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RickSab

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Everything posted by RickSab

  1. I don't get a lot of wood siding like this in my area so I need the collective brain trusts help. This house was remodeled probably pre 1990. Many of the siding panels have a series of holes that are repeated at consistent spacing. It looks like the feed roller punctured the panel as it ran through the production line. Is this a known problem with sheet goods siding? Any guess as to the brand? Thanks in advance. Click to Enlarge 22.16 KB
  2. I need to learn how to remove a post
  3. Home inspection or energy audit? Blower doors are not used in a home inspection.
  4. I do have a see snake mostly because I like toys. I have found it useful once or twice to get behind something or under it when my big bod doesn't fit, but I don't use it in walls unless absolutely necessary. It is beyond a visual inspection and I don't want to open that door.
  5. I haven't been able to figure out what these guys do. When people ask me, I usually direct them to the web for DIY lists of what to look for. I have a group of people I can refer people to for specifics or for a diagnostic energy audit. If I do the check list for them it is hard to put a value on that.
  6. Does anyone do energy inspections? No blower door no IR. Just a down and dirty inspection for sealing up the place. I have several requests. Does anyone have a format they would be willing to share? I've been told that in Minnesota it is a booming business and there is no credentialing required. Anyone can pass them self off as a energy inspector. Are we missing the boat? Thanks for sharing.
  7. I thought this would provide some interesting reading. Download Attachment: BOM_040110EIMA.pdf 505.85 KB
  8. I bought myself the Panasonic DMC-ZS1. It takes great close-ups and also goes from a 25mm wide angle to a 12x optical zoom. The picture attached was from about three inches. It was easier to take the picture than it was to get my face in there to read it. Download Attachment: P1010420.jpg 70.48 KB
  9. Here is something you can use. OHMS LAW. Here is the key. E = Voltage (sometimes "U" or "V" are used instead of "E", and measured in "volts") I = Current (measured in "amperes") R = Resistance (measured in "ohms") P = Power (measured in "watts") Download Attachment: ohm_wheel.jpg 89.94 KB
  10. Thats a lot of light and a lot of $$$$. I guess I am cheap. I'd like to think frugal but, even my kids say cheap. I thought the deal I got at Costco today was great. A pair of 160 lumen flashlights with a low battery indicator, two levels of brightness, and adjustable focus for $16. I can't see spending hundreds of dollars for a light. That's just me. Download Attachment: flashlight.jpg 440.54 KB
  11. Judge OKs $600M settlement by shingle maker CertainTeed A Philadelphia federal judge has granted preliminary approval of a $600 million class-action settlement to buyers of organic roofing shingles made by Pennsylvania-based CertainTeed Corp. The settlement is expected to resolve possibly tens of thousands of claims over allegedly faulty shingles sold under many brand names, including Hallmark Shangle, Independence Shangle, Horizon Shangle and Hearthstead. The Philadelphia Inquirer (12/31) To read more, click here.
  12. You guys are a wealth of knowledge. This unit is in a town home. It was built about 1950. A newer Lennox AC has been added and a Kenmore humidifier. The unit is Mod# BTS100 the serial number is 3.Except for the bottom of the cabinet there is no rust. It runs great and may for many more years to come. I could not find much on the internet so I turned to the best knowledge base I know of. All You guys. Thanks Again
  13. Todays inspection had a Johnson Furnace in it. The serial number on the unit was #3 stamped into the plate. Mad# looks like BTS100. 100,000/80,000 btu. No blower door switch. A single huge burner (like a hot water heater. The unit ran flawlessly and was very quiet. There is a strange vent configuration. I need help with two things: Age and what do you think of this flue set up? The flue runs through the return air into a box on the outside of the furnace and then up the flue to the chimney. But the box on the side has no bottom. Download Attachment: P1000256.jpg 172.48 KB Download Attachment: P1000259.jpg 172.45 KB
  14. I am for a minimum educational requirement and continuing education. Like SOP's however it is still a minimum. Licensing to assure the minimum education or experiance and requiring disclosure of any conflict of interest in the real estate transaction or in the suggested repairs is needed. But!, I do not favor the board setting a minimum liability. Liability is for the courts to asses on a case by case basis. I don't believe a great number of inspections end up in court, so why address it up front. If I give my client my best and educate them on the house I am inspecting then I have done my job.
  15. I swear I heard my house sigh when I removed the 5 (maybe 6) layers of roof on it. It was about 1.75 inches thick. I bought an old bungalow that was first titled in 1917. It has the typical 2x4 framing, even the roof. The ridge has that sag in the middle that try as I may I could not get out. The sag has been there longer than I have been alive. The stucco showed the normas stress cracks but nothing big. If I had not enlarged the dormer on it to put bedrooms upstairs I may not have even roofed it when I did.
  16. If you always deferr to a trade professional you are sending your client to someone who has a financial interest in the job. I may make recomendations and give cost estimates but I will also quantify these by saying if your going to have the work done get several estimates and check references. In this market if you say call a qualified contractor he may find more work than necessary because he is slow. Don't leave your client hanging.
  17. Thanks Mike.
  18. No it is wrong. The service wire should slope down from the weather head not up.
  19. I was at the Historic Bungalow Show in Chicago last weekend and one of the insulation venders was showing how they inject their foam insulation between the two wythes. They claim there is no problem filling the space. What do you guts think? I'd be afraid of trapping water.
  20. I do camera and recorder. I use a Sony recorder that I plug in and download the audio to my computer. The recorder can do hundreds of files. I've been told I could use Dragonspeak to type my notes but they might not make sense to anyone else. Between the audio and pics I compose the report, usually right after the inspection. I bought a laptop just in case I have time to kill between inspections and it's to far to drive back home.
  21. I do not. I don't own anything. The tools and computer are the only thing the company owns so they would get them but nothing else. I had everything put into a trust that can not be touched. Al least that is what the lawyer says, and thats my daughter so nothing will be left if she is wrong.
  22. This is no different than if the splice was done in a junction box before entering the service panel. Some will argue that splices are not allowed in a service panel. If there is room and the splice is done well I am not sure I would make a big deal out of it.
  23. As long as the wire and devices are rated 20 amp I don't see a problem.
  24. Thanks Richard, That was my guess but my chart had a different code so I thought I ask the brain trust.
  25. I had an inspection today that had an Tappan furnace with a serial # G6R9901-06056. The chart I had downloaded here shows:Tappan: Age is the last 3 characters (digits and letter) of the serial number for the year and month of manufacturer. Example: xxxxx85C = March 1985. (I not used) This serial number ends in only numbers. Does anyone have a different code for Tappan? Thanks
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