Sure test 61-165
posted on May 16, 2008 11:03:13 pm
Warning. I was getting a lot of open grounds today. Finally after pulling out the chord low and behold was the round ground insert in the receptacle. Must have been half broken and ready to go. Ordered a new one tonight. Might want to wiggle yours to see if they are loose. Mine takes a lot of abuse.

Open ground outlets
posted on May 16, 2008 10:47:19 pm
How would you best describe open ground outlets at some but not all locations. This is an old 1900's home that has been rewired with modern Romex wiring, no energized K&T was found.

Carpenter Ant Death March
posted on May 16, 2008 10:37:50 pm
Since I'm not exactly swamped doing inspections I headed for the coast this weekend. A rare May heat wave hit the area and the usually cool coast was almost 100 degrees. As my wife and I were walking on the beach I noticed something pretty strange.... Carpenter Ants by the 1000's marching towards the ocean and eventually being swallowed up and drowning. The beach was absolutely littered with them and more were coming as fast as they could. I've lived in Oregon my entire life and have probably been on the beach several hundred times of more and have never seen such a thing. I'm thinking it had something to do with the sudden heat. Either that or they're sick of the political campaigning :) I think with the heat they just went a bit haywire and were heading for cooler places not realizing what they were doing. It looked pretty strange for sure....

Vermiculite insulation
posted on May 16, 2008 10:23:21 pm
I have always mentioned the presence of vermiculite insulation and that it may contain asbestos. I am wondering how many of you just list it as a type of material and don't mention the possible asbestos concern. Here is what I usually put in my reports. What appears to be vermiculite insulation was found in the attic, this type of insulation is common in older homes. This material may contain asbestos, which is a known carcinogen. However even if this material does contain asbestos, it may not pose a health hazard since it's not in a living space. The client(s) may wish to have this material tested for asbestos by a qualified lab, and should definitely do so if they plan to remove it or disturb it through remodeling. Is there a kinder way of describing this?

Garage separation
posted on May 16, 2008 10:02:13 pm
2 car detached garage with one side regular garage and other side finished office type room. Does it still require gypsum board on the garage side even though not attached to residence?

outside intake air vs inside
posted on May 16, 2008 10:01:38 pm
Does anyone have a chart or reference as to the increased efficiency of using outside combustion air on Cat IV furnaces versus inside air (non hooked up combusition air kits)? This would help me settle an issue with a builder who claims its only 1% and helps being fresh air in...yada 3x.

S-trap?
posted on May 16, 2008 09:49:52 pm
This does not look right. Is this considered an S-trap?

Is home inspector insurance required in NYC
posted on May 16, 2008 06:08:43 pm
I am PE and would like to start home inspections in NYC. Does any one know if I am "required" by the city or state to carry any liability insurance to conduct home inspections. Do I need any type of registration with Department of Consumer Affairs or any other regulatory body or simply advertise in the paper and start making reports. Please inform. Thanks

Groin Up Okie
posted on May 16, 2008 02:45:29 pm
Things I learned living in Oklahoma 1. A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road. 2. There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 of them live in Oklahoma. 3. There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 of them live in Oklahoma, plus a couple no one's seen before. 4. If it grows, it'll stick ya. If it crawls, it'll bite cha. 5. 'Onced' and 'Twiced' are words. 6. It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy. 7. 'Jaw-P?' means 'Did ya'll go to the bathroom?' 8. People actually grow and eat okra. 9. 'fixinto' is one word. 10. There is no such thing as 'lunch'. There is only dinner and then there is supper. 11. Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar. 12. Backwards and forwards means 'I know everything about you.' 13. The word 'jeet' is actually a phrase meaning 'Did you eat?'. 14. You don't have to wear a watch, because it doesn't matter what time it is, you work until you're done or it's too dark to see. 15. You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH EM. 16. 'No. Jew?' is a common response to the question 'Did you bring any beer?'. 17. You measure distance in minutes. 18. You switch from heat to A/C in the same day. 19. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal. 20. You know what a 'DAWG' is. 21. You carry jumper cables in your car --- for your OWN car. 22. You only own five spices: salt, pepper, Head Country, Tabasco and Ketchup. 23. The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and motorsports. 24. You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday. 25. You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit 'a bit warm'. 26. You know all four seasons: Almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas. 27... Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite past time know as 'goin' Wal-Martin' or 'off to Wally World' 28. You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chili weather. 29. Fried catfish is the other white meat. 30. We don't need no dang driver's ed. If our mama says we can drive then we can...besides that, we've been driving since the age of 8. 31. You understand these jokes and forward them to your Oklahoma friends and those who just wish they were from Oklahoma.

Oops! Brick siding thread
posted on May 16, 2008 12:34:06 pm
Sorry, my fault for accidentally deleting the thread. Sorry to all that took the time to post in that thread. I think I learned a new lesson about managing the threads and what not to do.

Noisy walls
posted on May 16, 2008 11:07:53 am
I got a call yesterday from a past client (a year ago) who is complaining about occasional popping or banging in the walls of the house. He says it does not seem to correspond to heating and cooling as it sometimes occurs at 5 am, before the sun is up. I questioned him about water hammer and drain pipes, he said it occurs when no plumbing is in use and he does not think there is plumbing in the wall. The home is stucco with few or no exterior cracks and no interior drywall cracks, so major expansion and contraction doesn't seem likely. No evidence of any foundation movement. He says it is loud enough to wake him up. Before I go over next week, any ideas other than ghostbusters?

Cables entering distribution panels
posted on May 16, 2008 10:02:19 am
What are the requirements regarding number of cables entering a panel (per entrance). Five cables were jammed in this single entrance.

Detached garage with no man door.
posted on May 15, 2008 11:42:28 pm
Is a garage required to have means of access other than the vehicle door? Saw a detached garage today with a power opener and only a vehicle door. How the heck would you get in if there is a power or door mechanism failure? Does the IRC address this?

Stucco clearance from roof
posted on May 15, 2008 09:20:27 pm
This home has approx 30" overhang but this appears wrong even if there is step flashing buried. Doesn't ALL siding require 2" space?

Carrier Age and Size
posted on May 15, 2008 07:48:32 pm
Still trying to get used to translating these:) Carrier Furnace serial 4296x89414 AC Unit 0597E16231 On the furace I'm thinking 1996 And the AC 1997 Can someone please verify and also help determine the size. Thanks for any help