Nolan Kienitz

One too many beers ... []

Image of a historical timeline of pipe-fittings

Nice image.

Who is holding the phone at the right of the dishwasher?

Is he trying to take and "under-skirt" image of the microwave?

Great B&W images. I was with The Associated Press for 20 years and learned the B&W images have more "color" than one can imagine.

My favorite for images.

Gasoline and diesel fuel ...

Do a search here at TIJ and you will find all sorts of data that may (or may not) help you out. The program or application is not of concern. It is about your ability to inspect and properly provide that data to your client.

A Big Chief Tablet and Crayolas may work very well in many cases.

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But we got to learn "couillion". It's not all bad.

I had to look it up.

http://dictionary.reverso.net/french-english/couillon

What are my odds of being "found out" if I use Marc's "couillion" in an inspection report? Keep in mind that TX is adjacent to LA and I'm sure there are a bunch of Cajun's in Texas, but most of my clients are certainly not Cajun or from LA.

Humm ... gives me food for thought for sure. [?]

Could be but I doubt it. I'm not aware of any boat rib design that was triangular in section. The scantlings on most wood boats were heavy; they weren't trying to save weight by shaving ribs.

I've seen triangular steeple "rafters" though. There's some on a church here in Evanston.

I found it. It was a Paul Harvey's ... The Rest of the Story segment from years ago.

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Hey Guys,

Do Flyers and Leaflets work?

Currently I am doing only SEO for my website and nothing else but someone told me about the leaflets. I am not sure whether it will work or not.

What do you think?

I guess it depends on what you are using them for.. They work great for starting a fire! []

And the involved 3rd party companies (the flyer printing and such) does wonders for their bottom line ... or if you are doing at home ... the laser or ink jet ink consumed and paper and on and on) ...

I'm a very small player in the HI biz. Been at it now for 16 years and will very likely end my run next year or the following year.

Anyway ... I've always required "personal check" or "cash" at the time of the inspection. As noted above ... "no pay" ... "no report". Never did or would accept payment at closing. Been asked several times, but would not go there. A number of clients would have preferred to use a credit card, but I think I've lost only 3-4 jobs because of required check/cash.

I've taken a few fee payments via PayPal with clients overseas or out of town, but that is not the norm for me at all.

I've had to chase two checks in my 16 years and got the cash funds plus some additional dollars for my trouble to chase within two weeks for each circumstance. They were both unfortunate situations and not a purposeful 'screw the inspector' item.

All in all ... I've been very fortunate in that regard compared to many horror stories I've heard.

Thank you all for your replies.

Well, I had searched free apps but no luck. I want free app as of now coz I am developing a small App for myself but want to add as many features as I can and make it free to use in future.

Several visitors here have done the same. As far as I know, all of them eventually abandoned that endeavor in favor of a choice of marketed home inspection software.

Sometimes, after many years of experience, the marketed home inspection software gets replaced by an array for general purpose professional software that does the same thing better. In my case, I abandoned 3d several years ago in favor of Word, Photobulk, Photoscape X, Adobe Acrobat and a handful of settings and keyboard tricks on a MacBook platform.

I've other apps in consideration and every once in awhile I learn a new time-saving trick on my Mac. I've two external monitors and thinking of expanding on that. When I get the dough, I may buy into a column-mounted counterbalanced desktop that lets me switch from standing or sitting work positions in just a few seconds.

I use my setup for much more than just writing HI reports.

Marc

Just had my quarterly visit with my endocrinologist for my ongoing T1D maintenance. Their offices have (and still are) going through construction as the "corporation" keeps spending $$. He is in a medical office tower with Baylor Scott-White.

Anyway ... he used to always be carrying his laptop for our visits and today they have an articulating arm attached to the wall holding the keyboard, monitor and small 'desktop' connected to the LAN. His nurse stood up and did her keyboard entries with my vitals and when he came in he pulled it over and sat down and did his file updates.

NO ... I didn't get a name for the product, but it fit with your comment above.

I did a parsonage here in town for the local 'ancient' Protestant church.. in the attic of this early 1800's house were rafters that were basically v-shaped in section.. Flat-side to the sheathing, peak of the triangle facing down.. I'm looking at them puzzled ..

Then it hit me..

They were probably part of a former steeple here in town..... all this structural lumber around here was recycled many times between the 1600's and even up to the 1950's..

What about the hull of an old wooden boat being used for property construction? I saw a clip of just that on a structure built in the UK from the hull of a ship similar to the Mayflower.

All that stuff....flyers, mugs, leaflets, pens, whatever....are notes in a bottle on a very big ocean with very few places for those notes to wash up and even fewer that will take the time to open the bottle and read it. I've heard a few stories of it working. Never worked for me.

We don't rely on repeat business to stay alive; it's all new customers all time. I get "repeat business", sort of. I had one the other day that is 28 years after the first inspection, and I get people coming back after 4-6 years quite a bit...but it's not really repeat business as most businesses think of repeat business.

Marketing in a business that doesn't rely on repeat business is tricky. With a customer base, one can drive right at them and come up with ways to keep them coming back. In our gig, we don't have a customer base, per se, other than keeping those we work for extremely happy so they'll tell their friends.

I've never heard anything different from anyone that's survived in this gig. It's about one job at a time and building a reputation. After a while of surviving, it's surprisingly easy. The phone just keeps ringing.

Spot on comments, Kurt.

Get a few coffee mugs with your company name/phone number printed on them. Get a few hundred pens printed up with your company name, phone number, and e-mail address on them. Walk into all your local realtor offices and place a coffee mug filled with pens on their front desk, smile, and walk away. Donuts on the side are optional.

Did both of those routines well over twelve + years ago. I actually tracked the calls back then ... didn't result in even one inspection.

For me anyway ... an amazing waste of $$ . []

Having been to a few training classes at Simpson Strong-Tie in McKinney, TX I seem to recall some tests they showed the crew of inspectors.

I did not take pictures and I can't precisely recall, but I saw lots of timbers and many with glue used in their testing of fasteners and brackets, etc..

I'm sure they have tested many combinations of framing for their products.

Far too many setups for me here so ... without comment I'll just add the JPGs below ... [^]

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Just to satisfy your curiosity have you pulled the dryer out and have a close, unobstructed view behind and under same?

NOt sure what you might see, but there may be clues.

Sunset images can be extremely great and all depend upon atmospheric conditions and one being at the the "right place for the right time" as the "time" does not last long at all.

This not good ....

Home Inspector Killed in House Explosion

So sad ... video/audio clip notes she was an inspector working for a real estate company ... Not sure if a drill down will show a 'basic home inspector' link.

Still, sad that any such incident will result in loss of life for anyone even close to our profession.

I'd shoot my way in, set up a defensive perimeter, blow the panel cover with C-4, check for double taps, then disappear into the jungle covering my tracks with booby traps.

Kurt,

You set me up and I could not resist!!! []

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Good comment Marc.

Now ... would I re-locate the firepower to open the panels for viewing?

Nope! No pun intended, but I'm getting more and more 'gun-shy' in today's sue-happy society.

I would take an image, put in the report and advise that 'safe access' to be able to remove the panel covers for observation was not possible at the time of my inspection.

This might be the URL for the new Nest product

Nest Alarm

Define "small appliance circuits" ??

Are you referring to the typically-required two circuits for the plugs at the kitchen counter-top level? They are supposed to be GFCI protected, but not required to be AFCI protected as best I understand.

Look in the basement in the area around the stair structure. Typical 1988 construction in my area puts the GFCI receptacles that controls bathrooms and exterior on the wall studs under the basement stairway.

Typically no basements in Texas.