January 7, 2002

GOOOOOD MORNING, A.I.I.....

What a long strange week it has been. I found myself getting the inspections done after the New Years celebration as well as made time to travel to Oakland, CA for the marriage of a good friend. Have any of you traveled recently by air? Even the best laid plans for air travel are worthless when it comes to the day of the flight. I learned how NOT to run a business when Delta airlines repeatedly hampered our travel plans.

Shelly and I were set to fly out of Salt Lake on the third at 8:30 in the morning. With the recent terrorist activities it means that you have to budget two to three hours ahead of the flight to just get to the airport and stand in different lines. I just don't understand how the public allows the airlines to continue to show their incompetence. The airlines know how many people are going to show up for the flights and yet they understaff every station along the way and make you wait in long lines. They even short staffed the $8 per hour security staff.

Mother Nature made our trip out of Salt Lake delayed with a rare fogged in airport in San Jose, CA. That's right, San Francisco was not fogged in but San Jose was. We never factored fog into the itinerary and since I was to be a witness for the scheduled noon wedding we were stressed as the flight delays were announced every half hour. My thought would be to get us into the air and it would clear by the time we got to San Jose, but the FCC grounds all flights until their destination airport is cleared for landing.

Try getting off a plane at 11:15 AM, renting a car and then having to drive 45 minutes north to Oakland. Upon landing in San Jose I made the call to let the bride and groom know that we were not going to make it. Shelly and I were very disappointed and we made the trip up to the LDS Oakland Temple knowing that we were arriving an hour late and had missed the event. To our surprise we entered the temple and the good man working the front counter said "I am so glad you made it. They are waiting for you upstairs........" Shelly beamed with a radiant glow to know that they had waited for our arrival before starting.

It was wonderful to watch our young friends Devin and Jamie gaze so lovingly into each others eyes. Watching them brought back all of the feelings of Shelly and I as we had made the same vows back in 1989. Those of you that are aware of Shelly's illness can appreciate what a great experience this Oakland wedding was for me because I had the opportunity to step back and reflect on the days when Shelly was healthier. I was reminded of my great love and devotion for her as my sweetheart, wife, and mother of our children. This may sound sappy, but it is so true. I had a chance to refocus my priorities and see how I could help 2002 be a better year than 2001.

The trip back home to Salt Lake City from San Jose wasn't any better. The hotel alarm went off at 4:20 AM and we checked out, turned in the rental car, and then took the shuttle to the terminal. The day was set and everything was scheduled like clockwork. I was to arrive in Salt Lake City, drop Shelly off, inspect a condo, inspect a 13,000 feet mansion, and then end the evening with another full house inspection. Each of these commitments was crucial because of client contractual deadlines. Knowing this, you can imagine my frustration when we walked into the Delta terminal and read the departure board saying our flight had been cancelled......... What? This can't be........ Why?.... C'mon now the skies are clear and there is no reason why it should be cancelled.

It turns out that traveling and bad weather is a global issue. Who would of thought that a major snow storm in Atlanta would have anything to do with traveling from San Jose to Salt Lake? The reason for the cancellation is that the day prior Delta realized that the pilots and plane for my flight were not going to be able to leave Atlanta. As a courtesy you would think that Delta would have made some effort to call those passengers that were to be affected, but nooooo!

NOTE TO BUSINESS OWNERS: It seems that we have no responsibility to notify clients when we can't fulfill our agreed job. We just need to have a good reason to cancel. This realization will make my business much easier to operate in 2002. Instead of leaving the house on those snowy morning I can just not show up. Once my client shows up and chases me down I can just tell them that I'll reschedule it for another time. Maybe later that day, maybe next week, but surely within the year. It also turns out that I can get them to prepay and then just keep their money so long as I perform the services within a year. In fact, I'm sniffling right now so I think that I will just cancel Mondays schedule and get to it in April after the weather is a little warmer. As far as keeping the food on my table, I'll just make sure to get them to prepay....... Ahhhhh...... Life is going to be a lot easier from here on out.

We finally did get back to SLC and I started my schedule at 3:30 instead of 10 AM. The big mansion inspection was lost and I was still in the field till way after dark. That is the price we pay to travel during the middle of the inspection week and still keep money in the bank account. I hope that you inspection schedules are strong and that you can be a success in your inspection efforts.

AII PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS

Hello to all of the AII membership. Happy New Year! It is my pleasure to take the helm of the American Institute of Inspectors for the upcoming year 2002. I have some large shoes to try and fill in doing so, but I have the good fortune to have the backing of a lot of experienced professionals to assist.

We have come a long way in the last few years. We have built this organization up from a less than desirable size and tentative stability to one that is financially stable, growing in size, and with definite goals to attain. Our Executive Director, Betty Buckley has done a tremendous job in organization and establishing a basis for growth. Our past President, Bill Schwahn has established base line guidance for our direction and formed committees to support that growth. Our current Chairman, Ron Cloyd, is a strong motivating leader that keeps our focus strong and our future potentials in focus. Enough cannot be said to the remainder of the outgoing leadership for their dedication and work. Our past leadership got us going and we continue to strive to be the best Home Inspection Professional Organization.

I am proud to be able to serve this organization. With all the above said, we still have ever changing needs and ever changing goals. There are committees to support and some to form so that we can continue to accommodate change and needs. I will be promoting this work in the coming year. Each of us has witnessed the benefits of our organization and shared in the fruits of “others” work. Each of us needs to become a part of this work for the benefit of us all. I, and others, will be asking for some of your time to become part of this work…AII Officers, Board Members, Committee Chairpersons, Committee members, etc. With a little time from each, we will all benefit. When called to lend a hand, I urge you to get involved. By getting involved in small ways, you will learn a great deal and large jobs become manageable. Your time in providing leadership to the organization will be appreciated; but we all must help. I would ask your positive response to requests.

I wish you good fortune and inspecting in the coming New Year. Thank you for this opportunity. Best Regards, Jim Corbin - AII President – 2002

It tells me that who ever installed it was stupid, or worse. That looks like a 240 GFCI breaker. The green wire is being used as a current carrying (hot) conductor, a big no no. Could get some unsuspecting workman killed on the other end. Jon Gudnason - Placerville, CA

Looks like the Green wire is used as a hot lead and the White wire is on the ground. Good observation on the inspectors side. Alan Muenzel - Sandy, UT

PHOTO CHALLENGE #85 FEEDBACK

How would you report this condition?.......

Here comes the mold.... Alan Muenzel, UT

I would say that the plastic has everything to do with the trapping of moisture and resulting mold / rot that is visible. What is on the other side of the framed wall? There is obviously a moisture source from somewhere. Reggie Ayres OR

I would say that I found evidence of moisture intrusion and recommend the source of the moisture be identified and corrected along with any damaged material. I would also say that damage could extend into concealed areas and that the extent of work would not be known until repairs were in progress. I would also suggest a mold investigation.

Here is a good question for discussion. What do you say when you find a reportable condition that some other inspector did not report? I simply say that I don't know why they did not report it but this is what I have found. I try and avoid bad mouthing the competition personally, even if they are incompetent. When you bad mouth someone else, the person you are talking to may wonder what you would say about them when they are not around. I talk about incompetent inspectors as a group, rather than individuals. You are almost always better served by talking about your own abilities and strong points than someone else's bad points. In this case there could have been stored items or a book shelf or other similar thing in the way that prevented the other inspector from seeing the condition. Jon Gudnason - Placerville, CA

Mold is now a reality in our reporting process. I know that most of you do a good job of disclaiming mold in your service agreements and your reports, but you still are on the front lines of the mold discovery process. Here was the discovery of the attic sheathing over the recently insulated garage.

I was the first person to see the growth and I had to come back down the ladder and share the findings. Please put yourself in my shoes and tell me how you would lead the conversation with the client. I'm most interested in where you draw the line on your observations and what you then recommend as the course of action. It would also be interesting to know what you would have said a few years ago verses what you would say today. Michael Leavitt

SHINGLE BUCKLING

Does the way a shingle buckles tell us anything particular?One way is when the edges curl up and then there is the bubbling up in the middle section..... Does it buckle up in middle because of any specific reason? Greg Justice - OR

Center buckling is referred to as "Fishmouthing" and is generally caused by roofing over a wet surface. Horizontal buckling and curling in and under is generally a sign of aging and ultraviolet ray deterioration. Fishmouthing is aesthetically unpleasing but not as serious as horizontal shingle buckling - Generally a sign that the roof fails and should be noted for replacement. Ron Hungarter - Larksville, PA

Thanks for the answer. Now does this mean the fishmouthing may be due to excessive moisture in the attic? This home yesterday was a manufactured house 1991, of course with no attic access. Greg Justice - OR

Generally, manufactured homes are constructed indoors. If this one was not and the sheathing was wet, you have your answer to the fishmouthing - but if it was dry, I do not know. Generally, moisture in an attic does not create fishmouthing - which is my current understanding. Consider posing this question to some of the techies at some of the shingle manufacturers. Ron Hungarter - Larksville, PA

This was a manufactured home: I replaced a (one to two years old) roof due to excessive moisture buildup in it's attic. The owner had the old roof replaced by a local contractor. Soon, the ceiling inside (celotex) started showing stains, then water dripping. Much of the ceiling was damaged and some of the exterior walls paneling too. The original contractor got tired of trying to >chase< the leaks and never bothered calling the owners back. (That is when they and their insurance company called me.)

During my invasive inspection (as a contractor), I found that the original roof had been stripped complete, ice and water shield installed over the original sheathing to a 100% coverage. To this they installed the roofing. No felt was installed and They did not address venting at any time.

I opened the ceiling up at the wet areas. Inside it was as if I had suddenly been dropped off in the middle of Texas or Oklahoma in August; major humidity and gallons of water beaded on to the sheathing, trusses, insulation and the roofs fasteners. It, literally, was a greenhouse in the attic space. There was standing water in some locations due to the plastic barrier manufactured homes install prior to the insulation placement. Most of the fasteners were rusting heavily.

Here is what I and my roofing contractor know had happened. The ice and water shield created an impermeable barrier; no water in and no water could get out. (If you were to turn this home onto its top it would hold water like a fish bowl with minor leaks here and there, except through the ice and water shield.) Homes put off gallons and gallons of moisture into the living space from sinks, showers, toilets, dishwashers, wood stacked near the wood stove, etc. The moisture had NO place to escape too, except for the attic. We know the ceilings had a visqueen or vapor barrier installed below the insulation. However, it allows for moisture penetration (to some degree) due to the laps being open and the many fasteners used to secure it and the ceiling product in place. To the moisture from the living space you can add cold weather outside, warm weather inside and the roofs sheathing was the first sponge it came in contact with when it could not escape. Next the insulation and then the celotex ceiling finish.

This is how we provided venting to an otherwise difficult situation: We stripped the roofing off of the home and left the ice and water shield in place (just try and remove that stuff after a season or two). We installed 2 x 4's flat over the existing trusses (24" centers and following the truss up and down its length). We cut large vent holes at the bottom and near the ridge between each of these 2 x 4 sleepers to vent the original attic space. To these we installed new sheathing, flashing around the perimeter of the roof (this hid the additional sheathing and provided a coverage for the continuous soffit vent that we installed) ice and water, felt, continuous soffit and ridge venting along with new comp shingles. This gave the home a 1 1/2" space between the old sheathing and the new. The original attic could displace heat and/or moisture to this new cavity and dispel it out the ridge vents. It has been 6 years now and it works like a charm. (We have used this method on several places with great success; cathedral ceilings in stick built homes too.

This was a very profitable project for me and very costly to the other contractor (The insurance company chased him to pay them back.)

BTW, we believe that ice and water shield needs a felt installed prior to the comp roofing due to the differential expansion of the products.

So, was all of that as clear as mud? Steve E. Dansby Portola, CA

Fish mouthing, or lifting of the shingles along the middle front edge, can also be caused by the fasteners not being driven down all the way. This is also referred to a "high" nailing or stapling. It can result in wind damage because the shingles do not seal down properly. Over time the high nails will wear a hole trough the shingle above. Jon Gudnason, Placerville, CA

Ron Hungarter then passed along the following website that shared the following roofing flaw questions and answers. The site can be found at......... http://www.emcobp.com/en/3_0/3_3/3_3_4_3_result.asp

APPEARANCE ISSUES:

What are the black streaks on my roof? Usually visible on North-facing light-colored roofs ranging from five years old, discoloration or streaking is sometimes mistaken as dirt, moss, or granule loss. It is actually caused by algae growth that propagates in areas of the roof that receive less direct sunlight, and thereby retain a higher level of moisture.

Although most noticeable on light shingle colors, the algae affects all asphalt shingle roofs, including darker colors. The discoloration caused by the algae is in no way indicative of a shingle defect. This is an aesthetic concern and will not harm the shingle or shorten the life of the roof. The algae discoloration is difficult to remove from roofing surfaces, but may be lightened using various solutions.

Note: Cleaning the shingles is a temporary solution as it will eventually grow back due to higher humidity levels in areas of limited exposure to direct sunlight. The cleaning process will have to be repeated every few years.

Why are the shingles bubbling or bumpy? Blistering will generally appear within 2-3 years of product installation. Small rash blisters, 7mm (1/4") or less, will not normally affect the performance of the shingle. Larger blisters, often up to 2.5cm (1") in diameter, can shorten the life of the shingle as they often break exposing the underlying components of the shingle.

Causes include trapped moisture, inadequate ventilation of the attic, excessive use of adhesive, or the use of non-compliant adhesive.

Why are my shingles doing the wave? Buckling shingles will be humped or wavy, usually running in a straight line up, or across the roof.

Causes:

Deck or felt movement often caused by varying moisture levels in the material under the shingles. The shift will cause the nails to move in accordance with the deck forcing the shingles closer or farther apart depending on the situation.
Improper nailing - nails will 'pop up' creating the buckling effect.
Shingles nailed too tightly together.
Thin decking (3/8") over 24" centers can be the cause due to clips, meant to hold the decking in place, coming lose or coming off.
Improving the attic ventilation, removing fasteners and refastening or replacing distorted shingles are some possible solutions.

My shingles don't have a consistent color. Why? Color variation of asphalt roofing shingles is normal and unavoidable. It does not affect the durability of the roof in any way.

Causes:

The application of more than one production run, which is cautioned against. (Production codes are printed on each bundle produced by EMCO Building Products).
Talc, used to prevent shingles from sticking together, sometimes transfers onto the next shingle. It will wash away with the rain and normal weathering.

Why are the corners of my shingles turning up? Curling is generally caused by excess moisture attacking the underside of the shingle.

Inadequate ventilation causes heat and moisture to build-up in the attic. This will eventually penetrate the roof deck and cause the shingles to curl. Improving air circulation can stop the progress and rectified the situation if not too advanced.

Why are there sections of my roof where the shingles are buckling or puckering? Fishmouthing looks like buckling but is usually random on the roof. The front edge of the shingle is raised, and tapers back into the shingle. It does not usually affect the durability of the shingle, but should be addressed.

Causes:

Moisture build-up in the attic can cause wetting & drying cycles in the shingles. Improving attic ventilation can prevent this.
Installing wet shingles on a dry day, or dry shingles on a wet day will almost guarantee the appearance of fishmouthing.
Nails that are 'popping' out can also cause fishmouthing. Simply correct the position of the nail.
Those areas that have been affected can be sealed down.

January 7, 2002

AII PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS

CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVING

SPA PANEL PHOTO RESPONSES

PHOTO CHALLENGE #85 FEEDBACK

SHINGLE BUCKLING

APPEARANCE ISSUES:

PHOTO CHALLENGE #86

What would your response to the builder who made his name in Southern California and is now learning to do it in Montana's below zero winter climate!

QUOTABLE QUOTE: "The most important ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people." Theodore Roosevelt

The Most Qualified Inspector in Northern Utah!

[Michael Leavitt's Home Page | Back Issues of the MMM | Current Issue of the MMM]

Copyright; 2002 * Michael Leavitt & Co * 1145 N. Main St. * Orem, UT 84057 * 801-225-8020