Jim Katen

Haven't seen it in years, but that used to be an accepted method of installing roll roofing. It was for roofs with a slope of 2:12 or greater and you were supposed to put the nails in every 3 inches. Instructions were printed right on the package.

I tell people it's good for woodsheds and dog houses where you don't care whether or not the wood or the dog gets wet.

If you don't have one already, install a flame retention burner.

Someone should take a hard look at the combustion chamber to see if it's in good shape or if there are any holes or broken spots.

I usually see them break below the fitting.

That's going to be a pain in the butt to fix. It'll take a while to dig that threaded bit of plastic out of there.

No easy fix that I know of.

. . .

What I do have a question on is the use of a top chord splice as shown in the above image so that the overhangs do not have to be as deep as the top chord in the non-triangulated region of the truss. I have never seen a splice used on a attic truss with a raised heel, I don't see why it can't be done but it is always nice to have a confirmation that someone else is doing this sort of thing in practice.

I've never seen it done either. Seems like it would be fine.

I believe that bib has a vacuum breaker built in. If so, it's misbehaving. If they notice a problem with it in actual use, they could always just swap out the bib for a new one.

How so, if they're not multi-wires?

Even without MWCs, a lot of electricians in the bad old days would habitually connect neutral wires from different circuits together if they would happen to land in the same box. This will cause no end of headaches with retrofitted AFCIs.

I don't see that very much, but it looks like fungus growing on a dead thing.

Okay. Is that the booklet that covers all their exterior products? I have it in print but I don't think it was available until probably closer to 2010.

The earliest one I have is also from 2010.

Mike already has the installation instructions. He's looking for the Best Practices Guide.

I don't have one that's that old and I don't remember seeing one from back then.

Call the other inspector directly and ask him to send you a copy of his resource. Then call the Hardi rep.

Maybe I missed it, where did he say or where do you see "bolted" connections?

In the original post picture, the 4x4 posts are bolted to the double 2x6 girders, which aren't likely to go anywhere unless someone herds elephants onto the deck.

When that happens, the silly 2x4 cleats might possibly come into play, but I doubt it.

I've got a Bulldog Pushmatic panel right now, but am considering "upgrading" to a Square D Homeline. I don't plan on living in my place forever, and figure it could reduce the risk of a fail sale. What are the chances an inspector would call out the Pushmatic as being obsolete and recommending replacement?

Impossible to say and futile to consider. Personally, I wouldn't bother changing it out unless I was feeling the need to add AFCIs or if the panel was too small.

Out of curiosity, why is it that when doing a panel change out, AFCI protection isn't required for existing circuits (at least not in OR)?

I think the notion is that they really want you to take out a permit on the work. You'll be less likely to do that if it means that you'll have to spend a bunch of extra money on AFCI breakers. It sweetens the decision in favor of getting a permit.

This garage door does not open fully. Can the pull arm be adjusted to correct this? Is the chain track too short? Whats happening here?

45 seconds with a tape measure would tell you the answer.

Based solely on the picture, it looks like the bottom section of the door isn't even halfway around the upper bend, so you need to raise the door about 9-10 more inches. I doubt that you gain that much distance by moving the arm. It looks like you can get another 4-5 inches there before the door hits the angled section of the arm.

Someone posted a link in TIJ (I think it was in here anyway) about lightening blowing up a house with black pipe.

Anyone know where that is?

I don't remember that, but it wouldn't be surprising. A direct lightning hit will tend to do that with any pipe.

Yes.

Marc

Agreed. You can't prevent a breaker from tripping by holding the handle in the "on" position.

Counterstrike is a vast improvement over the previous version of CSST. The black jacket is conductive and forms what amounts to a Faraday Cage around the pipe. It really *ought* to work pretty well.

That said, all of the LP piping in my very own personal house is black steel and if I were to run any new pipe it would be black steel as well.

Are you talking about building a truss on a bench or repairing a truss in situ?

Why is it that when someone comes to a home inspector's forum and asks for information about Inspection Software A, people invariably respond with all kinds of information about Inspection Software B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I?

Learn how to write understandable sentences. Don't write things like, "Advice for one who would like to become Inspectors." People read that and think that you're a moron.

Hello,

I'm inspecting a second story deck for a Fire/Life safety report as the 1979 home it's attached to never got its final code inspection. My report is to be used to satisfy the local authorities for their needs before the owner puts this house up for sale.

Does anyone know when codes were adopted specifying deck construction methods? I have been unable to find anything going back that far online. Two local code officials, city and county, don't have that info, and the few copies that may exist in the state of OR are at least 150 miles away. One official thinks that the lag bolt method of attaching ledgers may have come into use after 1979.

Thanks for anything that may get me going in the right direction.

Tim

Hi Tim,

In 1979, the construction of a single family home in Oregon would have been covered by the UBC. (We didn't start using CABO till 1986, when we adopted the 1983 edition.)

The 1976 UBC doesn't say squat about decks. (At least as far as I can see.)

If I were in your place, I'd apply the latest requirements.

Jim Katen

Black lights have nothing to do with the manufacture of drugs, but they might have something to do with the use of drugs. . .

The blackened copper was caused by something in the environment, which is probably not there anymore. I wouldn't send people off on a wild goose chase trying to find the exact cause.

Are those metal nipples between the meter/main and the panels?

It would be relatively easy to stop the leaks in the field with an elastomeric coating. But the cold joints are always going to leak.

Am I the only one who carries a bag of spare panel cover screws? Haven't written up sharp screws in the last few decades.

What if there is damaged conductor insulation as a result of improper screws. Are you fully confident you catch all of that? How about when the screw hole is reamed and won't accept the screw that is designed for the particular panel? What do you do then?

If there's a damaged conductor, then there's a damaged conductor and I report that. I'm 100% confident that I catch those - isn't looking for damaged conductors near the screw holes one of the most basic things that you look for when you open a panel, even when the screws aren't sharp? It's probably the first thing I look for.

If the screw hole is damaged, then I report that. But most of the time, the proper screw threads itself in there just fine.

Carrying spare screws doesn't solve all of the problems associated with sharp screws, but it saves me from putting the sharp screws back in and it saves me from reporting them.

Why is there a shotgun shell inside the condom?

Am I the only one who carries a bag of spare panel cover screws? Haven't written up sharp screws in the last few decades.