Educational reading material

[esch]

I've been browsing the internet looking at various books directed toward home inspectors.

Would any of you personally recommend any particular book? I have seen a few get recommended on this site, but curious if any others are out there.

Thanks, Matt

[Chad Fabry]

Douglas Hansen's book is a must have. Send him an email: douglas@codecheck.com

My copy is called "Electrical Inspections of Existing Dwellings". I think the title may be different now.

[Inspectorjoe]

The non-technical book at the top of my list is Building Your Home Inspection Business, published by Carson Dunlop. It's packed with info. While you probably shouldn't take it as the final word, it's good at getting you thinking about things that you might not have realized you should be thinking about.

One to absolutely avoid is 21 Things Every Home Inspector Should Know. It's wretched. I couldn't remember just why I hated it so much, but when I looked for it, I couldn't find it. I must have thrown it out long ago.

I found The Home Inspector's Bible to be very informative, but by now it's very dated. I'm sure it's still valuable if you can keep that in mind as you go through it. It's in a question and answer format.

[John Dirks Jr]

JLC field guides are good for general knowledge of best practice. Get volumes 1 and 2.

http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlconl ... duct/FG001

[Jim Katen]

I've been browsing the internet looking at various books directed toward home inspectors.

Would any of you personally recommend any particular book? I have seen a few get recommended on this site, but curious if any others are out there.

Thanks, Matt

I really like The User Friendly Home, by Larry Reavis. It's quirky but, as home inspection books go, by far the most technically accurate book out there. Be warned, though, at least one other person bought it on my recommendation and really dislikes it.

Of course, you should buy Douglas Hansen's book. It's the best thing out there on the subject of electrical inspections for home inspectors.

And, of course, the Code Check series is a very handy reference.

Buy The Elements of Style, by Strunk & White. Read it several times and refer to it often.

Avoid anything by Rex Cauldwell.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Les]

I agree with John and Jim. Rex is good reading for the layperson, but nothing of value for an inspector.

[Steven Hockstein]

Building Construction Illustrated by Ching is a great resource. It is a reasonably priced paperback.

[hausdok]

Get a comb binder punch, a bunch of comb bindings of various widths, an economical and fast black and white printer, a case of paper and then clear a place about 3ft. wide on a bookshelf.

Then go to "Library" on the top menu bar of TIJ, click on "File Downloads" in the sub-menu and start printing off and binding all of the stuff you'll find there. You'll find a ton of free stuff in there that can make you really smart about this gig.

Then go to "All Forums" and choose the "Free Downloads" category, scroll down through the old posts there and follow the links in there to free resources all over the net and do the same thing with anything that you find there that isn't in the TIJ Library.

If you're not taking advantage of all of the free resources on this site you're missing out on the best educational resource for home inspectors that can be found anywhere.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Les]

Mike has again brought me back to my senses!! The info you have available here is very good and there is lots of it!

This business is all about learning to read. think, write and speak in a particular way. Not everyone can do this work.

I have downloaded(printed) and read tons of stuff from Mike's military files.

[Brad Manor]

Joe Lstibureks's "Moisture Control Handbook" is good. If I recall correctly I downloaded my copy from the EPA website.

-Brad

[Tim H]

The books that seem to stay on my desk are Hansen's book (the most frequently referenced book that I have ever owned), the "NRCA Roofing and Waterproofing Manual", "Residential and Light Commercial Construction Standards", "The Gregg Reference Manual", and "The Elements of Style". And.... what Mike said.

Tim