Chad Fabry Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 That's an easy one. Write a comment about the photos for this topic. There numerous defects from the block orientation to no footer to column out of plumb to non rated columns, to no wind uplift restraint and on and on and on. I think it's unnecessary and imprudent to "list" the defects. I'm genuinely curious to see the different styles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Breslawski Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Great thread. I'll give it a try: There are several piers in the crawlspace that are improperly installed beneath the floor joists and beam. These are, at best, temporary repairs using inappropriate materials. I recommend hiring a qualified contractor to design and install proper supports and remove the temporary piers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Fine. 1. The crawl space is a mess. There are multiple masonry piers with blocks placed on their sides. Concrete blocks are not designed to carry loads on this axis and could fail at any time. 2. There are several improvised support posts with improper bearing surfaces top and bottom. Crawl spaces are difficult to work in, appropriate repairs will be expensive. There are dozens of other defects in this crawl that will be detailed in appropriate sections of this report. (ie branch circuits lying in the dirt, missing vapor barrier, poorly supported pipes and wires, so on and so forth) Chad, your 4 figure estimate is light. I just completed a 5' x 8' bath remodel that started with removing the insulation and poly vapor barrier from the bottom of the floor joists in a nightmare of a crawl. The job took 3 weeks, with only 4 days spent on the interior of the bath. The contract on this gig was $17k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Great thread. I'll give it a try: There are several piers in the crawlspace that are improperly installed beneath the floor joists and beam. These are, at best, temporary repairs using inappropriate materials. I recommend hiring a qualified contractor to design and install proper supports and remove the temporary piers. Mine would be very close to something like that. The crawl space is a mess. I'd lose that in a hurry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Here's the actual remark I just put in a report I'm writing right now. Click to Enlarge 25.1 KB The top panel in the front entrance door has split to where daylight can be seen through the crack. Have a carpenter repair this to prevent a loss of heat that will result in higher energy costs. Done deal. "A seam in the upper recessed panel of the front entrance door has failed. If you value energy efficiency, seal the crack, otherwise don't worry about it." I like this game. Start a new thread with a photo and name a defect in it, then let everyone try their hand at writing it up. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Chad, your 4 figure estimate is light. I just completed a 5' x 8' bath remodel that started with removing the insulation and poly vapor barrier from the bottom of the floor joists in a nightmare of a crawl. The job took 3 weeks, with only 4 days spent on the interior of the bath. The contract on this gig was $17k I based the number on 300-500 per footing and column. I assumed 10 of them. It'd be easy money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Here's the actual remark I just put in a report I'm writing right now. Click to Enlarge 25.1 KB The top panel in the front entrance door has split to where daylight can be seen through the crack. Have a carpenter repair this to prevent a loss of heat that will result in higher energy costs. Done deal. "A seam in the upper recessed panel of the front entrance door has failed. If you value energy efficiency, seal the crack, otherwise don't worry about it." I like this game. Start a new thread with a photo and name a defect in it, then let everyone try their hand at writing it up. Marc Not so fast. That's a raised panel, sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Here's the actual remark I just put in a report I'm writing right now. Click to Enlarge 25.1 KB The top panel in the front entrance door has split to where daylight can be seen through the crack. Have a carpenter repair this to prevent a loss of heat that will result in higher energy costs. Done deal. "A seam in the upper recessed panel of the front entrance door has failed. If you value energy efficiency, seal the crack, otherwise don't worry about it." I like this game. Start a new thread with a photo and name a defect in it, then let everyone try their hand at writing it up. Marc Not so fast. That's a raised panel, sir. I stand corrected. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Chad, your 4 figure estimate is light. I just completed a 5' x 8' bath remodel that started with removing the insulation and poly vapor barrier from the bottom of the floor joists in a nightmare of a crawl. The job took 3 weeks, with only 4 days spent on the interior of the bath. The contract on this gig was $17kTom Why didn't you just take out the floor and work from there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Why would I remove the word mess? It's an accurate description. The bathroom remodel was a 1958 cape, 22 x 30. It was occupied, so the bathroom had to remain functional as long as possible. I did eventually go through the floor, most of it was mulch. I replaced 8 joists, the subfloor in the bath and adjacent closet, will plates and rim joists half way around the house, over a dozen wall studs and16' of wall sill plates on interior and exterior walls, and all the sheathing on the back wall. I didn't touch the piers. Those were replaced with the girder in 1992. Between the rotten wood and wet crawl floor it took 6 days and massive cribbing to get the house to move at all. The place was literally sinking as fast as we could lift it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 I'd like to see Gary's and Tom's actual remarks- and Kurt's too. Write exactly what you would put in the report. I just checked, worked for 24 attorney referred clients last year coming from 6 different attorneys for a total of 31 inspections. None of the attorneys suggested that my reporting left me susceptible to conflict. What concerns did your attorney have, Kurt? It's called editorializing. If you're an expert witness, you're supposed to be a fair witness to conditions and describe them without bias or subjectivity. While I might have commentary in a summary similar to your comments, when I'm running down the list I keep it to specific facts and let the facts show why it's a problem. More in a minute....I'm writing a real report now. I can't show you how my report would look without importing the pics and putting it all together in the finished format. It also wouldn't show the interface where I assemble the report, which is a big part of the operation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 I'd like to see Gary's and Tom's actual remarks- and Kurt's too. Write exactly what you would put in the report. I just checked, worked for 24 attorney referred clients last year coming from 6 different attorneys for a total of 31 inspections. None of the attorneys suggested that my reporting left me susceptible to conflict. What concerns did your attorney have, Kurt? Attached are a couple of the formats I use; there are more. I use the Photolog when I'm reviewing a single system, or as a summary edition for HOA's. I've taken out all the extraneous pages, instructions and guides, inventories, and all the SOP stuff to show you what my defect lists look like. The pictures provided limit the report; I can have up to 4 pics per comment, they would be larger, and I work like a photojournalist to tell the story with pictures. These pictures don't tell the story like I would tell it. Don't obsess on my verbiage; I'm not adequately caffeinated this early on a Saturday morning. The VR commentary is boilerplate; the other's are must me clacking out quick comments. Don't focus on the words, think about format. Yes, the icons are infantile. My customers all agree they're infantile and they all really like them. I know this because I ask them. The generalized response when asked is "yeah, they're kinda funny, but I like them because they help me focus on what the comment means". (There are icons for Major Defects, Minor Defects, Needs Additional Analysis, and FYI. The icons are a sorting mechanism more than anything else; I could use the designations to sort the comments and not have the icons print.) My client base is young, urban, unfamiliar with the concept of a screwdriver let alone what it does or which end to hold, and entirely incapable of deciphering technical descriptions. That's why the pictures and arrows and minimal verbiage. Just because an attorney doesn't indicate anything in particular about your report, that does not mean anything. Most of them are as clueless as my regular customers. I had the fortunate benefit of working with a really good advocate attorney years ago on a pro bono case. It's a Christian law firm and they specialize in representing those less fortunate. Really good folks. FTR, I am a deist, not a Christian. I cracked up the entire law firm when I told them "I'm not a Christian, I'm a carpenter". These folks turned my head around about how to write. Short, simple, to the point, no editorializing. State facts, support them. Put them in a list form. Number them so all parties reviewing the report know they're talking about the same comment. Let the facts dictate the Summary. Saying things like "mess" in a summary is OK; it's not OK when you are listing facts. Do not say "mess" when you are on the stand testifying. Keep it to the list. It's really quite simple. Home inspection software and antiquated ideas about communication are what makes it hard. Like it or despise it, the world doesn't read like we were taught. It's a 140 character world out there that really likes picture books. White space is good. Conventional ideas about composition, form, margins, and all that stuff one gets in the software package should be avoided; old folks don't like that idea. Too bad. Forget it anyway. People don't read that way anymore, especially young people, and since I am now an old people working primarily for young people, I don't torture them with outdated ideas. FTR, I read voluminously on a wide range of topics...no Kanye here. But, I don't take my literary ideals and impose them on HI reports. Big mistake. Also FTR....central to my system is the interface. It's quick and easy. Film strip on the right side, comments on the left, write comment or choose from library, drag pic to comment. repeat until done. I developed mine years before HomeGauge came out; it's a very common DB format applicable to wide range of projects. I've got a few tricks in my interface lacking in HomeGauge. HomeGauge is OK, but it's just another package trying to come up with stuff to fascinate HI's. Mine's got everything you need and nothing you don't. It can also be formatted easily to reflect any professional society or State licensing requirements. The defect list is separate and apart from the inventories and SOP crap, making it very adaptable. Download Attachment: Blow.report_2.28.2015.pdf 253.24?KB Download Attachment: blow.photolog_2.18.15.pdf 67.99?KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 I don't buy the photo-log summary, its too long, but the report format and language excerpts are about as good as I can fathom. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ductwork Posted February 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 What I really wanted to say is the house is a piece of crap with handyman wiring , electrical was a mess, Federal Pacific box with double taps, ungrounded 3 prong outlets which I am sure did not even have the proper connectors for aluminum wiring, open junction boxes with exposed wiring in bedroom closets, recessed lights not rated for insulation in attic, no romex clamps of any kind, the list goes on and on, I could have saved myself a ton of time by just stating in one paragraph that the house is a mess and a piece of crap. BTW , I do like the report that Kurt posted, I am learning to do my writing to the point without fluff . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ductwork Posted February 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 I'd like to see Gary's and Tom's actual remarks- and Kurt's too. Write exactly what you would put in the report. I just checked, worked for 24 attorney referred clients last year coming from 6 different attorneys for a total of 31 inspections. None of the attorneys suggested that my reporting left me susceptible to conflict. What concerns did your attorney have, Kurt? Attached are a couple of the formats I use; there are more. I use the Photolog when I'm reviewing a single system, or as a summary edition for HOA's. I've taken out all the extraneous pages, instructions and guides, inventories, and all the SOP stuff to show you what my defect lists look like. The pictures provided limit the report; I can have up to 4 pics per comment, they would be larger, and I work like a photojournalist to tell the story with pictures. These pictures don't tell the story like I would tell it. Don't obsess on my verbiage; I'm not adequately caffeinated this early on a Saturday morning. The VR commentary is boilerplate; the other's are must me clacking out quick comments. Don't focus on the words, think about format. Yes, the icons are infantile. My customers all agree they're infantile and they all really like them. I know this because I ask them. The generalized response when asked is "yeah, they're kinda funny, but I like them because they help me focus on what the comment means". (There are icons for Major Defects, Minor Defects, Needs Additional Analysis, and FYI. The icons are a sorting mechanism more than anything else; I could use the designations to sort the comments and not have the icons print.) My client base is young, urban, unfamiliar with the concept of a screwdriver let alone what it does or which end to hold, and entirely incapable of deciphering technical descriptions. That's why the pictures and arrows and minimal verbiage. Just because an attorney doesn't indicate anything in particular about your report, that does not mean anything. Most of them are as clueless as my regular customers. I had the fortunate benefit of working with a really good advocate attorney years ago on a pro bono case. It's a Christian law firm and they specialize in representing those less fortunate. Really good folks. FTR, I am a deist, not a Christian. I cracked up the entire law firm when I told them "I'm not a Christian, I'm a carpenter". These folks turned my head around about how to write. Short, simple, to the point, no editorializing. State facts, support them. Put them in a list form. Number them so all parties reviewing the report know they're talking about the same comment. Let the facts dictate the Summary. Saying things like "mess" in a summary is OK; it's not OK when you are listing facts. Do not say "mess" when you are on the stand testifying. Keep it to the list. It's really quite simple. Home inspection software and antiquated ideas about communication are what makes it hard. Like it or despise it, the world doesn't read like we were taught. It's a 140 character world out there that really likes picture books. White space is good. Conventional ideas about composition, form, margins, and all that stuff one gets in the software package should be avoided; old folks don't like that idea. Too bad. Forget it anyway. People don't read that way anymore, especially young people, and since I am now an old people working primarily for young people, I don't torture them with outdated ideas. FTR, I read voluminously on a wide range of topics...no Kanye here. But, I don't take my literary ideals and impose them on HI reports. Big mistake. Also FTR....central to my system is the interface. It's quick and easy. Film strip on the right side, comments on the left, write comment or choose from library, drag pic to comment. repeat until done. I developed mine years before HomeGauge came out; it's a very common DB format applicable to wide range of projects. I've got a few tricks in my interface lacking in HomeGauge. HomeGauge is OK, but it's just another package trying to come up with stuff to fascinate HI's. Mine's got everything you need and nothing you don't. It can also be formatted easily to reflect any professional society or State licensing requirements. The defect list is separate and apart from the inventories and SOP crap, making it very adaptable. Download Attachment: Blow.report_2.28.2015.pdf 253.24?KB Download Attachment: blow.photolog_2.18.15.pdf 67.99?KB You state mold, the question is , did you test for it ? I did not believe that assumptions can go in a report Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 I could have saved myself a ton of time by just stating in one paragraph that the house is a mess and a piece of crap. I've always wanted a big red rubber stamp that says "Piece of Shit".....print the title page, hit it with the rubber stamp, send it out. The Photolog-Summary taken out of the context of a specific report doesn't show what it does. It is the single most favorite format of my HOA customers. This is what most HI's don't seem to get.....different formats for different reporting needs. There are times when a single spaced narrative running on for several pages is necessary. I've got that one too. Then, there's the times when a comic book is the best way. The focus and direction of the HI Report Software Industrial Complex, and the desire of almost all HI's,....... is all about which mobile device the system works on best and developing twirling pretty add-ons. I can hardly wait to see the HI videos that one of the vendors is now touting......HI's.....in poor production value videos.....unscripted.....explaining things they're incapable of describing in a few words...... woof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 You state mold, the question is , did you test for it ? I did not believe that assumptions can go in a report The question is....are you serious? No, I did not test for it. The place reeks of mold. There's mold. Tense. You "do" not believe that assumption can go in a report. If you "did" not believe, I've convinced you of something you didn't believe previously. I put lots of stuff in my reports that HI schools and the collective brain void think shouldn't go in a report. Business has only gotten better since I started doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 Last thought... Don't over focus on my actual wording; I wasn't in the building where the pictures were taken. I used them and projected quickly on a Saturday morning because Chad wanted to see how they would look in my actual report. Focus on form. Simple, direct, active, numbered/delineated, pictures with arrows. White space. Yes, it's the opposite of what almost everyone does. What I might actually write or say on a particular item can only be determined if I see it first hand. Quite importantly..... I've developed an interface for putting these things together that allows me to crank out a report quickly. There are economic necessities in this gig, one of them being optimized production time. Inspecting is easy; writing reports is hard. My interface makes the report part a lot easier. And don't obsess on color, layout, or any of the actual page layout stuff. It's all easily changeable and adaptable. Icons and Defect Categories are sorting mechanisms; they're not carved in stone. Icons are in a relational file; if I go to the Icon file and change an image, it radiates out through several thousand reports and changes the icon in each of those reports. Or, removes it all together. Icons and categories are sorting mechanisms. Try to hang onto that idea and not the actual icon or category part. It's all changeable with minor scripting edits. Another feature.....all the information is in relational portals. I have a couple thousand reports on file that take up all of 384 mb on my hard drive. Things are divvied up amongst several different files, all linked relationally. Makes backups and storage quick and easy. That probably doesn't mean anything to those unfamiliar with DB design and management. It blows the socks off my IT customers familiar with such things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 I'd like to see Gary's and Tom's actual remarks- and Kurt's too. Write exactly what you would put in the report. I just checked, worked for 24 attorney referred clients last year coming from 6 different attorneys for a total of 31 inspections. None of the attorneys suggested that my reporting left me susceptible to conflict. What concerns did your attorney have, Kurt? Attached are a couple of the formats I use; there are more. I use the Photolog when I'm reviewing a single system, or as a summary edition for HOA's. I've taken out all the extraneous pages, instructions and guides, inventories, and all the SOP stuff to show you what my defect lists look like. The pictures provided limit the report; I can have up to 4 pics per comment, they would be larger, and I work like a photojournalist to tell the story with pictures. These pictures don't tell the story like I would tell it. Don't obsess on my verbiage; I'm not adequately caffeinated this early on a Saturday morning. The VR commentary is boilerplate; the other's are must me clacking out quick comments. Don't focus on the words, think about format. Yes, the icons are infantile. My customers all agree they're infantile and they all really like them. I know this because I ask them. The generalized response when asked is "yeah, they're kinda funny, but I like them because they help me focus on what the comment means". (There are icons for Major Defects, Minor Defects, Needs Additional Analysis, and FYI. The icons are a sorting mechanism more than anything else; I could use the designations to sort the comments and not have the icons print.) My client base is young, urban, unfamiliar with the concept of a screwdriver let alone what it does or which end to hold, and entirely incapable of deciphering technical descriptions. That's why the pictures and arrows and minimal verbiage. Just because an attorney doesn't indicate anything in particular about your report, that does not mean anything. Most of them are as clueless as my regular customers. I had the fortunate benefit of working with a really good advocate attorney years ago on a pro bono case. It's a Christian law firm and they specialize in representing those less fortunate. Really good folks. FTR, I am a deist, not a Christian. I cracked up the entire law firm when I told them "I'm not a Christian, I'm a carpenter". These folks turned my head around about how to write. Short, simple, to the point, no editorializing. State facts, support them. Put them in a list form. Number them so all parties reviewing the report know they're talking about the same comment. Let the facts dictate the Summary. Saying things like "mess" in a summary is OK; it's not OK when you are listing facts. Do not say "mess" when you are on the stand testifying. Keep it to the list. It's really quite simple. Home inspection software and antiquated ideas about communication are what makes it hard. Like it or despise it, the world doesn't read like we were taught. It's a 140 character world out there that really likes picture books. White space is good. Conventional ideas about composition, form, margins, and all that stuff one gets in the software package should be avoided; old folks don't like that idea. Too bad. Forget it anyway. People don't read that way anymore, especially young people, and since I am now an old people working primarily for young people, I don't torture them with outdated ideas. FTR, I read voluminously on a wide range of topics...no Kanye here. But, I don't take my literary ideals and impose them on HI reports. Big mistake. Also FTR....central to my system is the interface. It's quick and easy. Film strip on the right side, comments on the left, write comment or choose from library, drag pic to comment. repeat until done. I developed mine years before HomeGauge came out; it's a very common DB format applicable to wide range of projects. I've got a few tricks in my interface lacking in HomeGauge. HomeGauge is OK, but it's just another package trying to come up with stuff to fascinate HI's. Mine's got everything you need and nothing you don't. It can also be formatted easily to reflect any professional society or State licensing requirements. The defect list is separate and apart from the inventories and SOP crap, making it very adaptable. Download Attachment: Blow.report_2.28.2015.pdf 253.24?KB Download Attachment: blow.photolog_2.18.15.pdf 67.99?KB You state mold, the question is , did you test for it ? I did not believe that assumptions can go in a report On a different thread, I might take up this 'assumption', 'did you test for it' stance, but here it's not relevant to the OP. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 Looks pretty much the same as mine, Kurt. An arrow, a circle, and sometimes I'll drop text into the picture itself for clarification. People like pictures. Pictures are easy. I think they quickly lose interest when reading long drawn out descriptions of things they might or might not understand, anyway. Pictures are also hard to argue with. There it is. See? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 Looks pretty much the same as mine, Kurt. An arrow, a circle, and sometimes I'll drop text into the picture itself for clarification. People like pictures. Pictures are easy. I think they quickly lose interest when reading long drawn out descriptions of things they might or might not understand, anyway. Pictures are also hard to argue with. There it is. See? I agree completely. Lost interest, limited attention span, non-understanding so they skim, etc., etc. How many times have you heard someone say "they didn't even read the report"...? There's a reason for that. They're mostly unreadable. Even if they're well composed, people don't read that way anymore. They don't want to read that way anymore. Old people maybe......but probably not. I can't stand reading HI reports. If I can't stand it, what about the civilians? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmettoinspect Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 Thanks for the examples Kurt! I try to limit the fluff on mine and also give specific pictures in the body of the report under the comment. My clients also love the red arrows. Your comment " call me at my office to discuss" is a great one that I think I'll start using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 Your comment " call me at my office to discuss" is a great one that I think I'll start using. Attorneys like it. A lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 Kurt, I gather you wrote those examples for this discussion. Your mold comments are repetitious and you used the word 'mess' after telling us not to. [] You have favorite bits of text that you can copy and paste, right? That is my method, even while using various software packages. I have my docs that have standard comments separated by space so they're easy to copy. I try to use one short sentence to describe the issue, then another short sentence to recommend an action. If it is some obscure item. I might include the implication. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted March 1, 2015 Report Share Posted March 1, 2015 I don't remember what I wrote. Honest. I'd go look but I've stopped caring. I'd write it differently next time. Fabry wanted to see what my comments would look like in my report; I can't do that without punching them through my system. I have a comment library, but most times it's easier to just clack out a comment. The pictures tell the story more than me. There's some stuff I go to the library for, but most stuff gets a sentence or two. I agree on the two sentence thing. Quite. Less is the new more. I thought I said it's OK to use the term "mess" in a summary section, but not in the list...(?)...and never when testifying. I'm sure I said that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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