Bob 's Blog

ASHI/InterNACHI Merge

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:57:25 -0500

I guess we all new it would happen some day.

Home Ownership Housing Counseling

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:37:06 -0500

With all the business being generated by Foreclosures one would think those of us in the industry should care less about those foolish enough to sign Adjustable Rate Mortgages,without understanding the possible consequences.

Luckily there are people that care ,and a city service which helps people whom were the subject of predatory practices.

Many Real Estate professionals have donated time, to help homebuyers educate themselves on the many asspects of Home ownership.

The Department of Housing

The Department of Housing provides a range of services designed to:

Improve availability of Housing
provide access to public and private resources
effect public policy

Part of the city services provided through this department are Housing counseling centers.

They assist first time buyers who need pre-purchase counseling
They explain the home buying process to all that wish more knowledge of the procedures
Give advice to all those whom are behind or at risk of being behind in Mortgage payments

I was privileged to be selected or invited to attend a first time Home buyer counseling session and provide insight into the Home Inspection process and hope to continue doing so in the near future.

These are all our future clients and should not be overlooked.

Here is a shot of Minister Frankie Freeney at the Noble Neighbors counseling center.

Located at 1345 n Karlov 773-252-8524

There are other centers throughout the city.

She is holding up an example of predatory lenders advertising.

One year anniversary for this little known group on Active Rain

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:58:35 -0500

Home systems their components and report descriptons

The first time I saw Active Rain I signed up and started this group one year ago today.

Please stop by and say hello.It is needing a good inspection.

Group started on 3/15/07

http://activerain.com/groups/homeinspectionreport

Extension cords through walls

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:12:20 -0600

When performing the electrical portion of a home or condo inspection. I'll occasionally run into cases where the property owner knowing nothing of electrical systems decides the best way to power up appliances is through the use of an extension plug.

Use of an extension plug record in and of itself is not a big problem. As long as they are temporary.

The key word here is temporary as extension plugs are not meant to be used as permanent wiring solutions.

When I see an extension plug has been run through a wall. I know it is not meant as a temporary solution and not only that but I consider it extremely dangerous.

Extension plugs need lots of air to dissipate the heat that surrounds the conductors inside the covering. And when running them through walls and ceilings, doorways or through floors. The heat can build up and spark a fire.

I doubt if even Lloyds of London insurance would cover this in case of fire.

Notice that cable was brought up through the wall probably to connect the television set on one side with component video equipment on the other side of the wall.In this particular case there was a fireplace on the other side with no built-in electrical outlet.

When running any electrical extension cord device always make sure to check the tag and see that it is UL listed, also check the label on the cord to see the extension cord is able to handle the amperage of the appliance it is connected to.

Manage my home

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:43:53 -0600

manage my home

That is the title of one of the newer sites out there worth checking out.

It is actually sponsored by Sears.I found out about it in Friday's Chicago Tribune.

It has a place where you can sign up for home maintenance tips and a monthly news letter.

There are some great sections on the site such as one where you can Q&A with technicians They also have another section with illustrations and info on systems and components .

The site even has a search bar where you can enter model and serial numbers of

appliances to get a manual.

So if you get a chance be sure to save the link and check it out.

Chicago Home inspector (up to ankles in water)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:41:22 -0600

A few days ago I decided to take a shower upon waking up as per normal routine

when I noticed my feet were splashing around in a puddle.

I did not think to much of it till it seemed to actualy be getting to the edge of where the shower door strip is located ,which did not take long

Not only do I like to take long showers , which last untill the hot water is gone from my 40 gallon hot water tank,

but the shower stall floor is only a couple of inches deep , and was built in that way buy a previous owner

who actualy went to the trouble of forming the shower stall floor with cement and an epoxy based coating.

This is great since if you ever had or took a shower in a typical cheap stand up shower stall that they often sell at a DIY center such as Home Depot , Lowes , or Menards you would notice that the PVC type material they are made with has a tendency to retain dirt which is hard to scrub off.

I believe this occurs due to the small scratches which embed them selves through scrubbing and regular use.

Any way I could see the water was ready to over flow on to the bathroom floor , Home inspector (up to ankles in water) and I jumped out of my hot comfotable shower to grab a plunger figuring I could dislodge what ever was stuck there .

Well the plunger did no good at all and I had to dis continue by shutting off the shower only to smell , the toilet.

Turns out I was pushing waste right out of the bottom of the base rim where the toilet touches the floor.

Ok here is part of the story I did not mention as of yet.

My shower and bathroom that I was using is in the basement and if you never had

a basement shower the one thing different

about them is the fact you need something called a ejector pump

My first thought was oh no something got caught in the pump and clogged it up.

Well once dressed and having mopped up the mess with bleach so as to dis -infect, I went straight to the utility room where the ejector pump is located.

I listened for a humm indicating that the impeller was stuck which is a little propeller like devise which sucks up the waste and grinds it before pumping it up to a level where gravity can do it's job and flow it out to the public sewer .

No noise upon which I grabbed my trusty voltage ticker and found there was juice getting to the plug for the pump.Then I took my volt meter out just to confirm I was not picking up stray voltage.

Well I could have opened the sealed basin or pit where the ejector pump sits , but could not see much point to doing so as the problem was either the pump itself or a float which you may compare to what sits inside most toilets and has a simular function.

I called a local plumber that had been used before.Good guy I had used several years ago and found by accident when driving to work at the time as I was running late the day a basement had flooded after a hard rain in the early morning.

He came out with his son and wasted no time getting the cover open ripping out the old one and replacing it with a new one.

Took just over an hour and $450.00 later I was up and running back to normal.

see pics below for an idea of how these things work.

Buying a house or Condo (consider pet safety)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:00:55 -0500

Hi Everyone... the picture below is not for the weak hearted ,but is what got me to thinking about pet safety.

When I have time during the day ,which is often early morning or late afternoon I often feel like getting out of the house and off the computer.

Sitting around staring at the screen combined with my increasing age (turn fifty this month) (yes I am getting fixated on that fact) has caused my weight to balloon from 180 to 220 in the last few years.

Everyone says I look good (but I know they are lying).

Anyway my favorite way to relax is to grab the bicycle throw it in the back of my van and head for the Forest Preserves which here in Chicago is very extensive with many miles of trails right in our backyard.

On my way out to a favorite spot (not far from O'hare Airport) I saw what I thought was a dead dog laying on the curb outside a major food store here.

Turns out it was this deer, as there is an over abundance of them spilling out of the woods in the area the last few years.

Anyway this got me to thinking about pet safety and if you love your pet, and wish to keep it safe at home there are a few things to consider while shopping for a House or Condo.

#1- Household Chemicals

Pesticides, fertilizers, paints, antifreeze, household cleaners, and other chemicals can pose real dangers to your pet. It's best to prevent poisonings from happening in the first place by keeping containers tightly capped and stored out of reach, but if your pet should become poisoned despite your efforts to protect him, keep him warm and quiet, look for clues to what type of poison it was, when it was swallowed, and how much was swallowed, and call your veterinarian or nearest poison control center immediately. If you take the animal to your vet, remember to take along the container so your vet can treat him effectively.

This to me means take a good look at the cabinets while going threw the place and picture your animal trying to get in at whats inside them.

You may need to child proof with one of the many latch devises out there.

#6- Accidental Falls

Did you know that each year thousands of animals die or suffer injuries in accidental falls from high places? Terraces and window-ledges, in particular, can be very dangerous, especially in warm climates where doors and windows are often left open for long periods. Keep your pets safe. Never leave your animal unattended on a balcony, and install tight-fitting screens on all open windows. Even with screens, windows should only be left partially open in case your pet manages to push against the screen and knock it out.

#15- Pool Safety

We've all heard about the danger to small children of having a swimming pool in your backyard, but animals are at risk for drowning, too. Many pets drown each year in backyard swimming pools, especially puppies and kittens. If you have a pool, or if you live alongside a body of water, it's best to put up a fence to keep animals out. If that's not possible, teach your dog how to get out of your pool by placing the dog in the pool with you, and guiding it to the steps. Do this repeatedly until the dog can find its way out of the pool unassisted. And review the lesson twice a year. Remember, too, that not all dogs are natural swimmers. If you take your dog to the lake or out on a boat, consider getting it a doggy life vest. They're available in a variety of sizes and can save your dog's life.

Those gates are not only a good way to protect your older pet from a fall but as you can see in the picture will also keep them from rooms where they do not belong.

I hope it is one more thing for my clients to think about during my inspection of their new House or Condo.

Let me give credit to two sites http://www.animalrescuetv.com/safety.html

http://www.petacular.com/products/Pet-Gate-G14.html

Anyway I know in the big scheme of things we sometimes for get about the furry guys.

Here is my cat. and yes I love dogs but feel at this point I need to devote more attention than I am able to give.

Is brick veneer the real deal?

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 23:12:43 -0500

Is my brick house real brick?

A good alternative title might be what is brick veneer ?

Back in the good old days when homes were built with brick it served as the structure for the home.

In today's home brick is still used, but not for Structure so much as for appearance. In other words, you can think of it more as a siding. The actual structure of a home built with brick veneer is normally that of a wood frame. So basically what this means is that the brick does not support the house, but the House supports the brick.

Another good question might be why do they do it this way and not just build the whole house with brick? Like with most things nowadays cheaper and faster.

There is one benefit to all of this however, and it is the third reason for building this way, which is the fact that they are easily insulated and thus more energy efficient than a simple brick structure. Yet another good question may be how long will it last? The answer is that depends on how well it is constructed. See the diagram below for an example of how a brick veneer wall is constructed. Keep in mind when constructing brick veneer, Only one layer of brick is used

As you can see above the one layer brick wall is tied to the structure and supported with its weight right on top of the foundation which has been planned ahead of time. The architect has to plan for the approximately 4 inch width of the brick plus a one-inch space behind which will allow the wall to drain moisture that gets behind the brick. As you can also see from the diagram above, the wall behind the brick has a moisture barrier, allowing the water to drain onto the bottom and away from the structure.

The water drains to a series of weep holes that are placed along the bottom row of brick, and also above windows and doors which also have a series of weep holes while sitting on steel lentils, which help prevent deflection and thus cracking of the mortar.one problem that is common is for bricklayers is to drop mortar into the one-inch cavity. Thus blocking easy exit of moisture through the weep holes. The dropped mortar retains the water longer, thus possibly allowing the possibility of mold to enter the home via mold spores, which can rise up and into.

Most homes will have weep holes, approximately every 24 to 36 inches max. Another important part of the brick veneer is having the brick ties appropriately spaced. The brick ties are important and seek not only to keep the wall from moving yet allow slight movement. The reason for allowing slight movement is due to the fact that the wood frame expands and contracts at a different rate.

Break ties are embedded in the mortar between bricks and nailed into the wood studs. Normally they are placed approximately every six or seven courses of brick on a vertical plane. Horizontal, they should be embedded into every stud.

Hopefully this information will help you understand little bit about brick veneer walls and is not meant to be technical so much as informational.

(diagram done with serif draw plus four and photo scape by Bob Elliott)

Balloon Framing (not mortgages)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 23:29:02 -0500

For anyone who missed it the Chicago Sun-Times real estate section featured an article on balloon frame houses published Friday, July 27.I found this article especially fascinating due to the fact the author Tom Corbett attributes Chicago being the fastest growing city in the world during the 19th century partially due to the innovation of balloon frame housing.

As a Home Inspector I need to be aware of this kind of property as do other Home Inspectors.

Balloon frame housing is not typical anymore and was slowly phased out during the early part of the 20th-century.

however there are still thousands of examples throughout the Chicagoland area despite the fact many of them have been bought up and torn down for new homes.

The big feature with balloon frame housing is that the studs go from sill plate all the way up to the rafters.

The main reason a lot of them had been replaced by platform framing is due to the fact since the choice to go from top to bottom this leaves a big cavity of airspace were fire can travel quickly and may have contributed to the Chicago fire.

Another bad feature considering today's energy concerns is all that airspace produces a chimney like effect drawing hot air up and out

Since the studs run from top to bottom they can often be recognized for their square rectangular box like appearance.

One way to combat the fire hazard and energy inefficiency is to blow insulation in the cavities between studs thus preventing fire from spreading so rapidly and helping solve the energy problem.

A couple of the reasons people would prefer to keep the structures rather than tearing them down are for one thing the wood is higher quality and for another thing you can easily adjust the floor height by moving the joists up and down in between the studs since it is not platform dependent this can give you what a world of possibilities during rehab.in other words many of these are two flats but can be converted to single-family homes with cathedral ceilings. Kinda cool in my opinion.

The article read led me to want to research more about them and one of its things I discovered was this was initially called Chicago construction until the 1870s.Some research by me has suggested balloon framing was first developed by a Chicago carpenter named Augustine Taylor in the 1830s.in other articles I researched suggest it was invented by a Chicago carpenter named George W. Snow in 1832.

Other articles suggest forms of this balloon framing were built previously however anyway you look at Chicago probably gets the credit.

My credit in research goes to Chicago Suntimes,Dept of Agriculture,PBS,and the encyclopedia of Chicago History.org.Illustration below is from uwec/education.

----BOB ELLIOTT

Win money now ! (scratch cards online a new marketing tool)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:04:08 -0500

Yes this is for real.

There is now an online version of a lottery style scratch card which can be downloaded to attract visitors.

If you visit my site you will find it right below my Active Rain link.www.chicagopropertyinspection.com

Proud Dad

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:47:40 -0500

My daughter got married in San Diego on the fourth and I just want to share a few pics of a proud old man.

Where in the heck does time go.

I hope they have a wonderful life filled with joy.Her husband built that alter on the beach which is kinda cool since I dabble in rustic art myself.

Super Inspector

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 08:27:05 -0500

Is this how some agents see Home Inspectors?

This is a submission from Lania De Mer

Funny

The Mother of ALL Home Inspections!!!

All right. Buckle your seat belts! With the arguably litigious society in which we live, I'm sure this will be a post for you to keep and perhaps share with your fellow professionals. I, for one, will never forget the lesson I learned today. Today's home inspection will forever change the way I look at home inspectors and the way that their extensive training can help us to gain a perspective that every real estate professional seems to lack.
I arrived a few moments early for my buyer's inspection. (In Colorado, inspectors have no way of getting into the home unless an agent is there to give entry). Within minutes, I noticed a banana yellow Pinto, (vintage of course), pull up to the curb in front of the property. The door magnet on the car read, "We Inspect Em' Till You Reject Em!" It had a scowling smiley face logo as the dot on the exclamation point. I had a feeling this was going to be a long day.
As the door of the vehicle swung open, I heard what I thought was "walkie-talkie" conversation coming from the inside. That's when I noticed the eight foot long ham radio antenna extending from the roof of the inspector's vehicle with the scowling smiley face antenna topper to match his logo. As my buyer pulled up to join us, I remember thinking, "How can that antenna possibly stand up? It's taller than the inspector would be if he were standing on top of the car?"
Anyway, we made introductions as the distracted inspector proceeded to open his trunk and pull out extensive equipment. He hunched on a black flack jacket that contained all sorts of tools and testers with blinking lights and curious instrument covers.I'm estimating it's weight was somewhere in the proximity of 20-30lbs. After that, he strapped on the LARGEST tool belt that I had ever seen and began randomly, "drawing" flash lights and laser instruments and testing them for battery charge. It was a sight to be seen. Then came the hard hat, non-latex powdered gloves, protective goggles...did I mention the thousand candle helmet light? (I know it was a thousand candle because he said, "yep, this baby shines a thousand candle into the blackest hole you want to face...").
I opened the door and tried to let him know that I would be sitting at the kitchen table, but he turned to my buyer and said, "Shhhh. I think I detect and In-ful-tra-tor on these premises..." My buyer said, "No, it's Lania, she was just saying..." "SHHHHHHHHH!! Now let me tell YOU something Sunny Jim...YOU are MY client. Not this, this...real estate person. I don't see em'. I don't hear em'. And I don't take referrals from em'. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"
My puzzled buyer looked at me and shrugged. I was concerned to say the least, but you have to be careful now adays. My buyer had chosen this inspector from the yellow book because I was afraid to recommend someone specifically. I didn't want my buyer or anyone else to think I would steer someone to a home inspector. I just acted like it was silly behaviour and rolled my eyes. I took my place at the kitchen table. THEN IT ALL BEGAN.
The inspector addressed the buyer. "Prior to your arrival, I secured the perimeter of the premises and did a preliminary inspection of the exterior components to determine which check points would be in need of further examination upon your arrival." My buyer looked puzzled. "After which, I have determined that a limited assessment of said exterior components warranted further investigation by a qualified roofing contractor, a qualified siding contractor, a qualified pest specialist and a qualified structural engineer. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have the grade looked at by a landscape contractor, but I'll just make a note about that and you can decide weather that would be a maintenance item or you'd feel more comfortable having the Forestry Society come out and look at that dead limb on the cottonwood back there." He snapped his gum.
As they stepped into the back kitchen door toward the area where I was sitting at the table...it all came down. The inspector began running the dishwasher and disposal, flicking on and off lights, testing stove burners and THEN he came to the refrigerator...a red flashlight popped out of the holster with one hand as the surgical face mask swooped up with his other hand and snapped into position over his nose. "I think we've got us a code 19 here. Now wait... quiet...let me just check this out to make sure before I jump the gun...no it's a 19ER! A 19ER!" A walkie-talkie jutted out of the flack vest..."VERN, come in VERN, this is G-MAN 7, Over..."
"G-man 7, This is Vern. What's yer' 20?"
WE were starting to panic. My buyer was obviously spooked now, "What? Is it mold? Is it black mold? Should we leave?..."
Inspector G-man 7 gently but firmly motioned toward the door with his talkie and flashlight, "It's for your own good, just go outside and await further instructions."
I had had enough..."WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"
"Mam...you are a non-entity to me. However, in the interest of kindness and humanity, I will tell you that I believe this perishable sustenance container is contraband because of a tampered serial number and may have been placed here by an enemy of our Mother Country..."
"The refrigerator?" I asked.
"Yes, if you must use laymen's terms...the refrigerator. This serial number has been altered with what appears to be a .5mm Sharpie of the early 90's vintage."
"SO?" I knew I was pushing him over the edge, but I didn't see how an altered serial number had anything to do with national security."
"OHHHHH YEAH. You SMUG real estate agents have all the answers don't you? WELL YOU JUST LISTEN HERE MISSY...In a MOMENT, this place will be SWARMING with FBI, AFT, and ALL OF THE IMPORTANT Governmental initials I can think of. VERN is gonna blow the lid right off of this here farce you call a home sale deal. This house is sliding down a hill that is sliding down a neighborhood that is melting off the PLANET and you and the listing agent are trying to cover it all up with a little stroke of your Sharpie pen...WELL I WON'T BE PART OF IT!!!
Suddenly, I heard helicopters and what sounded like voices echoing through bull horns. Through the front window I could see the SWAT team surrounding the house. Agents in Hazmat suits rolled through the kitchen and covered the fridge in an aluminum looking bubble wrapper and wheeled it out on a dollie. I was told I'd be contacted later by the authorities should they need more information.
My buyer decided to wait on buying a home right now. He said, "There's just too much that could go wrong...I just don't think I'm ready for this."
Who are the super sleuths, yielding their fiery gizmos and gadgets untold? The sheer depth of their wealth of knowledge often wasting away, dormant and untapped? A veritable fount of wisdom and knowledge which speaks narrowly a fraction of its luminosity to its vast black subject. Engulfing daily, deeper into the cavernous beast of the residential resale home. They are the unspoken heroes of the cornerstone of our society. The heroes who dare to delve into the deepest, darkest crawl spaces of humanity...the inner workings of the abodeous beast. They are Certified Home Inspectors

Thank you Lania

Posted by Bob Elliott on 06/13/2007 12:01 AM

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Links for inspectors

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:22:53 -0500

Hi ..Because I truly enjoy the members of the inspection forums hear at Active Rain I'd like to share my list of links.

I have included this link at a Wiki I just started and would love if someone returned the favour and added cool ones that are not known by me.The Wiki is the homeinspectionpbwiki.com site.Links

Condo Inspection (agents assistance)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Fri, 25 May 2007 14:13:35 -0500

Hi to all...I am find that a substantial percentage of my inspection business is coming from the condo market and believe it or not you guys are an extremely important part of my job.

I pride myself on going out of my way to do the best job possible which can sometimes cost me money (read as time consuming)

The reason is I do not as a whole usually charge for a go back.When I do an inspection I do not develope tunnel vision by only looking between the walls.This is important particularly in smaller unit buildings.

Please remember that roof and basement common area access can be important to completion of my duties,as when the roof leaks my client will be expected to cough up hard earned money to pay for repairs through assessments and would like to know the condition ahead of time.

Sometimes the compressor for the split HVAC system is located on the roof , so how can I inspect it with out seeing it.

When it comes down to the basement area at the very least I would like to see the main disconnect for his unit as the breakers in the apartment are really just a sub panel(ok remote distribution panel for all you NEC code purists out there).

I personally do not charge for the pain of going back and know that your time is also valuable to you,so please try and arrange for entry to these areas with the listing agent or unit owner on the top floor if necassary and neither one of us will need to spend the extra time and gas to get past this process.

Oh did I forget to mention the client will appreciate the exta effort too.

Thanks as I realize you to have a lot on the plate,so I hope this reminder will help us both.

Bob Elliott Chicago Property Inspection

Build a House (av)(aw)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Thu, 24 May 2007 23:13:20 -0500

With the foundation wall up it is time for the start of what it will be supporting.

This is a wood frame platform style construction so in order to begin they need to attach it to the foundation wall.

This is accomplished by bolting the bottom of the frame, to the cemented in place anchor bolts.

This is called the sill plate.

Notice how the wood of the sill plate is not allowed to make direct contact with the cement.This is done by placing a foam sill gasket in between.The foam comes in rolls that remind you of a big roll of tape.100 feet each in this case.

When looking at the picture you will see extra space,as the brick veener will sit here.More on brick veener later.

Build a House (au)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Thu, 24 May 2007 22:54:32 -0500

Looking into the now in place window well we can see the drain at the bottom.

Web Tool I could not live without

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Mon, 14 May 2007 00:06:32 -0500

Every once in a while I throw in a helpful link that may help some one, and do not give a second thought about the amazing tecnology behind what helps me organise the ever growing number of sites that must be accessed for me to do my job as an inspector.

I have never disscused with anyone what sort of system they use to keep track of websites.

Let me share this one with anybody whom has never heard of it.

Just go to my del.icio.us and once you do there is no turning back.

This web site allows you to find all of the sites you wish to visit again by letting you type in key words that are stored to help you find what you need .

This online storage facility is like having your own personal search engine,and replaces favorites.

There are other uses for this site that I have not even gotton around to finding out about ,so if you have any info on del.icio.us please share.Bob Elliott

Happy Mothers Day

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Sun, 13 May 2007 14:54:19 -0500

I would just like to express gratitude to all women out there who have chosen the most difficult task in the world.

That is taking on the job of bearing and raising children.

If you have a photo of you with your mother

,let the world see it today so you can show her how proud you are of her.

I Love You Ma

Build A House (am) (an)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Tue, 08 May 2007 00:58:53 -0500

Here are a few more pics and note that the vehicle is called a cement truck yet what it pours is called concrete HMMMMMMM.

Yes I (mis spelled)

Build A House (ak) (al)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Fri, 04 May 2007 20:25:30 -0500

Making a little head way.

Don't forget if you would like to see all photos at once you can click to the Home Site and back.(but that's cheating)

Build A House

Do you notice the outside piece that locks it all together?

Build A House (ah) (aj)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Fri, 04 May 2007 15:53:18 -0500

Sorry it took so long but here are qa few more pics for your viewing pleasure.

Remember it is easier to plan ahead,rather than try to cut thick cement later.

Active Rain Helps People( and I feel good)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:46:25 -0500

Some one contacted me today while I was at work by E-Mail after seeing my blog on Active Rain.

I came home tired and just thought ,a quick check for clients on my site before retiring to a nice evening in front of Heros, which is one of the shows I enjoy on TV.

The letter went on to request help regarding what appears to be a slumlord.

I went on to gather info which may be of help,and now feel very good about myself thanks to having a spot on Active Rain.

Maybe I missed Heros but now feel like one. There is something else to look forward to opening my E-Mail for.

Bad start/Friday Night (silver lining)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 00:36:32 -0500

I seem to be spending far to many friday nights at home lately,but at least this time it is not my fault.

One of my lady friends invited me over for a night of dinner,and sitting down to a Chicago Bulls Playoff Game(now that they are on the verge of finishing off last years world champion and worth watching).
after I hit the garage door opener There was a bang that shook me up for a second.Turns out an bracket that supports one of the door tracs broke.
Soon as I jumped out I pulled the plug on the opener and found a piece of 2x4 to prop it up,then pulled my van forward in case it collapsed.
Next I went thru the phone book and was suprised to find that these guys come out on emergency basis.Makes sense tho as who wants to leave a normaly locked area open to the public.
Any way to make a long story short,he gave me a few tips when checking garage doors.
When testing for retract never sit your 2x4 perpindicular to the door as the new metal doors can dent at the bottom fairly easy if there is to much pressure.
Check the bottom bracket where the cable attaches for signs of wear or rust.
When inspecting the door it is amazing how many begin to crack in the middle
as they are cheap gauge material not able to handle the stress.
If you check your neighbors around you it will be a suprise just how many have this problem.

At least the bulls won

At least the Bulls won,

BUILD A HOUSE (knowing what is important)

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 01:11:49 -0500

General announcement

Bob Elliott (Chicago Property Inspection) (Elliott Home Inspection) — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 22:53:50 -0500

Hi... for those of you who have been following my series building a house and have an interest in more questions and answers regarding those photos I'm posting, then this is for you and would like to announce that I will be concurrently and coincidingly running them on the NACHI message board.

For those of you not in the know NACHI stands for national Association of certified home inspectors.

I do not believe you need to be a member in order to follow our message board as it is open to all.

Also please see my blog style website at chicagoland home inspection

You may be able to log on as a guest and ask questions I'm fairly certain as the Gremlins in this forum seem to think that I'm not a nonmember.(corrected)

I'm sure that problem will be taken care of soon and I simply request no negative comments on this post as everyone is aware there are three main organizations that are duking it out for attention so let's just leave it there.

If they allowed me to post there I would have no problem doing so. It's all good.

Anyway that is it ( thank you.)