Bill Kibbel

"T1-11" is a plywood product.  I've heard of some manufactured from OSB, but I've never seen it.  There's a type that while the base is plywood, hardboard is laminated to the surface.  Some folks refer to hardboard as Masonite.  I don't know of any served with waffles.  A home built in 1990 in the US is not likely to have asbestos containing building materials.

8 minutes ago, hausdok said:

Umm,
Maybe you've mistaken this site for a bunch of HVAC guys? This is a home inspector's site.

Yeah, but Marc knows this stuff.

Over current or surges would be my amateur guess. Intermitten failure of the transformer?

12 hours ago, Kristie Brown said:

My client had an inspection done and the inspector noted the following in the roof section: The shingles are touching stucco siding in various areas around the home.

When we questioned the roofing company that recently installed the roof he said...

"There is a flashing behind the stucco, and under the shingles, and the shingles are installed as close to the walls as possible. The shingles touching the wall should not have any issue in the future. The shingles have to be installed tight as they can for prevention of leaks.”

Is this the proper way to do this? Should we accept this or is there a differnet manufacturer install requirement with shingles? Is this going to be an issue later?

thx!

The stucco is not terminated properly - a roofer wouldn't know that. 

1. Water wicks up the stucco from the roof surface. 

2. Debris can't wash out of that little gap. 

3.  There are plenty of authoritative sources that state that the stucco should be at least 2" above the roof surface.  It should also terminate with a weep screed.

That's Weyerhaeuser drop siding #124.  Probably from late 1950s to mid 1960s.

19 hours ago, VegasFoundation said:

With so many factors influencing foundation health, what would be one key piece of advice you'd give homeowners for preventing foundation problems before they happen?

I've never discussed foundation health.  If I did, I would probably advise that it avoid ultra-processed foods and exercise regularly.

The advice given can only be based upon the type of foundation and the conditions at that specific property.  Probably 90% of the buildings I inspect have foundations built prior to 1900 and are constructed without a speck of concrete.  They always need maintenance, but the type of materials and methods used also depends on the above. 

As Les said, encouraging water to drain quickly away would be a common recommendation.  Considerable expert witness work has revealed that waterproofing contractors should be avoided when "fixing" old house foundations - unless you want their insurer to pay for a replacement foundation.

Looks like maybe it had a shorter one originally that was fully enclosed and they couldn't find a shorty replacement. 

Also looks like a gopher popped up from a hole.

I've been tryin to post a reply for 3 days. Thought I was blocked.

I don't know about asbestosis, but with mesothelioma, a vast majority of cases are from workplace exposure. There are statistics however, of cases from non-occupational exposures and there have been many studies from those stats.  I think the problem is there is no way to accurately separate causes between in-home exposure to ACMs and outdoor environmental exposure.  I'm sure there's plenty of airborne asbestos still being released everywhere from the friction wear of vehicle brakes and clutches.

According to answers given by medical folks, It doesn't require a large amount of asbestos fibers to start the chain reaction that can lead to lung cancer, particularly for people that are genetically vulnerable.

I've seen a fair amount of linoleum, but never anything like this. 

"Well, to articulate my thoughts with the utmost respect and caution, and without the slightest intention to tread upon the perspectives that might diverge from my own or to inadvertently dismiss the diverse views that others may hold dear, it is imperative, I believe, to approach this discourse with a nuanced consideration of various angles, ensuring a holistic examination that respects all contributory insights. Moreover, in endeavoring to distill my viewpoints through an objective lens—mindful, of course, of the myriad interpretations that this subject might invoke and striving to uphold a balanced discourse that transcends personal bias—I must confess, amidst this diligent cognitive excursion, that I have indeed, quite regrettably, lost the thread of the initial thought I intended to convey".

-Al Jensen (Lord Darrell Allen Jensen)

On 4/11/2024 at 10:30 PM, Jim Katen said:

Quick tip to make your writing more engaging: Never start a sentence with "There is." When you do, that sentence is entirely unnecessary. Instead of saying "There is <thing>." Just jump right into whatever it is that's a problem with this thing.

This Katen guy pisses me off.  I've honed my report writing for 38 years and I'm quite satisfied with my current proficiency.  Then, Jim shows up and smacks me in the head with another (not obvious to me, but) important issue with my writing.  This isn't the first time he's done this to me. 

Thanks Jim, but blissfully ignorant is easier.

I'd be willing to do what I can.  We would need Mike B to set up some "scaffolding" to do the work from.  A webzine type home page would be a great start. 

So I met this guy last weekend - I'll call him "Chad".  Drops a plain brown paper bag, wrapped with tape in the back seat of my car.  I get home a couple days later, opened it to discover his vintage porn collection. 

110 years old.  Even the advertisements are full of really cool illustrations and diagrams.

Happy TIJ-Bday.

Just talked about this site with Chad yesterday.  We've brought up several times that there could/should be much more than just discussion forums.  We've still got members that could regularly contribute to populating the site with articles, insights and resources for all inspectors.

Or, it could turn into a handful of us old farts just bitchin' about all these young-uns.

Could it be new construction bloom that was never cleaned?

It's usually not from the brick.  The soluble salts are mostly from the mortar in contact with the brick.  Not only in-between, but the mortar behind too - if adhered directly to block.

In addition to water entering into the wall, high alkali cement in the mortar, contaminated sand and/or admixtures containing calcium chloride as an accelerator could be the source.

The reporting is ok, except I've never met a porch specialist.

I like #3, a portrait of malefic but necessary infrastructure. 

I kinda like #2.  I much prefer viewing the backs of buildings in cities.  I'll walk the alleys all day.  Facades aren't the real character.  Behind, there's all kinds of additions, random appendages, odd shape protrusions and inconsistent mechanical components that make a much more interesting composition.

A photo form the 1940s in lower Manhattan.

On 3/28/2024 at 2:01 PM, Les said:

Well I seem to have taken control of my emotions now that many of my social media posts have been deleted, censored or mysteriously disappeared.  Even ashi has put the kibosh on me.  

I really do realize that in many ways I have become a Gadfly thereby fulfilling my life goal!  I really really am coming to believe most home inspectors are fools.  They fool themselves, they fool their client and likely their association.  I can't believe the stupid questions, the rancor in the responses and the blessings from on-high that I see on most sites.  My wife keeps telling me to just stay off the sites and ignore it.  I suppose I will have to or have a conniption fit!

What happened?  Who put these people in charge of our profession?  Will it change or are we destined to become ridiculed? 

I think you're always welcome at TIJ (we've built up a tolerance).  Might even be some respect here for your experience and insights.

I've visited other forums and very briefly joined the facebook groups.  I saw exactly what you described.  It produced thoughts of the ignominious demise of our profession.

23 hours ago, Jim Katen said:

What's the object in the left foreground, between the butter churn and the washtub? 

Pretty sure it's a primitive clothes washer.  The gear shift thing lowers and controls the agitator.  The raised rim is where the wringer clamp on.

4 hours ago, Les said:

very nice.  Was the brickwork original? 

No sir, recent recreation. 

This is part of a plantation I inspected.  Built of hewn logs, but it looks like they were sliced in half.  Documented to be a slave dwelling until the plantation owner family fled to England for the duration of the civil war.  

On 3/22/2024 at 6:28 PM, John Dirks Jr said:

I had an Evel Knievel lunch box.  I dented on the edge because I thought dents were cool.  I used to like dents in car fenders too.  For some reason I thought it looked cool.  Battle scars I guess.  Weird huh?

Yeah, a little weird.  Us normal kids just blew up or shot everything we ever owned.

Folks often ask how long I've been doing this.  My reply is often followed by "you must've seen everything".  This immediately triggers a barrage of shit I've never seen before.  There was another one in the carriage house too.

A spouse's retirement always eradicates the long established balance in the home.  There are so many stories.

This is one reason I refuse to retire (it would result in my quick demise}.  The other is that my financial advisor said I can easily retire at 94, with enough to live comfortably for 11 minutes.

Cool.  The 70s!  I had the Banana Splits lunch box and then the Jetsons.  The thermoses lasted 3-2-1... and I'm drinking broken glass.

11 hours ago, hausdok said:

About the only part of a home you can inspect with a drone is the roof, and even then the drone does not enable you to do a complete and thorough inspection of the roof. 

One of the few times I've used a drone was to fly into interior of a church steeple belfry.  The access from inside was permanently sealed and it was about 90+ feet from grade.

Ima gonna invent a drone that can remove the screws and covers from electric panel boxes and pry open crawlspace hatches.