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Thread: Wall insulation

  1. #1
    John Binder's Avatar
    John Binder Guest

    Default Wall insulation

    Crawl Space Creeper

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    BC Canada
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    368

    Default Re: Wall insulation

    Why do you need to check it if no any failed sign?


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Caledon, Ontario
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    4,982

    Default Re: Wall insulation

    Sometimes rapping your knuckles on the wall can tell you whether there is insulation, but not quantity or type without removing a cover plate.


  4. #4
    John Binder's Avatar
    John Binder Guest

    Default Re: Wall insulation

    Quote Originally Posted by Raymond Wand View Post
    Sometimes rapping your knuckles on the wall can tell you whether there is insulation, but not quantity or type without removing a cover plate.

    Thanks Ray, always looking for other tricks of the trade! jb


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Guelph,Ontario
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    173

    Default Re: Wall insulation

    With out removing the wall covering,there is no way to determine if the wall insulation is properly installed or if there are gaps etc,even if you knock on the wall or use a camera.
    I would not comment on the R value,unless the insulation was completely visible including the vapour barrier.


  6. #6
    John Binder's Avatar
    John Binder Guest

    Default Re: Wall insulation

    I agree, it is most frustrating not being able to determine even the presence of insulation thanks jb


  7. #7

    Default Re: Wall insulation

    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Louis View Post
    Why do you need to check it if no any failed sign?
    I agree with Peter. I do not report on what cannot be seen except by normal user control, which means, with very few exceptions, no covers are removed. If you report on the condition of insulation in inaccessible areas, do you also report on electrical, plumbing, mechanical and structural elements that are not accessible? Saying you can see insulation at the edge of a light switch box says nothing about the rest of the structure, though such a statement will raise the expectation that the inspector observes through his superior expertise otherwise inaccessible components. Stick with your standards, which, as far as I know, recommend against reporting on items outside the standard of practice. If you took the cover off, why then did you not notice the quality of all the electrical connections in the house? Why did you not remove all the j-box covers? What was so special about the one you did open that guided you to not open all of the rest of them? These are the kinds of questions a lawyer will ask you. If you report above and beyond your standard of practice, be certain to specifically describe, prescribe and defer so that your comments cannot possibly be misconstrued or used as what might be a more technically exhaustive SOP that you lead your client to assume you operate by.


  8. #8

    Default Re: Wall insulation

    I agree with the folks that are saying to stick with the standards. Let an energy auditor speculate what is in the walls. When we go in, we are usually drilling a hole in an out of the way place and looking or removing some siding drilling a hole, looking then patching the hole. If you have a thermal camera, be careful using it. You can create more headaches real quick. You can search this site for a discussion of the reasons. Be safe out there folks.

    Michael Carson
    Inspect It Right Home Inspections L.L.C.
    www.inspectitrighthomeinspection.com

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Southern Vancouver Island
    Posts
    4,607

    Default Re: Wall insulation

    "I was unable to determine if the walls are insulated or not" " these wall are probably not insulated, which would be typical for the age."

    John Kogel, RHI, BC HI Lic #47455
    www.allsafehome.ca

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