ramdino

Got a call about a house that had experienced a newly installed HVAC drip pan overflow. The water damage got down into the lower level and was significant enough to damage the hardwood in one room and carpet in another. The incorrect installation of the HVAC is a given as the malfunction should not have occurred. No discussion needed there. The homeowner is now experiencing headaches and respiratory issues that she did not before and they get better when she goes away from the house. The restoration company replaced the hardwoods, they don't match. They tried to just repaint the ceiling but did remove a small section at the insistence of the owner. The owner feels they are shady. No insulation was removed. My opinion is that since it got wet inside interior partitions, that the sheetrock needs to be removed and replaced and any mold growth there should be remediated as well as remove all sheetrock ceiling that got wet. Is this too draconian? I plan on going out there and looking at the attic insulation to see if it got wet, and moving it around to see if I see stained sheetrock. Is there anyway short of removing the sheetrock walls to determine if there is mold growth in the wall. Your opinions please.

Here we have a nice patio for recreation and apparently taking naps ,long naps. Look at the outlet for the gas log fireplace. Little close for consumption don't cha think? Click to Enlarge 34.54 KB

I ran into this creative bit of exhaust plumbing. Is tis ok? I have saw no corrosion on the water connections indicating back drafting. The stack came off the unit, turned 90, then went up, turned 90 and then went into a tee it shared with a induced draft furnace. Could the inducer fan cause it to back draft? Click to Enlarge 21.56 KB Click to Enlarge 28.12 KB Click to Enlarge 22.25 KB

What the heck is this. I think I know. It is attached to a group of piggy back trusses in the center. It looks like a lift bar from construction. It is in the center of the group so that makes sense. Another question is why did they switch from normal trusses to piggy back trusses. Is it because there is a 2 story vaulted celling on the other side of the ridge. I think I answered my own question. Click to Enlarge 39.42 KB Click to Enlarge 31.62 KB

I met my clients at the house. They were from Miami and had driven 20 hrs to see a house they had made an offer on over the Internet. So before I can open the door for them I start seeing things that even this guy knows looks sketchy. We talk about a deck that had a roof put over it that was not permitted and built wrong and few other things, they go inside. A/C had been ripped out. I got out side and start my exterior. After :30 minutes and 47 pics later they come out side and say forget it who do I make the check out to? They are done. Except for 5 minutes before they went inside I never even got to talk to them about my findings before they make up their mind. I walked them around showed them the stuff on the outside and gave them a discount since I never got dirty or even got my ladder off the truck. That was a first for me. Hated it for them but put them in touch with a better realtor for one thing.

The house was 10 yrs old but the unit looked newer. It was a digtial type. First time for everthing I reckon.

I came across a GE Range today that did not have a bottom element, yet when I turned it on it got hot, I think from the broil element. Anyone ever heard of one of these before? It was an all electric unit.

I am looking for new reporting software. Presently I use report host online. what I need is software that I can create boilerplate. It would be nice if it came with boilerplate I could change to suit me. What I really need is software that will cut down on the length of the stuff in the summary. Reporthost creates a summary that is verbatim what I have put in the report without the pics. The bad part is that buyers look at the summary first and see all the words and length and panic. Then they can't seem to get out of the panic mode. I want them to know everything I know but not panic and walk away from a house that would have been a good house for them. Suggestions?

Thanks for the reply. The purple us actually a primer that is required to be slopped on prior to gluing. It is colored so the inspector knows it was performed. Marc is correct, there are black pvc fittings although I have never seen one. Looking at a closeup of the thickness of the pipe on the edge i feel that it might have been pvc, abs is generally thinner material. The joint was tight and no drip marks were on it where it might have been leaking so I think it is ok.

Anyone know how to retrieve a password from the forum at inspection news.net It changed from .com to .net and I cant get in. I have tried all my user names and password combo's but I can even get to the site to request a new password or re register. Anyone having this prob.?

Can these two types of plastic be used together.? They sure were stuck well. Click to Enlarge 31.77?KB

Mike the HI board has taken some steps in that direction through CE. They have an acronym DIDD that they want followed for items that are required to be inspected by their SOP. Not all items are required like plumbing roof boots since they don';t require traversing the roof. DDID stands for: Determine the problem Identify the problem Document the problem and it's ramifications Direct the client In most cases the direction they teach in the CE classes as mandated by the state are " Have evaluated by a structural engineer " Or have evaluated by a licensed electrician" etc ad nausem The biggest issue I have is that the state needs to remove the Realtors from the equation completely like they have the mortgage brokers. As long as inspectors get their major referrals from Realtors they will continue to be a problem. I got inspectors in my area doing verbal reports for a cheaper rate, clear violation of the law but Realtors keep referring em' and inspectors not informing clients of the severity of something so they don't get on the Realtors bad side.

The reasons NC came up with that law is because the phrase" does not meet code" was being used by inspectors with no other explanation leaving the clients with a big question mark. It was also being used in situations where it may not meet code now but it may have met code when the house was built. The state does not prevent you from citing code, but it does require you to do it based upon when the home was built or item installed, like a deck built after the house was built. You have to go back, find the original code citation for when the house ot deck was built and cite it verbatim. I'm not going to take the time to do that research. I still can cite items like that but from a saftey or manufacturers recommendation standpoint.

I have started seeing more of this lately, Vinyl siding installed without a barrier behind it. It's just installed right on the osb sheeting. NC codes don't' allow it and require a barrier acccodiinf to the State code offical, but our NC Home Inspection Board dos not allow us to cite code. Called Cerainteed and they say it is recommended but not required as far as they are concerned. Local code guy says it's ok on just the OSB. Obviously I got to inform the client but with some saying yes and some saying no what's the proper wording when you got answers all over the board?

Never seen this before. It was a washer drain line. I could not smell sewer gases so I assume it was working. Cam you do this. The house was 90 yrs old. Click to Enlarge 37.66?KB

Inspected a gas oven today with a gas broiler. Most gas ovens I have seen have a electric broiler. The ignition coil glowed red during the operation. Is this normal? Click to Enlarge 26.76 KB

OK but that should be the same as the gases. The gases are not going to rasie the pipe to a higher temp than they are.

A gas pack is the type of all in one unit where the furnace and the A/C compressor and the air handler are one unit and typically sit on the outside of the house on the ground. I checked the discharge temp directly at the point of discharge where the exhaust was coming out. Like within 4 " of it.

raytek minitemp,poinmted at the exhaust duct coming out of unit right where it exits the unit.

Looked at a new gas pack today. I typically don't check the exhaust temperature because usually the plate is so faded it can't be read but this was a new pack so just for grins I checked it. The plate said max output was like 186 for the exhaust, but my ir said I was getting 264. Thoughts? Does 186 seem low or 264 seem high?

Tom, thanks for your input to my poll. A couple of thoughts. You are correct about being long winded. I too struggle with that. NC SOP training says we are to be terse and succinct. They want us to be a brief as possible. Problem is that goes against both sides of the transaction typically. Some buyers, most of mine what as much info as they can get. To there credit so do some Realtors. Some, most, want as little as possible, not necessarily because they want us to lie but because either they don't understand all the info, don't care' or are in too big a hurry' or are worried about confusing the buyer. I would rather err on the side of too much info. I also like you idea of linking to the site, but I like Matt's idea of giving an old citation. Reason being 'if it was done that way in 2007, I can justify applying it to a 2010 house where as if I cite a 2011 document' the realtor or whomever can shoot it down as being applicable to a 2012 house.

That's great John. Thanks

Anyone got a boiler plate for the requirements of building paper behind vinyl siding?

When I say 8 hours, I mean 8 hours including 3-4 for the POS house and 4 for the report. I guess I could start using the shortcut blanket statements that a few of you have suggested, I just am wary of not reporting something and then 3,6,12 months later getting a call from someone who said " you did not tell me X" I have been looking at it from the standpoint of, I typically only do one a day, but if I made that much everyday and had an inspection everyday, I would be doing good, but right now I can't expect an inspection everyday, don't know when I can, and if I ever will given the present state of affairs.

Got an inspection today on a 97 yr old house. 2nd Inspection for this couple. She wants a fixer upper. Last inspection was a 70 yr old with holes in roof, shingles and gutters falling off etc etc. One that needed torn down. So the one today, her new realtor calls me and says that this house is rough, torn out wring, torn out plumbing, but the BONES are good. Then client sends me the disclosure that includes a 7 page structural report from 2 years ago detailing repairs to the BONES. JEEZZ, Bones are good, looks like another one that will be an 8 hour affair. Oh well, at least I got some inspections. !'ll let cha know how it goes. How many of ya'll are doing a ton of foreclousre properties that take forever to inspect and write the report?