Jim Katen

Fairly acutely I have developed asthma type symptoms BUT only in my house and they are worse the closer I am to the basement. In hunting for a problem (we thought it was a new sofa ....) we discovered a pretty bad mold problem in the basement.

Obviously the mold problem in the basement is the cause of your asthma-type symptoms. It couldn't possibly be anything else. You should ignore all other possibilities and focus on the mold. Otherwise, you'll surely die.

We had 2 companies out to do bids (both well thought of) 1 much less expensive and conservative. We went with them. They took out the moldy and wet areas in both affected areas of the basement and did the usual remediation stuff. All drywall was removed in affected areas. Sprayed, cleaned scraped etc.

Good choice. It's always a good idea to go with the much less expensive company.

I was out of town for about a week and returned ... and I still have all of the same symptoms.

Gee. There's a surprise.

They are doing an air test (but I am pretty skeptical of the value of this given what I have read on the internet).

Why skeptical? Isn't it always a good idea to have the company that did the remediation do the air testing that proves the remediation worked?

Some questions for the group:

1) There is clear water damage on the laminate floor - one of the mold companies wanted to pull up the laminate - the other did not. Any way to tell if there is mold uynder laminate without pulling it up?

Sure. Burrow up from below.

2) One of the door frames is swollen a bit with water damage but no obv mold - should that have been remediated?

Absolutely. Door mold is the worst kind.

3) We had the mold crew back out and they reviewed their work and the rest of the basement and do not see anything else that needs to be remediated - as I said they are doing an air test.

Is that a question? A trick question? A rhetorical question?

4) We also havea dehumidifier and have had the ducts professionally cleaned. Any other thoughts? Seriously having to consider moving ...

Exorcism?

Voodoo cleansing ritual?

Feng Shui?

Oh. Wait. I know. How about going to your doctor instead of getting healthcare advice from a bunch of home inspectors on the interweb?

What happened when you touched it to the pipe?

I'm amazed that any of you can understand anything he said. It comes out like gibberish on my end.

Kids that grow up on farms seem to learn at an early age to not do stupid stuff. If they don't the consequences can be pretty drastic. . . .

The ones that survive learn. Those who don't learn get culled out.

My wife's family has been farming in southern Illinois for generations. At get togethers, the conversation eventually turns to Gruesome Farming Accidents.

Remember, friends, that codes development is just as vulnerable to corporate influence as are all of our lawmaking bodies from local to state.

I have sometimes wondered if some products were rushed to market and listing and approval by AHJ's by that kind of influence. I won't name anything here to avoid the stigma/aura of a political post, but I would like to hear what more think about the states' feet dragging on some code changes.

Go look at the background for AFCI's? I think it was Eaton or another company that came out with them and they were about the only ones on the committee that developed the code for AFCI's?.. Makes one go, Hummmm!

That sort of thing certainly happens. But not with AFCIs. The impetus actually came from the CPSC and the breaker manufacturers followed along.

The first code requirement was actually delayed by a couple of years to allow the manufacturers time to perfect the product. Turns out a couple of years wasn't enough.

Siemens actually has a pretty good history of the issue that's not particularly biased:

http://w3.usa.siemens.com/us/internet-d ... istory.pdf

. . . Nice way for builders to save a few bucks. . . .

That stuff doesn't "cost" the builder anything. The cost is passed on to the consumer, along with a markup.

The last *really* minimal looking design I saw used sheets of corten steel as a rain screen. It looked very cool and there's no worry about it deteriorating . . .

#1 needs to have a poem superimposed on it that ends:

The Lord replied,

"The times when you have

seen only one set of nail heads,

is when I nailed for you."

Katen wants to buy it.

True. But Katen's wife would pitch a fit.

I see Fowler water heaters about once a year. Most of the ones I see tend to be from the 60s. I think they were very popular then.

There was an apartment complex where every unit had Fowler tabletop unit - about half of them were leaking very slowly. If you keep it, put a pan under it.

I covered my house with Hardiplank in '92 and then I covered an addition with it in '05. The scraps on the ground from '92 are still in excellent condition; with a fresh coat of paint, they could pass for new. The scraps from '05 are falling apart, separating into thin layers, like the leaves of a book.

The stuff on the building is all fine.

It certainly looks like cracking cement rather than stone.

I have no experience with buildings like this. Is that stuff just a facing that was applied separately from the structure or is it the "decorative" side of some kind of block assembly?

How about this one, that used to be the preface to every home inspection report prepared by a not-to-be-named franchise. Talk about fluffers:

* * * A REAL ESTATE AGENT * * *

The responsibilities and efforts of a Realtor go far beyond the obvious tasks of writing advertisements, holding open houses, showing properties, and preparing contracts. In fact, everyday Realtors are helping people like yourself to achieve the ultimate dream of owning their own home.

The professional services of a Realtor include: a) absolute fidelity towards protecting and promoting the interests of their clients; b) shielding the public against fraud and misrepresentation; c) keeping informed of laws and regulations affecting the real estate industry; and d) keeping current on all the financing alternatives that might best serve the needs of sellers and buyers.

A Realtor does all this and much more in order to promote a successful business transaction and one which is smooth and headache-free for you. A Realtor invests countless hours behind the scenes, coordinating details with XXXX home inspectors and a host of other people, many of whom you never see, to help your transaction run smoothly. A Realtor has worked very hard to help you in this transaction by maintaining the standards of an industry professional.

Please remember the professional Realtor who has assisted you in this transaction when it comes time for you, or someone you know, to sell or purchase a home.

( cutouts here for the realtor to insert business card )

That's truly repellent.

And I can tell that how?

I've thought this one over for a while, and realized, there's no telltale sign.

Almost all of the round dial ones heat anticipators, while almost all of the digital ones do not, at least for gas furnaces.

Over time, I've learned to recognize which ones are likely to have heat anticipators, and which ones don't. For jumping during a home inspection, I'd probably just cut power @ the furnace, pull either the red or white, power the furnace back up, and then place the jumpers onto R&W. That would be the safe bet, since not pulling a wire and jumping a 'stat with an anticipator would ruin it.

I've done that when I can't (or don't want to) pull the stat - when I'm in a crawlspace or attic and don't want to make an extra trip - but I just disconnect the white wire, not both.

For anyone not carrying 3 & 5 amp fuses, I'd stay away from jumping a furnace.......

Jim, a gas co. buddy of mine (Darin/ Kaui) has you booked for an inspection in Newberg. The guy is scary smart, so if you have any utility type questions, he'd be a good guy to quiz while you're on site @ The Greens.

Thanks for the head's up. I'll be sure to save up a few.

No need to pull the digital t-stat from the wall for jumping the furnace unless they have a built in heat anticipator...

And I can tell that how?

It would have been used to control a damper at the fresh air duct, which has since been removed or disconnected.

Do you carry a jumper with pre-wired alligator clips just in case?

Yes.

I know this does not answer the question, but... assuming the TV can unplug itself before falling in the water, then what the heck?

TV falls and dangles from its cord. Bather sits up to catch it and put it back in its place. . .

On another note, how long can you watch TV before you look like a prune?

This was established back in the '50s: Exactly 1-1/4 episodes of I Love Lucy.

. . . Even if it is not covered in the specifics of the code, it is a DUMB place for a TV and I am going to tell them lest their survivors come asking me why I did not warn about this!

I suggest adding Article 101 to the NEC. It would consist of a single section, titled, "Don't do stupid things."

Every now and then I run into one that I just can't figure out. In those cases, I pull them off the wall and hot-wire the furnace at the circuit board.

White wire to red wire?

Marc

With a simple furnace (or furnace with AC), R terminal to W terminal for heat and R to G for just the blower.

Every now and then I run into one that I just can't figure out. In those cases, I pull them off the wall and hot-wire the furnace at the circuit board.

Presently using Docusign, sent out a few minutes after the inspection is booked. It works pretty much flawlessly.

We like the idea of giving the customer plenty of time to read and understand the agreement well in advance of the inspection. It makes the agreement stronger and gives the customer plenty of time to back out if he or she is uncomfortable.

I see a *little bit* of flame between the ports on that design all the time. In your pictures, it looks like a lot of flame.

I don't suppose you have a video?

You guys put underlayment below the shingles on manufactured homes in PA?

I'm impressed.

Wondering how many light pilots, turn on water mains and gas valves if they are off in a property?

Gas Fireplaces

I light these all the time. No problems so far.

Water Main

The only way I'll turn on a water main is when I receive the correct answer to a single question, "Who will be responsible for all water damage that occurs as a result of turning on the water?" There is only one correct answer, "Not Jim Katen." Once I receive this response, I'm happy to turn on the water and flood the house.

Gas Main

If the owner turned it off himself, I'll turn it back on with the same restriction as above. If the gas utility shut it off, there'll be a blank washer across the coupling and I'm not about to mess with that.