Rob Amaral

I did a restaurant a few years back.. (Mcd "Type" of structure, trusses, mansard roof,etc). The baking-oven (for bagels) was disconnected in the attic.. Massive char going on all over the place....a 'Study in Pyrolysis" .... It's the only inspection where I told the occupant that I was sorry... but next stop (for me) was the FD... they (FD and occupant) thanked me.. ...

I've seen some interesting membrane-roof 'lift-damage' on buildings on the Boston waterfront..

I hit two (2) 30-A 120v Services in the 21 years of inspection.... one was spitting distance from Boston College.... Amazing... Both were 'Twilight Zone' houses with Twilight Zone owners..

the first mobile phones I used were hard-wired Audiovox Nynex types that were part of the limos I drove... (Commonwealth Limousine/Boston and a stint as 'house driver' for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel/Boston). Stretch Lincolns and some Lincoln Town Cars (they were like Lear Jets!) (Longest-fare was BOS-NYC... starting at 430PM.. UGH). Longest 'fare by time' was over 1 week.. (US Open---Brookline, MA "The Country Club".. the fare was a golf-writer and all around excellent guy---Dan Jenkins...of Golf Digest . All I did all week was watch the US Open in person...) I then got one in 1988 for my car ... very similar... between the mobile phone, land-line Code-A-Phone answering machines and pager, we had a 'system' to signal each other in the field and such... and of course.. 'pay phones' where necessary... GPS was 'via mapbook 100%" of course and dead-reckoning...

'totally re-do 100%" Sorry to see this happened to you... I hate finding this on brand new mega-homes in the area.... And its usually that "Jacobean stain" that drives the bus...

I give the guy credit for at least ASKING...

The idiocy is never-ending... and it's getting worse...

Just had a great experience at BH and have also had great experiences in the past.. a well-designed website..

Hi folks.. I've been using a system of sacks from "Eagle Creek" (a la 1990's) that looped over my work-belt... It's worked great.. The sacks are worn-out as hell.. and I need to upgrade.. I liked the sacks because they are relatively deep, not open 'cups' and with all the crawls, attics and bending over we do, I've rarely lost a tool 'out of the sack' (forgot-behind?? Yes!!) Eagle creek does not make these anymore... I keep seeing 'open-cup' type systems..not sacks ... Any thoughts??

I'm with BK.. looks like a rubber cap for a threaded antenna connection (CB, ham, maybe one of those cell-booster things..???)

this near the end of day after inspecting two houses.. one from 1840 with similar malarkey.. both with every 'wrong' in the book.. siding installed wrong, tar at flashings, weird plumbing set-ups, wiring foul-ups, etc... Download Attachment: IMG_2970.JPG 64.6 KB

FASTstone here... works great..

Sound made: "frrzzzzintISHLAPP" (Courtesy Don Martin Mad Magazine/1960's)

Possible-asbestos-containing tiles did indeed come in 12x12 size...

My father in law's brand-new condo townhouse had a blocked line.. from a frickin' piece of a 2x4.... brand new..

..almost look like there are some crack-monitors on this wall... a walls 'go/no go' is the purview of a professional engineer... that middle-third center of gravity protocol should be the final arbiter.. no??

Center-rear.. 'closest to the exit' and men's room.. It was freezing in there..

Bill.. Nice job the other day as usual and what we'd expect from one of the best inspectors in history! Sorry I did not get a chance to meet you.. Thanks again for all you do for the inspection community! Rob Amaral MA HI Lic #261 Walpole, MA USA

Excellent response as usual Bill Kibbel and Jim Katen.. But you forget pg. 375: "Use common sense when using this stuff.. "

Will be there

In a Chocolate Factory... bona fide A#1 Download Attachment: IMG_2011.JPG 71.25 KB

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..

I am here living in my hometown these many years.. settled in the 1600's, incorporated in 1724... local book shows verbatim the guys being assigned various trees, rocks, stands of trees, brooks, paths, etc.. In old town records, they spell cedar "Seder" and "... to make clabbords'.. This is from the hand-written text of these first-generation Englishmen.. Interesting tidbits about cutting 'masts' for the King, raising the first meeting house "... _______ assigned to locate a 'gin' to raise the meeting house.. ", dimensions of the powder house prior to the 'day of the alarm' (6'x6'x6')..

Anybody out there use the pronunciation 'clabbids' for beveled wood siding in the US? Not you New England transplants.. I mean you other folk...

Exactly.. 'do it over'... rip off the veener..