Jim Baird

I visited a new const. site where a friend did woodwork. Small local bank, in offices installed faux wood grain tile that was 8x24" or so. My unheard question was why not real instead of faux? Tile cannot have been cheaper.

Thanks for the reply, Les. I looked at Applegate site and they showed install between studs and talked about attics, but not about crawlspaces. This application was on inside of crawlspace walls. BTW the same termite man told me on site that they do not touch contracts with plastic foam sealed/conditioned crawls, which are very rare here. I think what we are seeing is diffs in termite infestation zones. Here in the Georgia piney woods we are very vulnerable to termite infestation. The further south you go the worse it gets. A friend rehabbed a 10th floor condo in San Juan, Puerto Rico many years ago. Even on the tenth floor he had to be sure that every stick of wood he used was treated. He took me on a drive and pointed out termite nests on palm trees that were forty feet off the ground. My termite inspector, who makes an annual visit to my home, has told me that chemical treatments through time have backed off from toxicity in the direction of safety to such a degree that his company will not offer a warranty for more than about five years. My original contract with them was a 20 yr repair guarantee. Now we just have a "control" contract where they will treat infestations they may find, but any repairs needed are my problem.

I appreciate the replies. Local termite licensee refuses to issue "termite letter". Buyer is asking seller to remove the material from the foundation walls and remove it from site. Clue, seller has occupied home but only as a second home and only after 9 months. They jacked price 60K over what they paid then. Only upgrade they made was vinyl plank floor throughout, and I think granite countertops. Don't think they know who/when cellulose was sprayed. I think the issue may be a deal killer.

Thanks for the reply, Bill. "In these parts, I'd rather see insulation on the foundation and perimeter of the floor structure than between joists." My quick research shows about R-3 per inch of this stuff, vs R-19 for 6 inches fiberglass between joists. The termite guy was not sure he could issue a letter with all the obfuscation the cellulose presents. I don't think the seller has the receipts for the install, so how does anybody know it is borate treated?

So often see weird stuff. 24 yr old crawlspace. CMU foundation etc. No floor insulation, but CMU walls sprayed with chewed up newsprint or something. Termite guy happened to be there with me and he took lots of umbrage. My thinking is insulator arrived and offered a lower cost alternate to floor insulation. Photo shows buried water supply lines. Comments welcome.

Inaccessible crawlspace can be a big problemo especially in terms of termites.

It looks thicker than lap siding to me, more like the cornerboard stuff they make. Even so, product is not listed for the use. Looks like no way to practically correct. Is it a custom home? Signs like this tell us there may be plenty of other problems with wrongly applied product. I would tell buyer this is a big red flag, fairly describable as a structural defect. Don't walk away, run. Why did he do it? Likely just an early layout screwup. Sign of an amateur maybe.

"small, family operated with locations across Canada, USA, Europe, and Asia"... Zzzzzzzzzz.

Our local utility won't allow a unit to be fed via another one.

I doubt you could pay enough to override my scepticism.

...probably burns like those black invisible fires of Hell... "...Our earthly fire also consumes more or less rapidly according as the object which it attacks is more or less combustible, so that human ingenuity has even succeeded in inventing chemical preparations to check or frustrate its action. But the sulphurous brimstone which burns in hell is a substance which is specially designed to burn for ever and for ever with unspeakable fury. Moreover, our earthly fire destroys at the same time as it burns, so that the more intense it is the shorter is its duration; but the fire of hell has this property, that it preserves that which it burns, and, though it rages with incredible intensity, it rages for ever...."--James Joyce

...sure looks like automotive heater hose. Love the careful attention to the spray paint of the clamps.

I sure have not seen much 3-ply half inch decking. Have seen plenty 3-ply 3/8 decking, which usually does not survive old shingle strip without delam. What must have happened here was strip job required replacing some pieces, and replacement effort fell short of a good job. Photo shows what will be a soft spot until it gets corrected (or not) by the next re-roof.

"Stachybotris'll get you if you don't watch out!"

...many times I have been startled by my electric screwdriver in my back pocket when I forget to lock it off.

My most satisfying jobs are the ones when the client follows me like a dog on my heels and listens to my verbal description. Almost all of that kind like me better. I do take pride in my writing, but the verbal delivery feels to me like a job better done.

...also makes a rated separation.

Pours when rains dept, after finding first wind up ding dong bell I find three of them in one house, but don't touch them with even a pole.

Thanks, Jim. The only time I ever visited Vail, Colorado the thing that struck my eye was the number of buildings that were so close together that I don't think you could wedge a paint brush between one eave and another. That must be why slim rollers were invented.

Our state fire codes call for 20' min distance between bldgs unless the walls are rated construction. I don't see how this vent is any remedy for fire risk.

...do you keep them wound up?

...never.

Sorry there is no picture, but I found a mechanical fire alarm on a kitchen ceiling I have never seen the likes of. When I pushed what looked like a test button the "button" fell off and a loud alarm bell sounded. The buyer, the realtor and I assumed it was hardwired, but throwing even the main breaker would not make it shut up. After wrestling it from its mount on the ceiling we discovered that it was not battery powered but was a wind-up machine that only got quiet when the wound device ran down. I did not have the tiny hex key it took for winding. Our study of the labeling found it only responded to heat and was not a smoky at all. Anyone here encountered these? It was round, about ten inches in diameter, and loud as hell.

No height prob by far here, but hearth was sealed off on inspection day...thinking of a sweep maybe wanting to lean a ladder there to look. I didn't.