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Nolan Kienitz

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Posts posted by Nolan Kienitz

  2. Official Name for Vanity Top

    in Plumbing Forum

    Posted

    We still have similar on the c/t's in our bathrooms (1982 era home).

    I replaced tub in master bath a couple of years ago. Extremely heavy. My sledge hammer had a chore in resizing the tub to manageable pieces to take to the trash.

    Ours has a design fleck of some nature in it. Ugly.

  3. 3900 sq ft - 3 ton unit

    in HVAC Forum

    Posted

    What kind of insulation package was used in the home's construction?

    Spray foam by any chance?

    That might cause a mechanical adjustment for the A/C.

    I recently saw a new home down here that had been foamed throughout during construction with the foam at the bottom of roof decking. They had a bit smaller A/C unit in there as well.

    I'd have to dig to find the file on the site as I can't recall #'s off the top of my head.

  4. Need some four-by-twos. Local Home Builders ???

    in Open Discussion Forum (Chit-Chat)

    Posted

    Y'all may have seen this floating about. A friend of mine in Eastern Kentucky sent it to me this morning.

    Funny ...

    We need some four-by-twos.

    Some men in a pickup truck drove into a lumberyard. One of the men walked in the office and said, "We need some four-by-twos."

    The clerk asked, "You mean two-by-fours, don't you?"

    The man said, "I'll go check," and went back to the truck. He returned and said, "Yeah, I meant two-by-four."

    The clerk said, "All right. How long do you need them?" The customer paused for a minute and said, "I'd better go check."

    After a while, the customer returned to the office and said, "A long time. We're gonna build a house."

  6. Mold reporting in Louisiana

    in Home Inspection Licensing and Pending/Legislation

    Posted

    Marc,

    I would infer that according to the TX State Dept of Health that they may not be any such animal as a "mold inspector".

    Reading their first piece of information the seem to define who can do mold work and then define licensing, certification, etc..

    TREC states it pretty clearly their position for what we as inspectors must do or not do.

    Now, if someone holds himself out to be a "mold inspector" that is likely a whole different can of worms and maybe that person can write their very own SOP.

    Not for anything I'm glad I'm in TX under the TREC SOP ... at least for this item. [;)]

  7. Mold reporting in Louisiana

    in Home Inspection Licensing and Pending/Legislation

    Posted

    FWIW I've selected the relevant verbiage from the TREC SOP that addresses mold. This is from our new SOP that went into effect on 01/01/2014.

    I didn't include all the text under the (3) General Provisions section as it does not pertain to the mold conversation.

    If interested the entire SOP can be read here. TX TREC SOP

    ?535.227. Standards of Practice: General Provisions

    (3) General limitations. The inspector is not required to:

    (Text omitted for clarity)

    © determine:

    (Text omitted for clarity)

    (iii) the presence, absence, or risk of asbestos, lead-based paint, mold, mildew, corrosive or contaminated drywall "Chinese Drywall" or any other environmental hazard, environmental pathogen, carcinogen, toxin, mycotoxin, pollutant, fungal presence or activity, or poison;

    (effective 01/01/2014)

  10. inspector skill(s)

    in Professional Practices Polls

    Posted

    I's wit John and dem udders. If ya can't cumunicake, ya isn't anee good fer anyting.

    Lern sumptin from dey mastr

    Mac

    Marc,

    You have had far too much gumbo today!! [;)]

    I agree with "communications" ... it is the 'key'. I worked in the "communications department" with The Associated Press and I often commented at how bad we were with 'communicating'.

    Turns out ... not just at The AP ... everything we do relies on communications. I'm a ham radio operator and it is all about 'communications'. A lot of us hams don't communicate the 'best', but most strive to always improve.

  20. Who's the best inspector in the Houston area

    in Open Discussion Forum (Chit-Chat)

    Posted

    Other than the order and preliminary check boxes, you can add and include anything that you want in the Texas report.

    You might not like the order but it is no problem to create a good report.

    It is just grouped by system.

    Anyone not doing a good inspection and providing a good report is just not trying.

    My only gripe with the state, other than they keep changing the form is: No amount of regulation will make a drive by inspector do a good job.

    I've been doing this for almost twenty years and they just keep piling on more regulations without making any real changes to benefit consumers.

    You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him think!

    JL is also spot on. The shape, layout of a template does not make any difference. Some states have such and some don't and those that don't use virtually whatever they want to use.

    Actually, I happen to like the template in that it provides some semblance of common order. Also covers (in a broad sense) everything necessary.

    We can dig to whatever detail/level we want and put same in the report. The TREC SOP is simply a "minimum" ... now, how many HIs go beyond the minimum is always the question. Those who generate 4-6 HIs per day and/or are in and out of a 4Ks.f. home in 1-1/2 hours are certainly no doing their clients any favors. (My $0.02).

    And, we have many of such HIs roaming about, but honestly not much different than a lot of businesses where folks do what they can for the shorter path to completion. It is what it is !!

  21. Who's the best inspector in the Houston area

    in Open Discussion Forum (Chit-Chat)

    Posted

    Is it still (or, was it ever) possible to do the TREC, and attach one's own supplementary form? I seem to recall people doing the TREC report with an addendum of a real report.

    Yes, that does pass muster with TREC. There are a few HIs who operate in that manner. Will just have to see how it unfolds over time as there is a new crop of legal folks at TREC and it certainly seems there is a somewhat different view being taken when a complaint lands on their desk.

    What has been interesting over the past two months is HIs being fined or having a reprimand letter put in their file with a complaint from "sellers". Seems like there are more of those than from buyers. I certainly don't have precise statistics, but just looking at the list of disciplinary actions each month or two.

  22. Who's the best inspector in the Houston area

    in Open Discussion Forum (Chit-Chat)

    Posted

    The TREC form makes all you Texas inspectors look like stooges. It's awful.

    Can't and won't argue that any day of the week.

    As noted ... it is what happens when your license is controlled by the TREC board that is made up of Realtors and Brokers.

    My $0.02 is that we are simply targets in the RE transaction in Texas. Agents love and tend to pick "their" agents for the typical drive-by inspection. Same as what goes on everywhere, but over the past couple of years it has been multiplying in spades down here. Just sucks!!

    I'm sort of in a "winding down" mode when it comes to doing inspections. In other words, I'm very selective in which ones I agree to do. The litigious world we live in is alive and well and I'm just a tad tired of it.

    I could go on and on, but would rather sit at a table with y'all and have some Shiner Bock while going "on and on".

  24. Who's the best inspector in the Houston area

    in Open Discussion Forum (Chit-Chat)

    Posted

    Chad,

    I'd drive down, but the mileage and such would likely be more than the inspection fee!

    If they choose a P&B home I can't help out there either as I stopped doing those about 3 years ago.

    Yes, Mike H. ... I have to test those ovens for 350-degrees +/- 25. :)

    And ... the inspection form is likely going to get changed again in the next month or so as the TREC board wants some more verbiage that puts us inspectors under the microscope even more. :(

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