It is a great day here in Orem, Utah. June has arrived and the 90 degree temperatures have filled the air. The attics are hotter than Hades and the roof coverings are scorching. I hate it when you have to wear gloves as you mount a roof..... One touch of the shingles without gloves and the hand gets scorched.
This past week was an incredibly busy mix of personal and professional activities. Our oldest daughter, Jessica,(10) put on a special family program for the family on the Utah Pioneers. In the picture you can see all of us trying to take a bite out of the last piece of our homemade Johnny Cakes. The homemade honey butter really helped to improve the taste of the cornbread-type of creation. Little Aaron and I lost out on the battle for the last morsel due to our distance away from the prize. Notice the good-looking chompers on the other four Leavitts.
After little 6-year-old Adam graduated Kindergarten last week, he was immediately off to Brigham Young University to attend their basketball cub camp. He loves basketball because of the non-stop action. He was one of the shorter kids on the floor, but he has a tenacious attitude towards defense. In the final game of the week he was assigned to guard this little terror wearing number 43. Adam received the assignment and quickly smothered this other player with defense. The other guy never even got his hands on the ball as Adam matched his every move and had his hands up and constantly moving. At one point the other little kid was heard to say..... Quit it! I can never get the ball...... to which Adam just covered him that much harder.
Adam learned the following while attending camp........ OFFENSE - Puts people in the seats! DEFENSE - Wins championships!!! When you say to Adam the word Defense he immediately strikes a defensive pose and yells loudly..... "DEFENSE - I Love It!" Adam learned that you can play defense anytime the other team has the ball.... It is a full-time job on the opponents end of the court.
I think that Adam's learning at BYU basketball camp can be directly applied to our marketing strategies in our own Inspection businesses. How well do we play defense? Do we know our competition? Are we matching their every move? Do we anticipate their next play? Do we ultimately win the championship? Or are we more concerned about our flashy offense and getting fans into the seats? Like many street ballers we can sometimes spend too much time on our flashy offensive dunks and not enough time on our defensive intensity. While it is true that it takes both offense and defense to win, concentrating on just one or the other will surely bring defeat. If we leave our kingdoms unmanned while sending our armies out to battle, our vulnerable castles will quickly be overtaken.
THANK YOU NOTE: I hope that all of you sent thank you e-mails to Scott Merritt for his contributions to last week's MMM. Thanks again Scott. His e-mail address is smerritt@cwnet.com and I am sure that he would love to hear from you.
I received the following e-mail this week from a new Windows CE user. It was funny to me because the challenge that they were having was one that I had forgotten that I had to previously tackle and overcome myself. Instead of taking the same time to call this individual and step them through it I resolved to write out a detailed explanation that can also help out all of you as you make the CE plunge.
Michael, I have all the ingredients to start using my CE E-115 but can't get my form sets or target directory set correctly to send them to the CE. I have sent an e-mail today to Donna at 3D, who got me this far. My question to her is how to make the target directory default to the one I want. It keeps reverting back to the Program File where the 3D software is at and not the 3D for CE area. Thought you might be of some great help since you are using this or have used it in the past. Please, if you want to take the time, e-mail me with some dates and times and a phone number where I can call you, home and office. It really should not take more than 15 or 20 minutes. Thanks in advance, Cary Sandmeyer
Cary: Congratulations on your Casio E-115 purchase. Although I don't believe we have met, your name is very familiar. I think that Carl Fowler has mentioned you to me before.... Did we meet in San Diego earlier last year??? Anyways..... to your CE question comes this long and involved response that I believe will get you through the CE synchronizing learning curve.
For some reason the 3D program defaults back to the directory you mention. That is an oversight on Charles' part that they will resolve with future versions of 3D. The challenges that you are having probably have very little to do with 3D. Instead, they are a much bigger Microsoft synchronizing challenge that can be quickly overcome.
First, you must set the 3D for CE folder compile directory to the specific folder that the Casio created inside the My Documents desktop folder. I can't remember the name because I renamed my Casio unit the Dream Hand and named the compiling folder the same thing. Once you select it the compiled 3D CE form set file will go there and it is the ONLY file folder that synchronizes with the handheld......
Hold it..... I'm assuming that since you have the Casio E-115 that you have Active Synch 3.0..... If not, download it from Microsoft..... No wait.... That is standard on the E-115 but not on some older units. Do you understand the overall Microsoft CE synchronization process??? The handheld unit does not synchronize with every folder on the desktop. Instead, it synchronizes to one folder only. You cannot manually just create a new synchronization folder on your own. Instead, you have to check off a box in the Active Sync program and it will create the synchronization folder. To do so you must tinker with the Active Synch settings. By doing so this special synchronization folder will be created on your machine....
CREATING THE SYNCHRONIZATION FOLDER
Once this is completed you can reset the 3D compile directory to the new folder and each time you click on the Compile CE version it will send the compiled form sets to this folder. Then when you synchronize the machine it will look to this folder for new stuff.
CONNECTION SETTINGS
Going on the pretense that you may be having difficulties synchronizing in the first place and also guessing that you are trying to use the serial port cradle instead of the more advanced infrared, you must verify the following......
OTHER TIPS
Once you start synchronizing files here are some other precious valuable tips.
NOTE: If you still have trouble synchronizing File Folders from your desktop I found the techies at Casio to be extremely helpful. They can be reached at 1-888-204-7765 during the week.
I've been through all of these challenges several times over and unfortunately I had no one to call upon.
Time is a precious thing and my CE consultation technical support rates are $200 per hour. I believe that the directions I have shared with you should get you through the process just fine.... I will be resharing your question and my feedback with others making the same CE venture via my weekly online Inspection and CE newsletter called the Monday Morning Messenger..... My sharing with others your struggle and the steps to success make your inquiry account Paid In Full.
Check out my website if you want to subscribe to the MMM.
Have a great CE experience!
Michael Leavitt Orem, Utah Peaceofmind@TheHomeInspector.com www.TheHomeInspector.com
Ken Jones posted the question..... Can someone give me the minimum and max. heights for the automatic garage doors electronic eyes...... Also, with reference to the inside plastic panel of a microwave door (the clear plastic part) can it have a small pin hole in it and still be safe? The outside glass is intact. The glass is getting condensation between the glass and the inside panel. Newer unit??? Would this be cause for the unit to leak hazardous cooking rays. I don't know if the inside panel provides better protection then the outside glass pane. Thanks, Ken Jones
Jon Gudnason was quick to respond with..... Ken, The electronic eye should be installed within six inches of the floor. There is no minimum height. Six inches is the maximum. When I see them installed too high I simply state that the electronic sensor should be installed no higher than six inches above the floor for child safety. Some people would prefer to protect their cars rather than their children. Go figure.
I don't know about the microwave. Call an appliance repair shop. Jon Gudnason - Placerville, CA
I would also like to take you back just a year ago to the May 17, 1999 issue of the MMM. Steve Dansby was the main instigator of the informative discussion. Let's revisit the discussion where the following was shared........
Steve, thank you so much for taking a photo of this unsafe Harvey Homeowner installation. I have encountered this about 6 times in the last 4 years. Most of the time it has been this obvious....... Who did the installer think they were kidding?
I encountered the latest jerry-rigged installation about 3 weeks ago. Instead of being out in the open, I found the eye beams mounted inside the above attic. I talked with the owner and he had done the installation. I recommended to him to install the eye beams properly and he blushed. He had forgot that he had done that. His reasoning was that he had intended on redoing the drywall in the garage and he did not want to have to deal with the wiring until the job was complete. His story seemed legit because the garage had been converted into a recording studio and there were holes everywhere. As usual though....... He never got around to doing the drywall job. Now he was going to have to get the job completed to restore the firewall protection and restore the garage door opener electric eye beam protection.
Now I will take the quiz from Steve........
http://www.liftmaster.com/ResidentialHome.html
Your garage door opener has two safety systems. The first and most apparent is The Protector System® which is located 4 to 6 inches above the garage floor on both sides of the door. To test the sensors, first open the door, then place a carton or an item that completely blocks the opening of the door. When commanded to close, the door will not move more than an inch and the opener's light bulb will flash for 5 seconds, equaling 10 flashes. Removal of the carton or item will allow normal operation. If the safety sensors become misaligned or obstructed, the garage door can be closed by pressing and holding the wall door control button until down travel is completed.
Secondly, the opener has a built-in automatic reverse system that should reverse upon striking an obstruction.
After adjusting the opener, always test the safety reverse system. We recommend repeating this test monthly.
Place a one inch board (or 2 x 4 laid flat) on the floor, centered under the garage door. Operate the door in the down direction. The door must reverse upon striking the board. If it does not, refer to your owner's manual, speak to one of our technical service representatives by calling our S.O.S. HotLine® at 1-800-528-5880, or call your local Lift-Master Authorized Dealer. Failure to pass the above test could result in serious injury or death.
Please remember to repeat this test once a month.
The above information also answers the question that we have had on the A.I.I.™ Inspector Hotline recently of how to test the downward force on garage door openers. Some have used the hand method. Some have tried the foot method at least once. The commonly referred method is the roll of paper towels. I thought that the duct taped roll of paper towels was going to be recommended at the LiftMaster website. Instead, they say to use the "2x4 on the floor in the center of the door" testing method.
The question arose because one of our members used the hand method and broke the top portion of the door. Another mentioned derailing the door with the roll of paper towels. Neither of these tests are recommended here. So here is my question to all of you..........
If we use a test method that is not recommended by the manufacturer and we break something in the process, then how do we have any right to not pay for the damages incurred???
If we are going to safely stay underneath our Umbrella of Protection, then shouldn't we keep our testing methods in accordance with those recommended by the manufacturers??? If the device breaks when we are following the recommended testing method, then we have every right to use the "Not Responsible" disposition expressed so well by Steve Dansby.........
Cathy: Should you pay? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Why?
They (the Sellers, Buyers and Agents) should be grateful that this happened during your simple, non-technical, non-destructive (typical) test--especially the Sellers. I would point the finger toward the person who illegally installed the door and its mechanisms. HE/SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ENTIRE FAILURE. Lucky for that person it was not a child who discovered this defect.
Just because YOU were there and touched something, no matter what ITEM, it doesn't make you responsible for "its" action. If it fails, as this certainly did, then it was due to an illegal, improper installation. If you walk on the roof to inspect its condition and it has some challenges, such as a soft spot, and you happen to identify it with your body weight breaking through, do you owe them a roof repair? NO!
We are "The Testers" of systems. If they fail before, during, or after our inspection we are no more responsible for their repair than the buyer is. It is the Seller's home and their responsibility--either directly or indirectly--to check the person who works on their home (like a garage door installer). Now if you backed into the garage door and caused an "accident" then yes, you would be obligated to pay. But certainly not for doing your job. You are not going to impress anyone by taking this responsibility on. You may make it easier on the Agent(s) and Seller, but the reward for taking on someone else's liability is foolish and could make you look foolish, unprofessional and certainly a scape goat.
TIP: (I "never" test a door with my hands and neither should you or anyone else for that matter.) Take a new roll of paper towels, (preferably a stout heavy type like the ones you would use in the garage for cleanup or washing car windshields), in 3 sections place duct tape around the towels to secure it. Now, when you test the garage door's reverse mechanism you first place the roll on the floor (locate it under one of the panel's struts for strength to the door and maximum pressure on the roll) and then press the button. This method simulates the size of a child's body (neck) and it is a consistent test method each and every time. If the reverse is in good working order it will back up. If not, it will remain on the towels until you push the button to release the door. Works well and "you haven't touched the door" if something goes awry.
I had a garage door come off of the tracks last week and it broke the top panel and came off track (using the button on the overhead operator). It required a technician to repair (whom the Agent contacted) and that is what I put in my report "Recommend further evaluation by a licensed overhead garage door technician due to..." and I stated in my report what had taken place. The Buyer was there, but not the Seller. Did I pay to have it fixed? Why should I? I didn't create the situation. The sellers did through their lack of maintenance. I did leave a warning note regarding the door; that's it. Personal responsibility over and done--correctly I might add. Good luck! Steve E. Dansby - Portola, CA
Steve Dansby then further clarified his position with......
Folks, I am not writing this to defend my position. I believe that we must venture into this question of liability further in order to understand it more clearly.
I must add this, too! If we are going to assume the responsibility for items that fail during or after we perform a home inspection, we leave ourselves open for the "deep pocket" potential. (Bad PR) We place ourselves on a slippery slope when we have the attitude that taking this responsibility is good PR.
If it was not our responsibility, we may open ourselves up to the bottom feeder Agents--not good, you know, the word gets around. We are an underpaid industry as it is. Giving away our fee, time and energy each time this happens can put us out of business quickly. If we spend 3-5 hours on an inspection and the fee is, let's say, $300 +/-, and something not your fault fails, good-bye money, time, etc.,followed by depression or at least a bad day.
If we are truly responsible for an action, then accept it and move on. However, if we accept someone else's responsibility then we are being foolish. Foolish with our time, money and education. With that reasoning, we should be willing to pay for any and all of the challenges that we "recommend for further evaluation" in our reports. After all we exposed the conditions. (Silly, huh!?)
As to the paper roll vs. the arm test: I defy anyone to guarantee that they can take each and every door they test and use the same value of resistance each time. Every door is different in its makeup and manufacture. Some are extremely light (cheap) and others can be extremely heavy (typically wood). You cannot possibly identify what is going to take place using this method, unless you check prior to operating the door all of the hardware, connectors, springs, runners, wheels, weather-stripping (if any), supports and, of course, the overhead operator.
Heck, we cannot even tell if the overhead operator is going to fail at the moment we hit the button. (I had a unit that stripped the gears at the time that I was inspecting it. My fault? Why? Yes, the door operated fine until that moment; lucky me. I said, "Have a service tech out to identify the condition of the operator and let me know what he says." You guessed it-- old age. Plus the insulated door was too heavy for the Stanley 1/2 hp, it was time for replacement. Just because I was there doing my job did not make me responsible. Heck, it made me the hero to the Buyer and the Seller understood--eventually. Best of all, the Broker/Agent was pleased in the manner that it was handled. I digress.
Anyway, I encourage you to consider or reconsider the paper towel method. This is a consistent testing method. It does not vary in resistance one day to the next as we can, depending on our testosterone. Imagine Woody Allen vs. Arnold Schwartznegar (?) in testing resistance. Would you say that they would test them the same or not? Food for thought, I hope. Steve E. Dansby - Portola, CA
Last week's Photo Challenge picture was a classic Harvey Homeowner at his best. This past week revealed another Harvey "Professional Contractor" Homeowner picture. I was amazed after reading some of the responses as to what you noticed in the picture.
Jim Corbin from rainy Northern Washington checked in with the following......
Hi Everyone...It is now Memorial Day and the SUN has finally arrived! For most, though, it merely lights the way home better.
The installation in the Photo Challenge shows a drain line that has obvious "deferred maintenance" in the upper section requiring Plumber TLC. The lower section of the white plastic is "open ended" into a black PVC drain line. This, also, requires repair as the open line allows odor from the sewer/septic line to come back into the room and, possibly, splash back during heavy drain times. The Hot/Cold lines appear to be galvanized below the coupling and gray hard plastic pipe above the coupling with no block valves visible. The plastic connected to the coupling suggests less than professional installation...the ones I see either are broken or are leaking at the thread line due to overstress of the material. Without block valves, minimizing any leaks or flow at a break would certainly be difficult. Recommend further evaluation and repair by licensed Plumber.
SIDE NOTE: Oh, your question on setting jetted tub nozzles??? Yup, I did that and it took all 4 of my old bath towels (emergency wipe-up items) from my truck to tidy up. I did learn, though, and have not made the same mistake again}..... Jim Corbin - Bow, WA
Jon Gudnason made the following observations..... Besides the obvious duct tape leak "repair" I see that this drain pipe also has the dreaded S trap configuration, is not properly vented, and was obviously not installed by a professional. I live in California so I can only say that the wood cabinet materials are damaged. I can't say that there is any rot. I hope that is not an electrical wire running through the back of the cabinet. I don't see any angle stops on the supply pipes. Could that be the deadly black mold at the upper right hand corner of the picture or is it simply "mildew"? Better have it lab tested.
Since I can not inspect other parts of the home, I can only speculate on the following conditions. I will qualify the comments by saying that it "appears that" or "looks like" the larger galvanized pipe in the back of the cabinet was the original drain pipe and is not properly terminated. I don't think that is an approved pipe cap. The existing drain dumps into a piece of ABS with no fitting to seal the connection! This may be going to a gray water drain. We see a lot of that here in the foothills. If the ABS drain goes to the sewer or a septic tank, then there is the possibility of venting sewer gas into the cabinet. This is a potentially explosive situation. Methane gas you know.
I would report that the plumbing under the sink was unprofessional and substandard. I would recommend the advice of a qualified plumber for repair recommendations and cost estimates. Jon Gudnason - Placerville, CA
Steve Dansby also gives a strict warning about the hazard of sewer gases........
Duct tape; you got to love it! Wait 'til I slip on my respirator to continue. Now!....
* CAUTION: This allows the sewer gases to enter the living area which is an imminent hazard to some individuals. RECOMMENDATION: It is strongly recommended that you contact a licensed plumbing contractor to evaluate the installed system for repairs and/or replacement. I, also, would encourage the buyer, in some cases, to fill the oversized holes (around the plumbing) with steel wool to aid as a restrainer for unwanted rodents/pests. BTW, is that little brown cord, slung across the back of the cabinet, a dishwasher pigtail? Steve E. Dansby - Portola, CA
Thanks to those who responded..... Now to those of you who didn't respond........ Even a simple "How ya doin', Michael, I have no specific clue what to report!" Would be appreciated. So we will now give you another chance to redeem yourselves with this next Photo Challenge.
This week's AII™ Photo Challenge is a multi-photo edition. I would really appreciate your comments on the pictures. Please refer to them by number in your comments. The set-up is as follows.
The home was built in 1966, occupied and I was asked to perform a regular Home Inspection on it. I showed up and first viewed a 3-level split with scaffolding around the upper previously aluminum sided portion of the home. I was assured that the work would be completed before closing by the owner who was also a General Contractor. The man was currently raising 10 kids with his wife in this 1700 square ft, 3 bedroom 1 ½ bath house. There was not one inch of the home that was not cluttered or completely worn out. The old phrase.... "A herd of elephants has run through this house" applied to this structure in full.
NOTE: Even if you are not an EIFS specialist the pictures should still reveal quite a bit..... Please share your feedback with the rest of us!
I shook my head when I realized that they were in the progress of installing EIFS where the siding had been. I ask the Eagle Eye EIFS specialist to share their observations (Both good and bad) that photo 2 reveals.
This is a view of the rear upper window that is about to be upgraded to a vinyl unit.... What does photo 3 tell you has been occurring???
Look at this underside of the overhanging upper floor. What faults does the photo 4 reveal?
Look closely at this unfinished window installation. What classic installation faults can you identify in Photo 5?
"What are your observations?"
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