioned the clearance of its flue pipe). Maybe it was just the camera angle but that stove looked mighty close to that wall.

Also, is that a pvc pipe coming off of that water heater?

You mentioned bad wiring in the attic but you didn't mention anything about the crawlspace. It looked like some poorly supported stuff in the crawl space. Is that the kind of stuff you report about or is it so normal that it is generally ignored?

If you had the right batteries with you would you have installed them and tested the heater? I am surprised the client didn't run down to the 7-11 for some.

Once again, great job. Very good example of following the standards.

[Jim Katen]

Hi Jim,

Great report. You are living proof that this job does not get easier as you get older. It is the one business where the longer you work, the more you learn and the longer the inspection process takes.

I have some questions/comments for you.

I noticed that you did not mention that the crawlspace vents were level with or below grade. You did not find this worth mentioning?

No. Many of the vents were level with the soil. I know that the IRC wants to see 6" there, but I've never seen a problem with the lack of that clearance so I never mention it. At several places, the vents were below the surface of the paved areas, but there were nice, neat wells cast in place and I didn't see any need for improvement. If I had seen a vent that was obstructed by soil, I'd have mentioned it.

Also, even though the woodstove was obsolete,you didnt mention its clearance from the walls (but you mentioned the clearance of its flue pipe). Maybe it was just the camera angle but that stove looked mighty close to that wall.

Actually, it wasn't bad. The clearance was almost 14". With the ventilated sheet metal clearance reduction system on the walls, that gave it 2" to spare. One thing that I forgot to mention at all -- and that I just remembered this minute -- is that the fire bricks inside the stove were all missing. If the stove were to remain in place, it'd be a really good idea to replace them. None of that really matters, though, because the law is unequivocal. The stove must be removed & destroyed. The issue isn't negotiable.

Also, is that a pvc pipe coming off of that water heater?

No, it's one of those listed water heater TPR discharge thingy-things. They aren't PVC. I think that they're polyethylene or something similar and they're listed for exactly that purpose.

You mentioned bad wiring in the attic but you didn't mention anything about the crawlspace. It looked like some poorly supported stuff in the crawl space. Is that the kind of stuff you report about or is it so normal that it is generally ignored?

No, I generally report it. On this report, I got lazy & stuck it in as a vague reference under "Running Splice in Crawlspace." In the recommendation following that note, I mention repairing "any defects he finds in the crawlspace, including the running splice."

If you had the right batteries with you would you have installed them and tested the heater? I am surprised the client didn't run down to the 7-11 for some.

Yes. In fact, I normally carry a wide assortment of batteries for just that purpose, but I was out of AAAs. I took out the dead batteries, handed them to the agent and said, "I can't test the furnace because the thermostat batteries are dead. If someone could run to the store for some new ones, that'd be great." Then I looked from her to the buyer & back again. They just looked at me, nodded, & sat there with their butts glued to the chairs. "So I guess you don't want me to test the furnace then?" She said, "No, don't worry about it." Okey, dokey.

Truth be told, if I felt inclined, I would have just hotwired the thing, but I felt somehow uninspired that day.

Once again, great job. Very good example of following the standards.

Thanks. I appreciate your feedback. It's helpful.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[randynavarro]

I haven't been on TIJ for a while and when I come back, I find Katen posting a report for critique! Wow.

Reminds me of an Executive Pastor taking notes every Sunday during the Senior Pastor's sermon. He's one of the few in the crowd doing so.

A model of humility and an example of how to always be doing better. . .