August 12, 2002

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

It's a great day here in Orem, Utah! The summer is in full swing. Last week I asked what events were still on your calendar and our current AII President, Jim Corbin....

Even though I am not involved in the daily schedule of home inspection, my mind is still there as I actively try to stay up on the happenings. Keith Schenk, who purchased my business, calls from time to time and we discuss new visual delights he has witnessed during the day or week. New situations always come up but some still repeat themselves. End of summer events...yes, we have them, but a special one this summer. Our daughter has been accepted with a full scholarship and employment for graduate study at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She will begin working on her PhD studies and research in Earth Sciences which is in the area of Astrophysics, Physics, Astronomy and Mars. She is quite excited and so are we. Diane is a very proud Mom. Cathy is my stepdaughter, but I could not be more proud.

We just returned from a week trip to Santa Cruz to secure her a place to live. We also enjoyed the hospitality of Steve Caldwell of Town and Country Home Inspection. He gave us valuable guidance and council for the area. He drove in one morning for breakfast. If you are in the area, he is the one to call for a great visit and stories of Santa Cruz home inspections. We surly appreciated his time. We will be going down again to Santa Cruz on 9/3, but this time we will be pulling a 6'x 12' trailer of household goods, computers and books to get Cathy settled. All this is moving fast with a lot to do in a seemingly short amount of time. It is a great time for parents. I guess we can pat ourselves on the back when great success meets up with our children's hard work. These last few days are filled with family times and bonding times as the "child" is off on another path in her life. Great fun. Jim Corbin, AII 2002 President - Bow, WA

WHAT IS THIS?

I thought it would be fun to start showing pictures of items and quiz you an their name. It is not expected that you already know all of the names, but it is expected that you start to acquire books, magazines, and internet techniques to help you find the answers. Today's edition of "What is this?" is an architectural question.

GARAGE DOOR TALE CONTINUED

Even if our SOP's said "the inspector is not required to test the up and down pressure on a garage door opener" I would test it anyway. From a safety standpoint, as you saw with Michael's son, there is too much at stake. So, I don't recommend amending the SOP's. Jim Lucas - Camino, CA

Jim, even though it was my son who was injured, I believe that it should be beyond the scope to test the downward and upward force of the garage door opener. I believe that we should be relieved of this burden and then be courteous by providing an internet link that clearly describes the testing and adjustment process that the owner is supposed to do monthly anyways. Currently we test them, but do not warn the new buyer to test it regularly. I believe that we should be out of the testing business that when the item fails the test we are somehow expected to pay for the damages...... If we continue to perform the test after knowing the potential results of test failure, then we are just plain stupid..... Just my opinion. Michael Leavitt - Orem, UT

I always tested them using my arm. It has worked for me. Using my arm has saved me a few times when the door began to buckle and I was able to release the door in time. The trick is to watch the connecting arm. I think testing is a good thing but it has to be done with caution. The electric eye is not an issue...it works or it doesn't. The pressure reverse is the one to watch and using a fixed stop presents risks, in my view...even though the manufacturer uses it. I think they use it to test if it works, not if it is set to a light pressure. Jim Corbin, AII 2002 President - Bow, WA

As a new inspector, I would sure like to see the experienced inspectors come together and agree as to the AII inspection method for garage doors that we can then all follow. In reading the posts and from my experience, the main factor is safety first and "standard" testing second. Meaning, just because the garage door industry recommends a 2x4 doesn't necessarily mean it is the best test for our industry. Doug Barkee - Vancouver, WA

Talk about the voice of reason. You are right on the money Doug. I have recommended on several occasions that we remove the test from our protocol, but many others have shot down the recommendation. I am going to discontinue the test and provide the information as I have described up above. I will not fulfill the SOP's on the basis that I see the requirement as putting me at risk. I have had a half a dozen doors buckle or break/bend the opener bar mount from the pressure test and every time I think to myself how stupid I am continuing the process. Providing good information to the buyer is a safer option. Afterall, how many times is this auto reverse option broken? Have any of you seen one fail the test that couldn't be readjusted? I am well versed in identifying the older models that don't have the auto reverse feature and I recommend their replacement. So why must we test the feature? Why can't it be optional?

I searched the CREIA SOP's and couldn't find the testing requirement, although it might be in there. I did grasp on to their clear statement in 11.B.5:

11:B:5 The inspector is not required to operate any system, component, or appliance where damage may occur.

Tell me that the garage door opener tension feature does not fall into that category.

Oregon's SOP's state:

The Oregon certified home inspector shall observe garage door operators.

The ASHI SOP's state:

10:1:A:5 The inspector shall inspect garage doors and garage door operators.

I must admit that I like that a lot better than the AII SOP requirements. It is direct and leaves the inspecting process open. It allows the inspector the room to look at the unit and report appropriately. I believe that our SOP's should mirror this sentiment. This would also allow inspectors the room to test the auto reverse feature if they desire. I say more power to those who want to continue performing this test. When they break another door they can fall back upon the manufacturer's recommendation for the testing protocol. Then they can open their wallet and pay for the broken door just like they are doing now. To continue putting ourself in a lose/lose situation is just plain crazy. The inspector NEVER walks away from the broken door as a hero...... Not even if he pays for the repair.

PHOTO CHALLENGE #11 RESPONSES

The counter flashing on the brick chimney is not installed correctly, and no rain cap is installed. Gary Holzbauer - Junction City, OR

Due to the two chimneys close proximity and equal heights, smoke from one chimney could be sucked down the other. Thus it would be an imminent safety hazard. Doug Barkee - Vancouver, WA

Chimneys too close together. The metal chimney appears to have soot buildup showing inadequate draft. In our area...there is no rain cap on the brick liner that allows rain entry. Jim Corbin - Bow, WA

I have to tell you that I also looked at this picture and scratched my head. It is one of those situations that you know it isn't right, yet you are not sure just how wrong it really is. This first condition that comes to mind is the 10/3 rule. This guideline says that a flue should terminate 3' above any other obstruction within a ten foot radius. But this confuses me because if the steel flue is raised 3', then doesn't the chimney have to be raised 3'. Then if the are both raised 3', then which one gets raised next. This is where I am ignorant on exactly what needs to be done. The sure bet is that this installation needs to be further reviewed by a chimney sweep or fireplace specialist.

Ken Ives was our photo snapper and he gave the following list of items wrong in this photo.......

1) Metal Stack is too close to the first stack, and doesn't conform with the 2 and 10 ratio design (2 feet higher than obstruction 10 feet away)
2) Masonry stack is without a spark arrestor
3) Masonry stack is without a weather cap
4) Most important, masonry stack is not made out of fire clay flu liners, only gunite block and is not fire rated!!
5) Metal stack was added by the seller after he originally found out that the first attempt at a fireplace (built by himself) was not to standards. The metal stack also lacked clearances to combustibles in the attic area.

Ken Ives - CA

Ken said that this list of wrongs was confirmed by a chimney specialist in his area. But Ken's further explanation leaves many more questions than answers. Maybe some of you can answer the questions that come to my mind.

First, is it a 2/10 rule or a 3/10 rule? Where is this rule written and what are the specifics to the rule?
Who determines if a spark arrestor is mandated? In our area we rarely see them. Is this something that each City or County determines? Who should we check with to see if they are mandated?
What does Ken mean by a weather cap? I see the crown, but is there something else that should be there?
I have never given any thought to gunite or clay flue liners. I didn't even know they made gunite liner blocks. Wouldn't a gunite system be a great improvement over the hundreds of chimneys that I look at each year that have no liner system at all? Where would we find out what the current chimney construction guidelines are? If we are looking at a 20 year old unit, how would we know if gunite flue tiles were acceptable or not? If this chimney would have been standing alone (without the steel flue), then I would have been thrilled to see the counterflashing embedded into the brick, the crown is decent, and the brick mortar is not deteriorated on the upper rows. So looking at the chimney as a stand alone item, why is it so bad?

Maybe I should invest the week in Dale Feb's chimney training at http://f-i-r-e-service.com/f-i-r-e-service/

August 12, 2002

What end of summer events are you still trying to cram in?

WHAT IS THIS?

This item sits on the top of a roof. What is it? How do you pronounce the name? Where did it originate? What is it for? Do you see them in your area?

GARAGE DOOR TALE CONTINUED

What is your opinion?

PHOTO CHALLENGE #11 RESPONSES

Who has some answers for me?

PHOTO CHALLENGE #116

In keeping with the chimney theme, what's wrong in this picture?

QUOTABLE QUOTE: "Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching forward." Henry Ford

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