It's a great day here in Orem, Utah! The Doctor spelled my condition "Bronchitis," which to me was a great relief because I thought that he was going to spell it "Pneumonia." For some reason, the "B" word sounds so much better and easier to cure. This left me bedridden for much of the week...... I needed the time off badly. This week it is back to the salt mines.
I would like to touch on a topic in the computer literate world that drives me whacky..... The question is whether or not you like Palm handheld devices or Windows CE. These fanatics in the Palm world treat the topic as a Holy war. I have been wrangled into the conversation far too many times to find any enjoyment with the topic. Which operating system is better?..... It is simple to me..... Whichever platform will provide me the software needed to perform my Home Inspections...... What's that you say? The Palm world has no software offerings for Home Inspecting?..... Then who cares about a Palm machine!?!?
The first time I entered this war of religions was with Russ Coulliau at the CREIA conference last January. He was fanatical over the practicality of a Palm Pilot. To him and all of the others --I send you to my opinion above. What most Palm Pilot lovers that approach me don't understand is that I have been through this conversation for years with the Macintosh and Windows debate. I personally don't love either, yet I use both. I use a Mac when I need to design graphics because they are the best at graphics. I use the Windows PC for everything else because the software is available. One day I will find myself using a little Palm Pilot, too, if they offer something that I need and can't get it through the Windows CE platform. So stop the Holy War!!! Let's just use the computer gadgets that best help us to produce the finest Home Inspection reports to garner the highest possible inspection fees.
Next week's MMM will require a NEW PASSWORD to access. This means that the old password will not work. This also means that you will need to flush the cache in your computer next week when you try to access the new edition. As you try to access it you will simply put in the new name and password. Those of you that try the old password will be rejected. Not to fear, if your AII™ dues are current or if your MMM subscription is current, you will be notified via e-mail next week of the new access words. For those of you that are not notified there could be many different reasons........
AII™ MEMBERS - If you are a current AII™ member and you do not receive notification next week of the new password, please contact Betty Buckley to verify your dues payment and membership status. She will then tell me to restore your name to the list.
INSPECTORS AT LARGE - If you are not an AII™ member, then you may be a guest reader and we encourage you to subscribe to the MMM - Click Here for details. Guest readers are granted short term access..... If you have liked the MMM so far, then by all means, subscribe today!!! If you are a subscriber and you do not receive the new password next week, please contact us for details. In our efforts to keep our e-mail addresses up to date we sometimes make mistakes.
AII™ HOTLINE - On the same but different note, many AII™ members have been late in paying their dues. As a result ,their privileges to the MMM and the AII™ Inspector Hotline have been suspended. If this has happened to you, it can be cleared up with a simple phone call to Betty Buckley at 1-800-877-4770. As the AII™ Executive Director, she makes the decision of who stays on the list and who is removed and I simply carry out the orders.
My "Go Ahead And Book # 11 On Saturday" rationalizations drew numerous quality responses. It seems that the ability to say "No" is not only difficult for me, but for many of you as well.
Reggie Ayers shared this sobering perspective...... It depends on several things. When is the next open date? How has the agent treated you in the past? Are the clients willing to pay a little extra for overtime? When is the closing date? Etc. Sometimes it is easier to work overtime during the week than a Saturday. If one starts a little early, skips lunch, and works a little late, three are not so bad. The thing about passing an inspection opportunity is that the revenue is forever lost! That can be a sobering thought for the self-employed inspector who is now riding the wave of a booming real estate market. What happens when the Feds bump the prime a few points? Bingo! Then we will all be wondering where our next dollar will come from. I remember the 80's when interest was so high, they could hardly sell a house.
PS. Where else could you make a couple hundred bucks before noon on Saturday? Reggie Ayres
.... Good question Reggie!!! It is amazing how many people in the world pray for some ability to increase their cash flow by a couple hundred dollars, yet they have no ability to do so. We truly are blessed with the ability to make money in our profession, but this is where the greed can do you in. At what point do you cross the line? At what point should you say "No" so that some of the other Inspectors in your area can get a call, too. Okay, so that is where the paranoia sets in.... See below for our solution to this dilemma.
Betty Buckley also responded with.... This would also be a tough call for me, Michael. Just coming back from vacation with re-enforced resolutions to limit the work I do in a week, I probably would have offered to do it at my next opening, just to see how it worked. But, I agree those nice, high dollar homes are pretty tempting. I am in a similar situation, trying to cut down my field inspecting time and spend more time in the office. It is very hard to put inspections off when I have worked so hard to build this business up. I guess I'm still experimenting with this. Keep us posted on how this is working out for you guys. Betty Buckley - OR
You've got to love Steve Jordan's lengthy response. Remember that the question was "Would you stick to your guns and say NO?" to which he responded directly...... "NO!" Steve Jordan - OR
Ron Cloyd has the opposite view..... Michael, you know me. I would have said 1000 times no! Life is short, so don't waste it working when you don't have to. I know you don't. More vacations and time spent with the children, who will soon be leaving the nest. Ron Cloyd - OR
Jon Larson shared his views on scheduling..... There is no way that I would have said "NO" to this inspection. But, I'm one of those inspectors cutting their teeth on this profession. Just yesterday I came in from a hard day's work only to get a call. Can I do a late night inspection? I started at 5:00PM and finished just after midnight. (This was 1880 built home.) I can't relate with you on having to many inspections but I do know that I sure like looking at these old homes. I'm afraid I'd have to do a Saturday even if it was the day I returned from an Inspection. (Looking forward to being in your shoes.) Jon Larson - Utah
Chris Burkhardt, also from Utah, shared this view.... It must be very nice to be so busy and sought after that anyonecould even consider saying no. Are you busy bees hiring? Chris Burkhart - Utah
Jim Corbin also shared..... Hi Michael, I have been in similar situations. Only a few have left no choice but to inspect on Saturday. Usually I can talk the agent or client into a late afternoon, in summer, or the next day. I have also referred them to another AII™ inspector to the south when it was down their way. Most of the time, though, the agent has respected the Saturday. I think that if the agent is a "How High" agent, the thinking turns to accomplishing the inspection on Saturday. Time, place, situation all play a part to form our good judgment. Have a great day! Jim Corbin - WA
Jon Gudnason responded just after him and I had a lengthy phone call where we discussed many things including the fact that during part of the year I encounter the white stuff which prevents a good view of the home's exterior components.... Michael, Just go out and write "white" on as many items as you can, after all, it was snowing. It is so much easier to say "No" if someone else is answering the phone. I guess I would have found a way to fit an inspection of that description in if they had called me personally. Jon Gudnason - CA
Jon brings up another great topic: Do you answer your own phone or do you have somebody else book your inspections? Does the shear fact that you answer the phone get you into trouble because you have a difficult time saying "No!" Jon has been fortunate for the last several years because he has not personally booked his inspections. Jon owns an Inspectech franchise and all of his perspective clients and "How High" agents call the Inspectech office and their professional schedulers field the calls. All Jon does is let them know which days and hours he will be working and they do the rest. If he is booked out 2 weeks he never gets the calls pleading for the emergency inspection directly.
Saying "No" is very difficult when you have worked so hard to be in the position to say "Yes!" A few months back, the pressure was relieved off my shoulders when we hired Kristy to help book phone calls. With Kristy being trained by Shelly, I found that they were almost always in the office and I rarely was being disturbed on inspections to field calls. This is a great stress reliever. So.....
"What are your thoughts? ?"
Your Name: Please include your name or else I don't know who it is from.
Have you ever stopped to evaluate your clients to see what their real motives are? Are your clients really in a bind when they ask for the special favor? Or are they spoiled to the point that they think that everybody else has to jump when they say so? Are they putting you in a bind because they failed to schedule with you earlier? Do they view you in the same light as the late night pizza delivery service? Do your clients respect the fact that you have a life, too?
When I first started in this profession, I would inspect anywhere at almost anytime. Due to the Utah environment I have never been asked to inspect on Sundays (taboo), but I have been out there during the week till midnight and at 6 AM. The majority of these rush inspections came from Agents and not the clients themselves. At that time I needed every penny we could earn and I was afraid that by saying "No" to the sometimes ridiculous requests that I would lose the inspection. When it was an Agent asking the favor, I learned to be inquisitive to determine if it really was an emergency. For example:
So what really is the cause for the emergency? Is the client just excited and they can't wait for the findings? Or has the scheduling of the inspection just been a very low priority and they expect you to be the slave, uh , I mean the servant, uh no, that's not right either...... the serviceman, and fill their wishes. These are typically the same caliber of client and agent who think nothing of calling you 30 minutes before the inspection and cancelling. Why?..... they won't tell you on the phone but it is usually because they found somebody else who could do it for $50 less.
How do you view yourself in the profession??? Are you the professional consultant who works normal hours? Or are you the serviceman who can perform an inspection at any hour? Have you ever felt the latter while you were trying to cultivate the prior? Shelly and I have struggled with this for a long time and then we found the Achilles heel of most people asking for special favors...... Money! That's right..... M-O-N-E-Y. We started setting a ridiculous $100 extra fee for late night, rush, and Saturday inspections. It is amazing how many clients are willing to wait for the next opening when they realize the extra expense. So why don't we use that phrase more? Did you know that it is difficult to tell people that there is an extra fee for late nights, rush, and Saturday inspections? Shelly and I need to be more committed to the added fee philosophy and have the phrase "There is an added $100 fee for (Late night, Rush, or Saturday) inspections. Are you sure that the inspection time frame can't be modified to fit into our next available opening?"
The last comment from me on this topic right now is that many people who call us are not familiar with how an inspection business is set up. Many perspective clients immediately treat us like we are a pizza delivery service with 12 inspectors sitting around the office waiting for their call. They expect us to be free and able to climb into our vehicle immediately after hanging up the phone. This comes from their inexperience with the Inspection Service industry. This is where a little patience comes into play as we explain to them what realistic expectations are. The unrealistic expectations are also reconfirmed as they call other Inspectors out of the phone book who are truly sitting their waiting to grab their keys and leave for their first inspection of the week.
Since the inception of our business, both Shelly and I have made it a point to always sound, look, and act as if we are busy when a client or Agent is involved. Our motto was to always give the impression that we can work them into the schedule. Before long, this was actually the case. When clients would call and the schedule was wide open we would tell them that we had a couple of openings left throughout the week. After learning of their morning or afternoon preference we would then offer them 2 different days. I can think of nothing more embarrassing than when we were training Kristy to book inspections and she gave the impression that there was nothing booked and that the Agent could choose any day and anytime. When she did this she lowered our perceived professionalism and relinquished power to the Agent. This created an "anytime, anywhere" perspective in the mind of this Agent and when they call back the next time they will be expecting to dictate when the inspection will be performed.
We have found that it is better to create an image of a 1 to 2 week waiting list. This allows great relief to the Agents when the inspection can be performed sooner. It is very difficult to be a "grab your keys" inspector and then find people disappointed when you are booked out several days. When clients and Agents perceive you as busy they appreciate you working them into the schedule. When they are thankful that you are working them in, they are much less concerned about the higher inspection fees. On the other hand, when they perceive you as a drive-thru McDonalds they are much more concerned about the "Price" of the Happy Meal.
Last week's photo was an interesting one dealing with the much larger topic of Indoor Air Quality. Here are some of the responses:
I see a plywood floor with plywood truss with liquid nail and real long rusted nails that missed the wood. Looks like there was a water leak with mildew on the beam as well, or a slow water leak that is still leaking. This could also be the outside wall next to the beam with rain water leaking in. Alan Muenzel - UT
Moisture, water damage, and fungus stuff. Ken Jones - CA
The sub flooring nails have missed the TJI's. There also appears to be some mold growing on them. R (Did Not Sign Full Name)
Reggie Ayers shared: It appears that the crawlspace has a severe moisture and lack of ventilation condition. I see fungus and delamination in both the plywood subflooring and the manufactured BCI joist. Was the floor insulated,and removed for the photo? Check out the rusty nail alongside the joist. Rusty metal in the crawlspace should always be a sure sign of excessive moisture condition. Was there a vapor barrier installed? Once fungus gets started between the laminated plys it is almost impossible to stop. All structural integrity is lost. Reggie Ayres
I left the topic of the photo wide open because I didn't want anybody to be tipped off to the bigger issue. I thought it interesting that many of us Home Inspectors separate what we do from what we don't do and we don't comment on what we don't specialize in. Before I ramble on, here is what I mean. I spoke with Bill Schwahn who is the sender of this photo about the scenario involving the shot. He mentioned that the mold was a big issue.
Stopping myself in time, I quickly assessed how much information I do share with my clients about molds. My Service Agreement clearly states that I do not deal with Indoor Air Quality issues. My Inspection Report clearly lays out that I am not responsible for concealed damage in wall cavities. In fact, here is what it says..... The insides of the wall cavities were NOT evaluated. We are limited to visual signs on the outer wall surfaces and cannot see through the walls to detect concealed water damage, concealed molds, concealed wood destroying insect damage, concealed wood destroying organism activity, or any other concealed conditions inside the walls. The evaluation inside of the walls is possible using destructive discovery and boroscopes, but this is not a service offered by our inspection firm = WE DO NOT PERFORM DESTRUCTIVE DISCOVERY.
So what do I report when I do encounter molds.?.... Suffice it to say that I have previously severely under-reported their potential for damage. Thanks to Bill Schwahn my eyes have been opened and I have changed my ways. Here are the details of this past week's Photo Challenge.
Michael,
Following are the details of the Photo Challenge:
The building I inspected was a condominium constructed in November 1999. Upon entering the crawl space I noted that all of the crawl space vents were closed. The gas Forced Air furnace was located in the crawl space almost in the center of the building. As I began looking at the perimeter of the foundation walls I noticed mildew buildup at the rim joist where the insulation had fallen down. I then inspected the floor sheathing and the manufactured floor joists and noted a mold growth on the floor joist and at the joints of the floor sheathing. Upon further evaluation of the framing I estimated that approximately 85% of the framing members were contaminated with light mold. I took digital photos of the contamination to document the conditions of the molds, and location of the contamination. The conditions were perfect for mold and fungi growth
My Standard Terminology with molds, fungi, mildew: Noted mold growth in the crawl space in the following locations:_______________________________-. We recommend further evaluation and testing by Montana Microbiological of this home to determine the extent of contamination. Or No visual evidence of mold, mildew, or fungi growth was noted in the crawl space area at this time. Next, Montana Microbiological did a complete analysis of the home. Due to the fact that the gas Forced Air furnace was located in the contaminated area there was speculation that the furnace may have distributed the mold spores throughout the home. All of the furniture, bedding, carpeting, drapery, and hard surfaces were tested and it was determined that the contamination was limited to the crawl space. Had there been contamination of the cloth furniture, bedding, drapery, or carpet, they would have had to be removed from the home, as there is no current effective way of removing the mold spores from cloth. Next, the clean-up began in the crawl space. A local firm that had been trained by the E.P.A. completed the clean-up. The furnace and ductwork were removed from the home and cleaned. The framing members were cleaned with a HEPA vacuum with a sander on the end of the hose. Once cleaned, the floor joists were cleaned and treated to prevent growth. An indoor air quality monitor was in use at all times to insure the contamination was not spread throughout the home. Finally, a final testing was conducted to insure the contamination was removed.
TOTAL FEE: In excess of $25,000.00 just for the cleanup. The owners of the condo association decided to have the condo across the street tested and found similar conditions. Now all 75 condos are under investigation. Remember, if you see molds, fungi or mildew to note it in your reports. Contact your local Microbiologist or the E.P.A. for more information. I will send more information on this subject as it becomes available. Bill Schwahn - MT
What would have happened if Bill had not recommended further evaluation of the mold issue by an EPA-trained mold specialist? For instance, what if he had just stated there was inadequate ventilation in the crawl and the vents were blocked = Recommend further evaluation by a crawl space specialist? I'm wondering how many of us have shied away (through ignorance) from recommending further evaluation by EPA-trained mold specialists. Bill's scenario puts molds right up there with failed foundations, leaking EIFS systems, and basement leaks from underground springs. These Reportable Conditions are potentially big dollar ticket items. These are the topics that can quickly become lawsuits. MOLD is a bad four letter word. Bill said that the topic is quite simple to Home Inspectors...... There are no good molds or mildew when it comes to the structure of the home. Add to the structural damage the incredible amount related to health care for those occupants that are sensitive or affected by molds and this is a major topic for Home Inspectors.
As a side note, I spent 3 hours this week trying to find a local mold specialist and all I got on the phone were hokey Alpine Air Machine sales distributors.... So how do you find a good microbiologist or EPA mold specialist in your area???..... More to come...
"What are your thoughts on molds and Bill's condo scenario?"
September 27, 2000 - For Immediate Release - CPSC Hotline: (800) 638-2772 Release # 00-190 - Contact: Ken Giles - (301) 504-0580 Ext. 1184
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers in California that certain gas-fired horizontal forced-air furnaces manufactured by Consolidated Industries (formerly Premier Furnace Company) present a substantial risk of fire. There have been about 30 reports of fires and damage to homes associated with these furnaces, as well as failures of burners and heat exchangers that can lead to fires. The furnaces were installed exclusively in California.
Consolidated manufactured approximately 190,000 of these furnaces from 1983 through 1994 under many different brand names. Most of the furnaces were manufactured under the Premier/Consolidated labels. All of the furnaces can be identified by the fact that they are equipped with steel control rods installed above the burners. These steel rods were required to satisfy California air quality regulations for nitrous oxide emissions.
Many of these furnaces are still in use. Normally, the furnaces are installed in attics, although some may be installed in crawl spaces.
The Commission is warning consumers to have their gas-fired furnaces inspected by a licensed heating contractor to determine whether the furnaces are subject to this safety alert. The contractor also should determine whether the burners and/or heat exchangers of units are damaged, or whether wood under or near the furnaces shows signs of damage, such as charring or blackening. If this is the case, the furnace should be replaced immediately or repaired.
Because Consolidated is currently in bankruptcy liquidation, the availability of repair parts is at this time unresolved. However, there is on-going private litigation which could enable consumers to recover at least some of their out-of-pocket expenses for replacement or repair of the furnaces.
Suggestions for improving the fire safety of all horizontal forced-air furnaces in attics are:
For additional information, consumers should contact CPSC's toll-free hotline at (800) 638- 2772.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. For information on CPSC's fax-on-demand service, call the above numbers or visit the web site at (http://cpsc.gov/about/who.html. To order a press release through fax-on-demand, call (301) 504-0051 from the handset of your fax machine and enter the release number. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov. To establish a link from your web site to this press release on CPSC's web site, create a link to the following address: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml00/00190.html.
Look closely at this garage subpanel installation. Do you see anything out of whack??? The prize for the first correct response is a 7 day, all expense paid cruise to see Glacier Bay in Alaska.
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