resqman

Leatherwork is really just a passing hobby. Had a handfull of tools leftover from when my Dad was Asst Scoutmaster decades ago. Pulled them out about 2 years ago and beat on some scrap leather for a week or so. Thought it was kinda fun so bought a few more stamps and other stuff. Read some books, surfed the web. I would say probably less than 100 hrs total time pounding on leather in the last couple years. It is not terribly difficult. Like most crafts, when you see real artists, it makes you weep. I am just a hack hoping I can improve enough to feel good about my output. Here are few pics from a real artist "BearMan" Click to Enlarge 73.76 KB Click to Enlarge 111.47 KB

You are running your business the way you think is best. The general consensus on this board and most other home inspector forums is that writing the report onsite is not the best thing for the home inspector and the client. The HI is under pressure to deliver the report so fast that the writing suffers, and simple mistakes like Brick Masonry and Brick Veneer show up in the same sentence. If does not provide time for the HI to take advantage of reference material like code books or other inspectors. If your report requires additional explanation for a client to understand, then you need to change your report writing. Different states and SOPs require usually minor changes in reporting. Change how and what you report so that anyone, really anyone, could pick up the report and immediately understand what the problem is. If you have to walk them through the house a second time to understand your report, then your report is not effective. Yes, all home inspectors forget to check or inspect an item from time to time. How often in the last year have you had to go back into the home to re-check something you missed? If the answer is more than 3 than you need to change the way you inspect. Overlooking items during the inspection is not a reporting concern, it is an inspecting concern.

Went to get my eyes examined for the first time in my life this week. My arms are not long enough for me to be able to read. They said a pair of 1.25 readers should work. When I look at those tiny little screens, it seems like a lot of work just to answer the phone. Still use a paper daytimer. During some free time I though it might be nice to make myself a new cover for my daytimer so I pulled out some of my old toys and tooled some leather for a new cover. Still needs some dye and finish. My tooling skills still need lots of improvement Click to Enlarge 56.15 KB Click to Enlarge 46.99 KB Click to Enlarge 42.35 KB

All forums have their regulars, groupies and "me to" wanna be. They set the tone and culture for that forum. They usually post so often, one wonders when they have time to do anything else in their life. Newcomers are tolerated if they don't rock the boat TOO much. A little diversity and different point of view is tolerated but completely opposite view points are usually drown out. Telling the regulars they are unknowledgeable or overbearing is never tolerated. If you only read one newspaper, then you tend to start adopting their point of view. If you get your news from several sources, then you can compare and contrast and begin to see the truth of the matter. Or at the very least you are forced to examine your own point of view and become better prepared to defend it. Most of the regulars have lots of time in the field. They have become very entrenched in their positions. Many of the positions are developed by years of seeing and doing the job. Some of there positions are just because they are grumpy old men who feel they have earned the right to dismiss anyone who does not agree with them. Even the grumpy old men who scream the loudest have something useful to say once in a while. Overall, they tend to be on target more often than not. Get your news from multiple sources. Mull over the different points of view and take the best and incorporate it into your business and life. The new kid in the sandbox has to learn the rules of the local playground or he will get lots of sand kicked in his face.

Is rust going to cure itself if left alone and checked 3,6 or 12 months later? How much water went behind the cover vs in the area you can see? Call the HVAC guy.

You need the kind that makes paying customers call 3 times a day to book an inspection. [] The problem with the touch pad phones is I have to put on my glasses to see where I am supposed to push, drag, drop, etc. Then I have to read all those silly text msgs and answer them using a touch pad. Give me a phone with great voice service and unlimited battery life that can be dropped in a mud puddle in a crawl space, or off the roof of a house, and still work. A telephone is for talking (tele) not for texting, surfing, game playing, or watching movies. Pocket computers are toys. Signed, Luddite

Vapor barriers SHOULD have moisture underneath them. They are stopping the mositure at the barrier. If you are planning a sealed and conditioned crawl space system, one of the major components is a totally sealed vapor barrier on the floor extending up the sides of the walls, piers and columns about a foot. The joints would be taped.

Of course there are at least 4 other double taps on the left side, white wires being used as hot wires to breakers, and other issues. Get sparky in there to fix all issues.

I think you may be missing the point. Most are saying "Record the numbers with a photo". Keep the photo in your records. Don't waste time including the information in your report. Don't waste time including links to all the recalls and user manuals.

Too bad, had you replaced both before the first of the year, Obama would have paid you $1500.

Last I checked about 30 states require licensing for home inspectors. So presumably 30-40,000 of the 60,000 vets would have to be licensed in the state where they are operating. The SOPs for all the national assoications and the states with licensing are fairly similar. If they were to create a standard checklist that incorporated all the required fields from all the SOPs and States, they could create a national standard. That would give them a reason to reject any inspection by someone who does not follow their SOP. Of course, meeting the minimun standards to become a home inspector in each of the 30 licensed states would have to be met by these vets who want to do these inspections. Who is going to pay for the couple of weeks of classroom and who is going to provide the ride alongs for all these new inspectors? Sounds like a great time to start a home inspection school and develop a Pay to Ride Along program. ESP can develop their own HI classroom, charge the vets to complete their training, with the provision if the canidate actually completes the course and gets licensed, then they will get reimbursed 50% over the next year. ESP makes money training people which they use to pay back their loans while they start up the company that never does any actual inspections. Eventually the money runs out. I am not worried about this pie in the sky scheme. If it actually starts hiring, I am betting they will start hiring existing HIs as sub-contractors to meet their immediate needs while searching for the 60,000 vets.

I prefer it to the horrible yellow green background we had prior to this. It is a bit "industrial". Why do we need a background at all? Can't we just have the "piece of paper taped to the wall" fill the entire window?

I am not an electrical guru by any stretch. I have read around the web that each AFCI breaker manufacturer uses a different wave pattern or other magic electrical term to check for arc faults. Therefore no single AFCI tester will work with all AFCI breakers. Can't find any specific reference at this time but I will rummage around for one. Conversely all GFCI trip when detecting a leak of 4-6 milliamp. Since there is a standard, GFCI testers can be universal.

If in were a "regular" bath tub, you would not miss the step. If there is a step, they usually do meet the code requirements for steps/stairs. The treads are too narrow and the riser heights are uneven and exceed 7 3/4 inches. Usually the tread is tile so when stepping out of a wet tub onto a slick tile, it only increases the likelyhood the user will fall. No, steps not required.

I recommend you contact the PVC pipe manufacturer and get their offical statement regarding the connection. Most of PVC in my area is made by Charlotte Pipe. Stamped all over the pipe. My guess is they would not approve of the connection. Only way to know for sure is ask the pipe manuf.

My state licensing requires that we state items were inspected. Here is the boilerplate I use: Wall cladding, flashings and trim were inspected. Eaves, soffits and fascias were inspected. The exterior was inspected for abnormal or harmful water penetration into the building and signs of abnormal or harmful condensation on building components. Exterior wood components were probed where deterioration was suspected. The entryway doors and a representative number of windows were operated and inspected. When present, garage door openers were inspected and operated. Decks, balconies, stoops, steps, areaways, porches, and applicable railings were inspected. Driveways, patios, walkways, and retaining walls were inspected. Vegetation, grading and drainage with respect to their effect on the condition of the building were inspected. This is from a fellow home inspector I did a ridealong with last week: We conduct a thorough visual examination of the readily accessible exterior components. We gently probe surfaces where visual inspection suggests damage. Vegetation, including trees, is examined only to the extent that it is effecting the structure. Inspection Items 4.0 CLADDING, FLASHING, AND TRIM Comments: Inspected 4.1 DOORS (Exterior) Comments: Inspected 4.2 WINDOWS Comments: Inspected 4.3 GARAGE DOOR(S) Comments: Inspected 4.4 GARAGE DOOR OPERATORS Comments: Inspected 4.5 WOOD DECKS, BALCONIES, STOOPS, STEPS, AREAWAYS, PORCHES, PATIO/ COVER AND APPLICABLE RAILINGS Comments: Inspected 4.6 CONCRETE/ASPHALT DRIVES, WALKS, PATIO(S), AND STEPS Comments: Inspected Typical cracks were observed in the driveway. 4.7 VEGETATION Comments: Inspected 4.8 EXTERIOR GRADING AND RETAINING WALLS Comments: Inspected

From the general statues: .1101 DEFINITIONS “Describeâ€

While the report "decribed' many items, the descriptions would not meet NC state standards. Ceilings are joists adquate. That is not a description. Ceiling joists are standard diminsional lumber. Ceiling joists are the bottom chord of the roof truss system. Those are descriptions. I switched from a a full narrative to a partial narrative about a year ago. Required descriptions like ceiling joist become bullet items at the beginning of each section similar to Jim K report. Shortened the report and report writing time. Clients can quickly scan the bullet items it they care about those things. The narrative is saved for the defects. I also include a photo for almost every defect with circles or arrows on EVERY picture. Even if there is only one object in the photo, it gets a circle. That way there can be no confusion about what the photo is about. NC does not accept photos as a description. Photos are welcome but do not count. Have to actually write a description.

In the Heating section you list the Age: 2005. This implies that the heating system was made 5 BC. You may either want to change the title to Manufacture Date or the number to reflect the actual age (5 years old) Similar issue with regards to the water heater and roof

I have a similar panel from last year. Disconnect for exterior AC unit. Home built in 1983. Click to Enlarge 51.64 KB Click to Enlarge 39.53 KB Click to Enlarge 33.57 KB

American Wood Associations publication of the Prescriptive Wood Deck Construction Guide is also very useful. Dont forget Appendix M of the IRC http://www.awc.org/Publications/DCA/DCA6/DCA6-09.pdf

"Now, I'm curious to know, what else you guys/gals NOT report? For example, do you report missing window/door bug screens, a gas clothes dryer, domestic water temperature?" Clothes Dryer - no Door stops - no, If I did it would be in Interiors TP dispenser - no Shower rod - no Towel bars - no Window screens - present, not present HW temp - only if more than 120

"Failed under testing" Technically the window failed while under normal operation. In theory you should not have to pay to fix it. If it is only a few panes of glass, maybe $20 in parts? On the other side of things, if the sellers pitch a fit, then I might help out to promote good business relations. My inital response would probably be, "I am sorry the window broke but the tension springs are not funtioning as intended. You failed to warn me that the window was not functioning so I did not take additional precautions." Then I would see where it goes from there.

Nah, your thinking like a mason. The wal settled, a chunk stayed intack but a variety of bricks did not not. They tossed the chunk of bricks back into the hole and filled in the gaps with extra large mortar joints. Notice the chunk is running diagionally. Busted and "repaired"

There is licensing in my state. There is a state wide assoication for HI's and roughy 1/3 of inspectors belong. There are no local chapters for NAHI. InterNachi formed a startup chapter in the last year. ASHI has a single chapter in the state of approximatley 50 members out of 1300 inspectors state wide. A couple months ago, the local presidents of the variouis HI associations in the state agreed to meet to develop a common agenda. Yesterday, the presidents informal meeting submitted a request to the licensing board to update and strengthen the state SOPs. Licensing is the determining factor here. Only been asked once in 5 years if I belonged to any specific association. Several clients have mentioned they liked that I was an officer in a home inspector association. They believed it showed a higher level of commitment on my part to stay informed. Join the association with the best local meetings and offers the most continuing education.