Bill Kibbel

Looking at the unused draft hood, it appears that the flue connector is too large for the new unit. I would assume that if the hood is supplied, the manufacturer expects it to be used. If you got the model #, we can probably get the installation specs. I contacted GE in the past about an unrelated issue with the "Smart Water" line and they were quite responsive. I was told this line is exclusive to Home Depot and they are usually D-I-Y installed, or installed by HD's "Home Services" and improper installation voids the warranty.

Terence wrote: "In the basement of older homes, 1930, 20 & older they used a red clay/brick style material for the walls. What is the correct name of this material." It is called "structural terra cotta" and was most commonly used between 1890 and 1930. It is unglazed and often vertically grooved to allow for plaster to be applied on interior surfaces and stucco to adhere on the exterior. The interior of basements are the only locations it is left exposed except for one Mediterranean revival home I inspected where it was left uncoated on the entire exterior. I'm guessing either the original owner liked the textured look of the grooves and stopped the builder from applying the stucco, or they ran out of funds. It was manufactured by the same process as other terra cotta building materials except it was not glazed. I have never encountered a major structural failure and have only observed minor fractures, probably from handling. ...so I would assume that the runoff from cars would just soak into the ground. Correct terminology for this (besides floor drain?) -Floor Drain.

I've only seen radiant heat for suspended floors installed with manufacturer supplied clips or hanger brackets that attach directly to the subfloor, never to the joists or trusses. The cavity created by the insulation must be way too deep as well. As others have stated: That can't be right.

Brian, Electric baseboard typically requires a 6" clearance to curtains, furnishings, electric cords, etc. I don't like to see outlets directly above them. On some occasions, I've seen some baked lamp wire insulation.

Jeff, there are 2 issues. 1. Point of discharge should be above the eave of the roof. 2. Point of discharge should be ten feet or more from any window, door, or other opening that is less than two feet below the exhaust point. The distance from the point of discharge to openings may be measured either directly between the two points or be the sum of measurements made around intervening obstacles. I suggest obtaining a copy of the EPA's publication: Radon Mitigation Standards.

Rock wool is made from slag, waste from the production of iron and steel and some traces of mining waste. Although I've heard it too, I've never seen any documentation that it contains asbestos. In the late 40's, a spray-on insulation composed of asbestos and rock wool was developed to protect the steel structure of office towers from failing in a fire. In my area, some homes near a ship building yard had some loose insulation that could be mistaken for rock wool. This white, wooly material had very high asbestos fiber counts. Workers at the ship yard would take this stuff home and fill their attics with it. Naval ships were loaded with it.

I received the following e-mail today. I hope someone may have some experience with this that I can pass along to this guy. "I am considering dismantling an older home (1830) from Georgia to Virginia. The home is threat of being demolished and I would like to save it. Moving it to the Leesburg Va area. I have never done anything like this and wanted to ask if anyone knew of any resources or suggestions in order to do this correctly. Any help would be greatly appreciated." -DK

This is great Mike! Thanks. And thank you for the exposure for HBIA. While reading one of Mike's posts, my three and a half year old son saw his avatar and said "Look Dad, it's a superhero!" I'm thinkin' he might be right.

Brian wrote: "you need to write us a book" When I get too tired to crawl around under old farmhouses, that will be my retirement project. If you can make it East, I have a pretty informative presentation that I am asked to do at some Chapter seminars. Brian wrote: "Bill, what's your opinion of that magazine (OHJ) as an inspector?" I haven't read it for over a decade. From what I recall, it contained good tips for d-i-y homeowners. (Plaster patching, refinishing floors, epoxy repairs, etc.) I would occasionally refer to their Guide to Suppliers. "Are there any other mags out there you would recommend?" I haven't read much lately. Some of the Preservation Briefs from Historic Preservation Services are good reading. http://www2.cr.nps.gov/tps/briefs/presbhom.htm For more advanced topics, the Association for Preservation Technology has the "APT Bulletin". http://www.apti.org/pubs/publications.htm I was a member of the National Trust for a while and received some good publications and discounts on books. http://www.nationaltrust.org/

Brian, It's Bill. The only articles that are on the internet are at the "Old House Web" and are directed to homeowners. http://oldhouseweb.com/stories/How-To/H ... Inspector/

Brian, This is an old "drum trap". These traps have a greater sealing capacity than the "P" trap and pass large amounts of water quickly. Download Attachment: drumtrap.JPG 31.62 KB

Donald, It is definitely an asbestos shingle roof laid in the French Method. Hips & ridges should be covered with a "ridge roll". Many are not. This material was formed by rolling into sheets and stamping out the shape of the shingle. Dry pigments were rolled onto the surface of the shingles to imitate natural slate colors. They're all grayish white now from surface erosion and fading. I have the specs for architects from the Asbestos Shingle, Slate and Sheathing Co. of Ambler PA that manufactured this material. Johns Manville also sold this stuff but it all still came from the same manufacturer. Check this out: http://inspecthistoric.org/asbestosshingle.htm

Attending an APT conference satisfies one of the requirements for membership in The Historic Building Inspectors Assoc., provided the subjects are similar to some of the past workshops. Examples: "Wood Preservation, Masonry Restoration, Assessing Historic Structures, Structural Engineering for Older Buildings, structural triage for historic buildings, mitigating the impact of unsympathetic repairs." Workshops like "conservation of heritage submarines" would not qualify. Doug, Kurt & Brian, Same sex marriage is not a requirement for membership, but we don't discriminate either.

Ron, We give clients a full page of info mainly paraphrased from the EPA and CDC and finish it off with: "It is beyond the scope of this inspection to test for mold or other air quality concerns. No fee is being charged for such testing and (Company Name)'s insurance coverage expressly excludes coverage for testing for mold or any other air quality issues. Testing for mold or indoor air quality should be performed by other qualified and insured specialists of the customer’s choice and hire."

Just to enhance David's description, click on the following to view illustrations of reversing valves. http://www.acda.com.au/revalve.gif (Most are black) http://www.janazzo.com/images/elite11_main.jpg (#3 is the location of the valve)

Brian, That's a great idea. I never did like the candidate label though. Let's call it "Aspirant". As far as a members forum, we plan on setting up an online group soon and we will welcome you and any other inspector interested in learning more and educating homebuyers about preserving our architectural heritage. Until then, here are other resources that may be helpful: http://inspecthistoric.org/resource.htm Scroll down to Technical Resources. Or visit our historic homes info at: http://www.geocities.com/asiedydd/

Brian, Finding books on historic building techniques that cover any specific region is difficult. A large majority of nationally published books focus on traditions found only in New England. In my little service area, there are historic Swedish, Dutch, English and German buildings, all with their own characteristics and building techniques. The best printed sources that I have found helpful all came from out-of-print/used book stores or libraries. Local authors, historic societies and colleges have published books, papers and studies that can't be found at Barnes & Noble. Another valuable resource for me was getting involved with local historic sites and districts. Seeing meticulously restored and documented buildings first hand gave me additional technical knowledge and also enriched my appreciation and dedication to historic preservation. Even if you don't get involved, just touring some restored/preserved old buildings will increase your knowledge of local historic architecture and building techniques. The tour guides are always surprised when you ask to see the basement and attic!

Kurt, It would be wise to add more text to your index page to include keywords that potential clients might use in a search of your services. Meta tag keywords alone can't be relied on for relevance in all search engines. Perhaps moving some text from the "About Us" page like: "Home & building inspection services company providing home inspections, large building & commercial inspections, condominium building & association consulting since 1979." Also consider including your professional association as I have found that some folks use that in their search. Someone mentioned an e-mail button to hide from spam harvesters. The following is an HTML that you might want to use: Contact Us

They are not just a Midwestern product. I have seen a couple here in the mid-Atlantic including some near NYC and some in VA. I believe the ones I have inspected were demo models. They are constructed with a welded steel skeleton on a concrete slab with screwed-on panel walls of porcelain enameled steel. Same with the roof and interior walls. One other unique feature is the heat distribution. An oil fired furnace circulates warm air through a closed duct system to radiant panels. They were typically built between 1947 and 1950. I think some were commissioned by the Gov't, as I have recognized some near military bases. They were manufactured in Columbus, OH and shipped on one truck to the job site.