Thread: Hello All!

Hi,
I am a commercial pilot (out of work) and started helping out with home inspections about three months ago. I have a passion for residential construction and aim to eventually build my own house when that is sensible and financially possible

I just wanted to introduce myself and let everyone know that I am new to this field but am constantly working towards mastery. Of course that is a constant process (and I have alot to learn) but I am very conscious of my responsibility and will do everything I can to make sure that I can deliver the level of service to which a client is entitled.

While I'm on that point , on top of the fairly regular hands on experience, I have been reading alot of material , watching videos , going to construction sites as well as spending time at home depot to get acquainted with costs/materials for possible repairs. If anyone could point me in the direction of some free online (or otherwise) sources for general/specific code information I would truly appreciate it. And it goes without saying that any general advice is very welcome.

I have been using this message board as a resource since I started and I want to thank all of the professionals who share their invaluable experience to help all types of people , including those like me who are new to the HI field. I am somewhat aware of the problems with disappearing demand, competitiveness of this industry etc but am dedicated to this course and will see it through until I can consider myself a professional home inspector , in the true sense, no matter how much time and effort that takes. Thank You


Regards

Raghav Singh
World Class Home Inspections
Atlanta GA

Good to have you aboard. Winter Heating Cost Savings & Heating System Repairs - InspectAPedia - Free Building & Environmental Problem Diagnostic & Repair Guides

Welcome
I am also a pilot (privet Instrument) and there are a few others on here as well.
I think that the training you received in producers will be a help to you as an HI.

Anyhow glad to have you here.

Hi ,
Thanks for the welcome and the source Mr. Stephens, I am going to get very well acquainted with that sire over the next couple weeks/months. That's great to hear Mr. Cantrell and I absolutely agree with you. For me setting reasonable goals , integrating theory into hands on practice , developing understanding in a structured way etc were all strategies which I picked up on the way to my CPL as I did not have any previous technical or academic training which could also give someone those techniques

On Monday I will be doing a "mock inspection". I'll do the whole inspection without guidance but my boss will review the final product and revise while pointing out ways in which I can improve or things that I may have missed). I will need to constantly improve but will be bummed out if I flat out miss something serious, at this phase of my training that seems unacceptable. Anyway plenty of prep time for it and I plan to use that wisely.

I look at this as a "checkride" and it really is the same concept as a practical certification review which gives me confidence that I will be able to suceed. Also great that Homegauge is essentialy a very long checklist , so it really does feel like familiar territory in that sense!

Thanks Again!

Originally Posted by Raghav Singh

... On Monday I will be doing a "mock inspection". ...

How did the inspection go?

Originally Posted by Rick Cantrell

How did the inspection go?

It has been postponed and I certainly do not mind the extra time to get ready for it. Thanks for asking , I will update after , hopefully with good news!

Mr. Cantrell , I had the mock inspection yesterday. Went pretty well , took me about five hours. I got the basics and made the right recommendations , but could have made better correlations.

My boss rightly pointed out that there is alot of room for improvement and I need more experience/education but was happy with my performance , in the context of where I am in my training.

Anyway failure is a better teacher than success, was hoping it would go better but realistically know that I'm just not there yet.

Some pics from the inspection. Of course it had to be an old house with a lot of issues , just as there has to be gusting crosswinds on a check ride

These are some exterior pics

There were alot more defects , I'd be surprised if the buyer still goes for this house , much better ones on the market for the price.

Originally Posted by Raghav Singh

...
Anyway failure is a better teacher than success,...

Not always,
how about a:
short field takeoff
engine out landing


Remember, the worst always happens to those who have not prepared.

BTW
Most people call me Rick,
some, Mr Cantrell
and a few call me,...well, don't call me that.

Originally Posted by Rick Cantrell

Not always,
how about a:
short field takeoff
engine out landing

or Spin Recovery for that matter

I know sometimes people put things in photos to provide a reference for scale, direction, etc.

What the heck is the lighter providing a reference to/for/from ???

Originally Posted by Bruce Ramsey

I know sometimes people put things in photos to provide a reference for scale, direction, etc.

What the heck is the lighter providing a reference to/for/from ???

It is depicting the relative vertical displacement between these two slabs. I placed the lighter on the left side of the further slab (on the portion that is cracked off) close to the gap. Though hard to tell in that pic alone it was labeled as such and along with this picture and the written description in the "mock" report, I believe, helped illustrate the defect a little better.

A lighter is 3 inches long , so there is about 2 inches of displacement between the two slabs in the area where that part has cracked off. I believe that this is a safety hazard as well an area vulnerable to further deterioration in general. It did not seem to be caused by anything serious or unusual (no trees in area, probably just a little soil erosion, it was about 5 years old) but I did not communicate any assumptions , just added it to the report recommended that it should be looked at by a concrete repair contractor (aka landscaper in many cases) and be leveled , sealed or otherwise repaired as necessary.

Originally Posted by Raghav Singh

It is depicting the relative vertical displacement between these two slabs. I placed the lighter on the left side of the further slab (on the portion that is cracked off) close to the gap. Though hard to tell in that pic alone it was labeled as such and along with this picture and the written description in the "mock" report, I believe, helped illustrate the defect a little better.

A lighter is 3 inches long , so there is about 2 inches of displacement between the two slabs in the area where that part has cracked off. I believe that this is a safety hazard as well an area vulnerable to further deterioration in general. It did not seem to be caused by anything serious or unusual (no trees in area, probably just a little soil erosion, it was about 5 years old) but I did not communicate any assumptions , just added it to the report recommended that it should be looked at by a concrete repair contractor (aka landscaper in many cases) and be leveled , sealed or otherwise repaired as necessary.

Hi Raghav,
I would recommend using a tape measure next time, even if you can't set it up next to what you are referring to you can still show the tape measure with arrows (like the lighter). That will give a better representation for the client & look much more professional.
Greg

Hi Raghav,

As far as code information, you can get most codes onlinehttp://publicecodes.citation.com/icod/irc/2009/index.htm. THat link may help. Be of luck !

Originally Posted by Greg Hammond

Hi Raghav,
I would recommend using a tape measure next time, even if you can't set it up next to what you are referring to you can still show the tape measure with arrows (like the lighter). That will give a better representation for the client & look much more professional.
Greg

I absolutely agree , if this was a real report going to a client(s) it would look very unprofessional and would rightly make them wonder about the type of service they are getting. I appreciate the suggestion , small things like that go a long way.

Originally Posted by Hans Cramer

Hi Raghav,

As far as code information, you can get most codes onlinehttp://publicecodes.citation.com/icod/irc/2009/index.htm. THat link may help. Be of luck !

Wow! Thanks for the excellent source! Looks like an amazing site , seem like I'll be spending alot of my weekend on it