Paul N Frey

I agree with Marc. Residential stucco sucks - why not since most of the installers can't read english and the super is nowhere to be seen. I have seen contractors that ran out of poly and went to the hardware store and purchaded a few coolers to fill in with!!

We just had an inspector lower his rates to 249.00!! He felt he needed to do it to stay in business ("a financial decision" as he called it)! Just 2 days before he did this he was bending my ear about other "Inspectors" that were low balling and how he hoped they went out of business soon since they were stealing business from good inspectors. Well, now I hope the same for him!! How many referrals do you think he will be getting now?

The clip was hilarious! As said before, Holems usually finds something "major" after they tear the hell out of the interior. What would you bet that if you bored a hole in his new front porch in about 1-2 years you woulf find the same air space. Showmanship - 95%, Reality - 10%!

As ScottPat said - they used everything ever made - too bad they just f----d it up so badly you have to laugh!! Even an idiot inspector would think something was wrong.

I see Pushmatic panels occasionally (along with Jim K) and the only thing I have noticed is that if you trip a circuit sometimes they will not reset for a few minutes. I just walk away and reset it later and have never had a problem other than there are not many connections since the breakers are so large.

My father was a Doc in the California foothills around Nevada City and up to Downeyville (sp). Some of his "funniest" stories were of patients that were hit by black widows while sitting on either the toilet or more commonly the outhoust pot. He said that these guys would literally beg him to "put them out of their misery" while laying in the hospital. Just picture a scrotum the size of a softball and you will get the idea!!

Here is a little different spin. While you must be licensed and take an "Exam" to do inspections in Oregon, we are woefully back country when it comes to WDO inspections. Literally anyone can do the "WDO Inspection" part but must be licensed to do the application. This leads most Structural Inspectors to throw in a WDO - many times with disasterous results. I followed one "Inspector" that identified subs incorrectly (it was old WBB damage and quite inactive) and to this day refuses to admit he made a mistake. I asked him just how much money he had required sellers to pay out for uncalled for termite treatments as a prequisite for selling the home and he just stared at me and said "not my problem"! So, Dan S in Wa is tough and lots of people don't like him (he is a little / lot dictatorial) but he has really straightened out the industry there. Here in Oregon we have a bunch of political pussies that are afraid to rock the boat and mandate licensing for a WDO inspection.

Try this one on for size: while ASHI, NAHI et all will accept any and all of CertainTeed and many other on line credits for CEU's, Oregon will not!! It seems that the Company "offering" the credits must submit a lengthy form with a full outline to the State for a full review before credits are allowed. If I were CertainTeed I would likewise tell the State to stuff it! I somehow have a feeling that if it does not increase the States revenue then it will not be "approved".

Just think, after you do your big stinky, the next person, and the next, and the next will be privy to your "labor of love"! How long has it been this way? New dormer?

What about a well thet supplies multiple dwellings?

Bear with me on this one: 1 year old residence with an ADA shower on the main floor. Crawl space under the residence. 1) Shower pan and walls are tile and I am assuming the floor base is mortar / tile set. 2) No threshold since it is ADA compliant. Shower enclosure is wall to wall (of the bathroom) and approximately 3 1/2' wide and the toilet "adjoins" the shower area approximately 5' off the main wall. 3) Original inspection for 1 year warranty noticed leakage in the crawl and builder applied silicone sealant to wall / pan joint and called it good. 4) At the request of the inspector I went out to check and proceeded to "flood" the pan area until slightly more than 1/4" of water was on the wall. Floor is poorly sloped so I didn't want to flood the entire bathroom. 5) Climb back into the crawl space and the floor was dripping water at literally every area where the wall and pan intersect on the 3 sides of the shower. Not a little - a lot and I only held the water for about 3 minutes. 6) My feeling is that the builder either did not install a pan liner or it was compromised during construction. I e mailed Mr Katen and he feels the same as I do in that a liner should have been installed and it should extend 3-4" up the wall. 7) Talked to a county inspector and he got quite a chuckle out of it - his response was something like "yeah, this is a real quandry in the code regs because of the ADA and ""exceptions"" therein". He really couldn't offer much in the way of help other than point me to the code references (which Jim had already given me). Oregon Specialty code 411.7 and beyond. Any feelings on pan liner requirements for ADA showers with no thresholds (pretty hard to get a chair over a threshold)?? This floor will rot out in a matter of years as installed.

This may be a little late but I just had to send a comment. Another inspector that I have mentored over the years - female and widely regarded by most contractors and some other "inspectors" as a "dumb woman" butting in on their territory - recently got involved in a pissing match with the listing agent over calling high moisture readings in a wall below a leaking roof / rotted sill plates. This "agent" managed to get her "regular inspector" to give a judgement call over the phone and he said that his company employees have been instructed for 20 years to "refuse to use moisture meters because they are not reliable"! One main problem with this scene is that he has only been licensed since 2000 as an inspector in Oregon. I just love the inspectors that can be duped into doing second guess "phone inspections" to keep their agents happy. FYI - he had inspected the same home last year and found rotted sill at the crawl entrance but failed to notice pretty obvious rot in 2 other areas at these other sill areas. Go figure! Any Portland, Or inspectors want to know who the "phone inspector" is just e-mail me and I will send info!

Brandon, I have a pretty good line when someone calls (client or agent)and "wants to discuss the report on ---- home. I talk for a few minutes, get their name and pull the old report. Then I ask what relationship they have with Joe Blow (my client). Normally they say "oh, the house was a fail sale and the agent gave me the report to use". At that point I tell them that they have 10 minutes to contact the owner of the report and purchase it from them because I am calling in 15 minutes and recommend that they prosecute for theft of property. I tell them that I will do another full fee inspection but cannot discuss the inspection they have as it is not their property. I usually get about 50% of the jobs and really don't want the rest since the home was normally a true POS. Believe me, you will find more the second time around even if it is little stuff but you will definitely reword the original report.

First you need to determine the type of termite then go from there. zIf they are subs, demolish the house (sounds like it is pretty well gone anyway) and do a soil treatment - just like new construction. As for the neighbors, tell them to cross their fingers and hope they don't already have them - not your problem.

Thanks to all of your replies. As it happened we went to 13 Coins since she wanted one last burger (I should say "HAMBURGER" since it was $13.00+). She loved it except for the velveta cheese on top! Personally I was pushing for Anthony's but you know how that goes. Overall I would rate the total dinner at a 6 or 7 - other plates were OK (whoever thought we would see a 3/4" rib eye for $30.00 with no salad?) but not great. It was also during the dinner hour / Friday and packed. Service was great so would probably go back if in the area. FYI - the Ceasar salad was fantastic!! Thanks again for all your local help. Sea Tac is about 300% more efficient than PDX in terms of parking, ticketing and passenger handling!! Not that it was enjoyable but at least not totally frustrating.