Chimney..What would you say?
posted on November 06, 2009 10:18:08 pm
What would you say about this, if anything?? Thanks, Chuck

convector intake blocked
posted on November 06, 2009 10:06:12 pm
The house had a hydronic boiler feeding radiators that are inside of these convectors. All of the convectors intakes were blocked. You can see the plywood attached at the bottom. Why would someone do this? How will this affect the system?

Tracing a ground fault
posted on November 06, 2009 09:36:50 pm
Any help is appreciated (except "call an electrician"). The bathroom vanity light wiring somehow developed a short, I am guessing either rodents or a nail or screw somehow penetrated the insulation. NM wiring in the wall, hot to the wall switch then to the light. I removed the switch and wiring connections and removed the fixture. With the fixture removed I am getting continuity between the hot and neutral so I think the fault has to be between the switch and fixture outlet. I cant run new wiring without removing a bunch of drywall. I can't afford a $500 tracer. I am thinking I could use a circuit breaker finder that costs about $30. Any ideas how I would connect this? They usually plug into an outlet. Will it work to find the short? I am not sure about that because it seems like all 3 conductors are now "connected" and I would be able to trace the wires but not find the ground fault.

Hidden Danger in Plaster Ceilings -New Safey Issue
posted on November 06, 2009 09:03:36 pm
Hi Guys (and Gals), I am a plaster restoration contractor in Greensboro NC, who has also been a home inspector. When I moved to NC in 1992 to start my plaster restoration buisness, I came across a peculiar situation. A client called me to come and look at the ceiling in his grandmother's room. One half of the ceiling was hanging at a 5 degree angle, leaving a gaping 8" opening the length of the room....pretty freaky. I had never seen anything like it up to that point. We ended up removing the ceiling completely and drywalling it...(nasty job...tons of loose insulation). Fortunately for granny, she had been spared a nasty and rude awakening. In the process of replacing the ceiling, I observed that the construction was three or two coat plaster over what looked like drywall, but later found out is better known as rock lath or gypsum lath. This was attached by a clip system that had clearly weakened and released over time with the weight of hundreds of pounds of plaster. Over the years, I have been called to numerous jobs that showed the tell-tale signs of a plaster-over-gypsum lath ceiling that was in the process of failing or collapsing. I have seen numerous variations of construction for that transitional time period that followed traditional plaster-over- wood lath and eventually arrived at modern drywall. I have heard horror stories of all the plaster ceilings in a house that was built in the 40's falling out at the same time, shortly after construction. I have seen, and repaired, ceilings that I was worried about working under. I have heard of people being hurt, *even killed*, by these ceilings collapsing suddenly, sometimes preceeded by a straight-line crack, sometimes with no crack, sometimes a circular crack. These ceilings are essentially undersupported for the weight they have been asked to carry. Over time, the smooth nails, clips or wires either slip out or give way, and the plaster ceiling creeps to the tipping point, at which time it will collapse suddenly, often as a monolithic unit. I have a website that goes into more detail about the various apparantly experimental construction methods utilized roughly between 1920 and 1960 (depending on geography), during which these 'transitional' ceilings were installed. On the site are many links to ceiling collapse stories, sometimes with engineer or architects describing the cause of the failure. It is my hope that ALL inspectors become aware of the potential danger of these ceilings, and how to detect the obvious signs of progressive failure, and properly alert the homeowner or potential homeowner to possible problems. I know this will not make sellers very happy, but to ignore this problem might make a buyer very unhappy. I have also developed techniques for remediation of these ceilings and will eventually have them available on my website, however it is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Some general understanding of structures and analysis of the particular system installed is required to effectively secure these ceilings. Some ceilings seem to pose a greater threat than others for sudden and catostrophic failure. These are generally the later ones in the transitional period that utilized larger (4x8') sections of gypsum lath. The most obvious sign of a problem in these ceilings is a single straight-line crack down the middle of the room. These cracks are often repaired by well meaning tradespersons, but one often sees the crack coming back through the repair. This is because the plaster or drywall contractor did not understand the *underlying cause* of the crack and did not properly anchor the ceiling back to the joists. Often, as you may be aware, people trying to sell a home do a quick fix and try to hide these cracks. Unless done properly, these cracks come back in a matter of months. The crucial thing for home inspectors to understand however, is how to recognize the ceilings that are prone to failure, and what signs that that failure is in fact occuring. If you are interested in pictures, stories, links and further descriptions, please visit my website. The page is titled Transitional Ceilings (http://estateplaster.com/TransitionalCeilings.aspx) . I look forward to answering any questions that you may have, if I can. Thanks, Philip LaMachio Estate Plaster, Inc.

Code compliant connector?
posted on November 06, 2009 08:14:11 pm
I am finishing a house for a homeowner (original contractor has gone out of business). New construction home that has a lot of elecrical issues, and a lot of these connections. My electrician said he would never use this type of connection, but was not sure it was a code violation. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Is this a defective tile?
posted on November 06, 2009 04:03:12 pm
I inspected a roof yesterday that the roof tile is questionable. It appears to be a composite type tile (not concrete or wood), and is very brittle. Needless to say, I did the inspection from the roof edge. The question is, I am trying to identify the type for the buyer. There was a licensed contractor (doesn't say roofer) who gave a 2 year cert after doing repairs ranging $1800. However, in my inspection I still found the following: * Several cracked tiles; and even more patched/caulked tiles * Several loose hip tiles * Loose caulking of the roof-to-wall flashing and/or improper installation * Missing rake tiles (?) * Hip tiles not sealed at overlapping areas Does anyone have any idea what type of tiles these are, and possibly how I should write it in my report? Thanks!

Cram it Down the Republicans' Throats
posted on November 06, 2009 03:05:18 pm
washingtonpost.com (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/05/AR2009110502195.html)

Another Reason Why Municipal Inspectors SUCK
posted on November 06, 2009 02:56:40 pm
Just one of hundreds of reasons I detest municipal inspectors: http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/

New to board in Central PA
posted on November 06, 2009 11:54:21 am
Hi to all. I have been doing inspections in Central PA for a few years now and decided I better become part of the gang here since there is so much good information and experience here. I do review the topics here often, I just don't do the online talking very well. But my kids are trying to get me up to speed. Chuck

New Inspector in Texas
posted on November 06, 2009 11:52:52 am
Hello fellow inspectors, I am new to the inspection business, but not new to the field. Just wanted to say hello and how much I enjoy reading everyones post. Donnie Roberts Austin, Texas TCB Inspections (http://www.tcbinspections.com)

old sears water heater
posted on November 06, 2009 09:13:17 am
I came across an old Forty Series, Sears 60 water heater (AO Smith). model 18336510 and Serial J77618698. According to my cheat sheet, for this type of water heater, the First letter is the month and the next two numbers are the year. That would make it a 32 year old water heater. The thermostat did not respond on the day I tested it. So I made the usual recommendations. Few days later, the seller brought a plumber out, the stat kicked on and he said the water heater was only 11 years old (he must have read the last two numbers in the serial as the manufacture date). He charged the sellers a service fee ($60) and was on his way. When I was confronted with this information, I realized, I don't have any official reference to defend my determination of the manufacture date. I could explain that when thermostat is starting to go bad it may work intermittently, but I didn't have anything other than my cheat sheet to defend the mfr. date. I checked online Sears parts and viewed the exploded diagram of the water heater and the date on the drawing was 1972. Based on the drawing year an the fact that most of the parts were were no longer available (with no substitutions), I'm pretty sure I am reading the serial number correctly. Sears parts and service departments couldn't be definitive (some kid said all the old guys were gone and everybody there were just order takers). I contacted AO Smith on their website, but I doubt anyone will respond. Does anyone know of any publication or web site, that is official enough to reference, that would contain information confirming or condemning my reading of the serial number and consequently my interpretation of the date of manufacture for this water heater? If not, am I overlooking some obvious solution? Thanks, Sam

Supply duct through joist cavity
posted on November 05, 2009 09:21:31 pm
Hi guys, I inspected a condo built in 1973 that utilizes the cavity between joists for a supply trunk line. The cavity is not lined with sheet metal. I know returns can be built this way, but does anyone know if supply lines could be run this way back in the early 70's? Thanks, Ron

testing for broken water main
posted on November 05, 2009 08:22:26 pm
Consider the house water supply as public and therefore it would have chlorine in it. If the water supply main, or even the main drain under the foundation were leaking, could you expect the possibility of the chlorinated water getting into the sump pit? If so, can a conclusion be made by testing the water in the sump pit for chlorine content? What would the cheapest test method be?

Picture test
posted on November 05, 2009 07:43:07 pm
Just trying to post a picture

Moisture through slab
posted on November 05, 2009 06:12:13 pm
I'm looking for ideas concerning discovery of moisture issues as well as dealing with moisture issues through a slab on grade. I have has a couple of phone discussions and will be heading out to the property tomorrow for a first hand look. Here is the scenario so far. The client bought the house about 2 years ago with a new/newer wood floor in place on a 1992 house. Monlothic slab on grade single story. The wood floors cupped or warped badly and have been mostly removed. The client is now living with exposed concrete. He has done the following: had insurance adjusters involved but no help or answers from them, said to call them when he figures out the problem. Had the roof replaced with photos during tear-off trying to find any leak with no leaks found. Had two separate plumbers do testing of the water and drain lines, no leaks. Had a structural engineer look at the slab, no help. He did mention doing core samples of the concrete. (my thought is core samples to find vapor barrier is going to be ineffective and costly). Has done a plastic sheet test with positive results in random locations. I told him I probably won't be able to give much help but I will take a look. Any help the brain trust here at IN can give will be appreciated. My hypothesis is there is no functioning vapor barrier under the concrete. Question: is there a paint or treatment for stopping moisture flow that can be placed under wood floors other than plastic sheet vapor barrier under floating wood floors? Question will IR scan of the floor be of any use? Thanks, Jim