Jack's Blog

Bootleg ground at wall outlet. You have to be a skeptic to find these.

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:52:55 -0500

Found this on today's inspection. An older house that had 2 prong outlets in most of the house, with several new 3 prong's installed.

Someone used a jumper wire to go between the neutral and the ground lug on the outlet. This creates a potentially dangerous condition. It could have been done out of ignorance, or maybe to try to fool a home inspector, don't know. I just know that some inspectors would have plugged in their tester, seen a grounded outlet and moved on.

Yep, I'm good, if I do say so myself.

When is a fountain really not a fountain?

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:15:53 -0500

Some people like water features. I have a small pond. I have a spitting frog and a little waterfall. I like the sound of running water in my back yard.

Some people just have a fountain pump that acts like a decorative sprinkler and bubbles water in a little pool (or a big pool).

The house today had a water feature. It was in the basement. Not your normal location for a water feature. I don't think that a water feature was the intended outcome of the installation however.

This house has a water problem. Water is coming in from the surrounding ground and runs to the low point in the basement. The corrective action was to dig a hole, install a bucket and a sump pump. All went well with the installation. They dug a little trench to direct the water to the hole. The drilled a zillion holes in the bucket so the water would flow in. They bought a really nice sump pump. They found an extension cord so they could plug it into an outlet in the basement (another story). They did it all.

Except one tiny little thing. They forgot to add a pipe on the discharge side of the pump so the collected water would be pumped OUT of the basement into the yard, AND away from the foundation.

So the bucket filled up, the pump kicked on, and the fountain started flowing. Sprayed water all over the place, so it took a little while for it to fill the sump again for another blast.

Got to love it.

A little nervous today

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:44:17 -0500

I was inspecting a 64 year old flip house today. Got to the basement stairs and looked down and got a little nervous. First of all, there wasn't a handrail. Second, the stairs were pretty steep, and thirdly, I could not see the bottom step. The last step looked like it ended a few feet above the floor.

So I decided to proceed slowly and be ready for a sudden trip to the floor. I got to the bottom and just had a hard time figuring out just what they might have been thinking.

I got enough photos on this house to make up at least a dozen blogs. Stay tuned for more postcards from the fringe. Got to love those flippers

Those pull down ladders

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:38:15 -0500

I have a habit of checking all of the bolts and nuts on the hinges of the pull down ladders before I go up. I can not say just how many have loose nuts, or missing nuts, or even missing bolts. IN my tool pouch, I cary 3 or 4 1/4-20 nuts just for this reason. I probably buy a couple hundred of them a year. I have extra bolts I keep in the truck. I probably go through a dozen or so of them per year.

I usually do not do repairs when I am inspecting homes. I may tighten down a hose faucet stem that leaks, or add some screws to a crawlspace access door, but pretty much do not do repairs. However, since I am going to use the ladder to access the attic for inspecting, I want to make sure it is safe for me to climb.

The other pet peeve of mine is how they attach the ladder to the framing. Most of the time, they are not installed according to the manufacturer's specifications.

They are supposed to be secured to the framing with 16d nails or 1/4" lag screws, and NOT drywall screws. They are required to be in all four sides of the ladder (at least 8 fasteners), as well and through the holes in the metal brackets (usually 4 more).

When someone installs one in a hallway, they usually cut through the bottom of at least one roof truss, sometimes two. This is not allowed.

The bottoms of the ladders need to be cut to the proper length and angle, so they fit properly at the bottom when the ladder is open.

If had homeowner's kind of laugh at me when I open the ladder then take out my screwdriver to tighten the bolts. It's kind of like. "What is this goof ball doing now?". They quit chuckling when I pull out a spare nut to replace one that is missing. I have replaced as many as 4 on one ladder.

Now go check yours.

Anger management

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:25:11 -0500

I inspected a house today that must have had a few stories to tell (if it could talk). Lots of holes in walls and doors. A lot of broken glass in the back patio (broken bottles and dishes).

But going into the kitchen stopped me in my tracks. The top of the cooktop was smashed to pieces. Now I have seen glass top cooktops that have had a tool dropped on them, and they pretty much just crack. As you can see from the photo, this one must have been smacked many, many times, with a lot of vigor.

The microwave door glass was broken too.

My new toy, errr tool

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:00:29 -0500

I kept seeing these things at trade shows. I would even give it a try on the convention hall floor. Fun, yeah, Kind of pricy, yeah, maybe next time. For last last few years I have seen them and thought they were too much money, and no matter what they said, it wasn't going to work for me.

So last january I was in Orlando at the ASHI convention. Krawlgear had their booth set up, as usual. Since there was a low turn out, I had all the time in the world to talk to the vendors, and look at the stuff. I hemmd and hawed for a couple days, then talked to a friend that has one. He said it was great. So I decided to take the plunge.

Even when I got it home and tried it out on the living room floor, I wasn't 100% convinced it was really going to work for me. Then I had a bunch of slab and basement houses to inspect.

I finally got a crawlspace house to inspect, and it was a doozy. It was low, had pipes on the ground, ducts close to the ground and a bunch of crap all over. So in I went. It took about 15 seconds to realize what a great purchase I had made. It did everything they said it was going to do. I went over a 3" pipe on the ground very easy. I slid under a duct easier than if I was on my belly crawling. I was able to make tight turns. It was a life changing moment.

The best part is my knees and hip joints do not take the beating they used to. My arms are getting a little different workout, but the knees are doing much better.

It's way too cool.

That pesky "Oh Crap" moment

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:40:39 -0500

Last week something happened during an inspection that had never happened to me before. At first I thought it was a slight brain fade moment. A few seconds later, it was more of "wait a sec" moment. Then it turned into a full 'OH CRAP" moment.

During the course of inspecting a house, I flush the toilets, turn on sink faucets, run the tubs and active the shower diverters. It's just part of checking out the fixtures and the drains. It's a pretty common policy not to turn water valves such as main shut off valves and fixture shut off valves. If they haven't been used for a while, they might just decided to start leaking when you turn them, or break. I don't operate valves for that reason.

However, I do operate tub and shower controls. I check to make sure the HOT water is on the correct side, there are no leaks, and they shut off without continuous dripping. I've done this for close to twenty years.

So here I was in the 40+ year old house checking the bathrooms. I got to the master shower and turned on the left faucet and waited for the hot water to flow. The I turned on the right faucet and let it run a while so I could check the drain. After flushing the toilet a few times and running the sink to check functional flow, I went to turn off the shower.

So I turned the faucets "righty tighty" and the oddest thing happened, the shower kept running. "Oh, OK" (here's the brain fade moment), maybe one of the faucets was reversed ("I don't remember that, but, well, maybe"), so I turn them the other way, then one after the other. The water was still running. The time between the "wait a sec" and the "OH CRAP" is really just a fraction of a second. The water is NOT shutting off.

I now go down to the basement and turn off the water to the house at the main valve. Good thing for me, it was a newer lever valve and shut off fine. My next stop would have been the meter in the front yard.

I have a pretty good idea what happened. Either the screw (that holds the washer) has come off the end of the valve stem, or the stem itself has broken. Either way, it's going to be a call to a plumber to get it fixed before the water get turned on again.

The good thing is the house is vacant.

While I have had my share of shower diverters shoot out of the fixture when I push the button, or faucet handles that leak like crazy, I have never had one not shut off.

Just goes to show you - always be ready for the unexpected.

If I get one more call like this - I may just scream

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:34:35 -0500

Got a call this afternoon. A woman told me she was given my name by a good friend, AND her Realtor to do a home inspection. I asked a few questions and gave her a price of $350. There was a long pause. She then told me her Realtor told her it would be about $150.

I told her that she must be mistaken because I didn't even charge $150 when I started in 1989. She got off the phone saying she would get back to me.

A little later I see an e-mail from her. She said that she had also called XYZ Inspections and they quoted her $295, and if I would match the price I could have the job. But she really liked my report style, and her friend said I was really good.

I looked up the guy she mentioned, since I didn't recognize the name. He got his license in Early 2007. He has 11 CEU's. (He's going to need 21 more by the end of this month, but I'm guessing he doesn't know that).

Let's see: he's been in business 22 months and has probably done 250 inspections. He's going to charge $55 less than me. I've been in business about 233 months and done close to 9,000 inspections. He has completed 11 CEU's and I have completed 65 in the same time period. She has two people that referred me. She has seen my report style and likes my attention to detail.

She just doesn't think that I'm $55 better than the other guy.

I think i just decided that I don't want to work for her. She deserves the low priced guy.

Someone needs to be fired

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:34:07 -0500

I was doing an inspection on a large house yesterday. My clients had told me the listing agent had tried to tell them the house had just been inspected for the seller and they didn't need one. A builder they had met gave them my name as a "good inspector".

When I got to the house, I was told that a termite inspection had been done and some treatment completed last Tuesday (4 days ago). I had noticed a spot where an old mud tube had been scraped off, and signs of a few drillings in the slab.

The crawlspace in this house was pretty interesting. 1. It had a poured concrete floor., 2. It had some areas where the clearance was pretty small. 3. There were lots of little nooks and cranies where the foundation walls created a maze.

From the main part of the crawlspace I could tell there was a lot more that I just couldn't see very well. It looked like it was going to be next to impossible to get to it, however after I looked more, I could tell that if I went under some ducts, it opened up again. So in I went. I will call this "The Hard Part".

1st clue. The property owners have been traveling and have not been in the house for several weeks. On with the story.

As I got to "The Hard Part" I noticed the dryer was not vented to the outside. So I was greeted with a large amount of lint covered spider webs. LOTS of webs! Off in the distance ahead (about 30 feet) I could see some staining on the foundation wall. I needed to get there. So off I went. I had to go over and under pipes and some ducts, and sweep webs and lint out of my way.

When I finally got there, I could see a lot of termite tubes. What was really cool (for an inspector anyway) was one of the tubes went from the concrete slab up 32" to the floor joists. There were also some on the front foundation wall. STRIKE 1 for the termite inspector. He didn't go back there.

I was under the master shower, and as I pulled the floor insulation away, I found EXTENSIVE wood rot and damage on the sub flooring and joists. STRIKE 2 & 3 for the termite inspector, STRIKE 3 for the home inspector (I skipped strikes 1 & 2 for the home inspector).

I am not usually one for pointing fingers and saying stuff like "That guy should have caught this", because we don't know when they were there. However, I do know when they were there, both of them. I can pretty much bet they did not even attempt to go back there. Remember the 1st clue? There would not have been as many spider webs with dryer lint if they had gone in there. There may have been spider webs, but since no one has been in the home doing laundry, NO LINT!

I don't bring this up to imply that I am a "super Inspector" or did anything out of the ordinary to get into that area of the house. I was just doing the job I signed up for. Yes it was hard, for about 15 seconds when I squeezed under those ducts. Yes, I had to go over and under some pipes. It WAS hard. I didn't like brushing all those webs out of the way.

But this is the job I signed up for. I knew it involved going into these tight places, with spiders, and snakes and unpleasant things. And this is the job that my clients are paying me for. They hired me to do this job. I owe it to them to do my best.

When I was showing the listing agent the photos in my camera, it became obvious to him that maybe the guy he recommended was not committed to doing the best job they could for their client. Especially when he noticed there was over 30" of space between the floor and the joists.

I have a feeling there might be some angry phone calls first of next week.

Here's the photos....

Finally, a reasonable client

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:07:14 -0500

When inspectors put on their "inspector's hat", we have to remain impartial and objective. We are not supposed to let our personal feelings get in the way, or try to lead the client one way or the other. Sometimes we really have to bite our tongues.

I have been on some inspections, and within ten minutes I knew that if it was daughter buying the house, I would drag her to the car. I have been on others when it wasn't until the end that it was obvious (to me anyway) that the buyers should walk.

I have been on some where the buyer stopped me, said there was just too many things wrong, and I would have been comfortable with my daughter living in the house. Just different levels of comfort, and different thresholds for pain.

I once inspected a house that was sliding down a hill. There were very large cracks in the walls (masonry house). When I say large, I'm talking 3" - 4" wide. There were cracks on the right side, cracks in the front, cracks on the left side, and cracks in the back. It was horrible. I wondered why I was even there. Forget the blankets of mold in the basement.

I went to the buyer and told her that I had some serious concerns about the structure, and I was going to recommend she get a structural engineer to look at it, and develop a plan for repair. She said she had owned an older house before, and had dealt with structural problems before with help from a engineer friend. I told her she had better call him. "Oh, he died a few years ago". When she talked to me, she didn't look me in the eye, she sort of looked toward the side, or down. I again told her there were significant structural issues that needed an engineer. She then said that she had used caulk to fix cracks before and she thought she would do that again. All I could do was try to make the report as clear as I could and hope she took the time to read it. I'm sure she bought the house anyway.

Which brings me to my client today. I'm going to inspect an 11 year old house in foreclosure. The water, gas and electric is OFF. The previous owners have stripped light fixtures and plumbing fixtures and left wires hanging. It looks like it has either been added on to a few times, or was really poorly planned. The floors slope, there are stains all over, there are damaged walls in every room. After I found some fairly significant framing problems I brought her and her uncle around to look. After showing them my concerns, I told her I was going to get my ladder to go into the attic and onto the roof. She said, "You should just stop. I have seen enough. This is more than I imagined (damage and work to be done) and I don't need to take on this type of project. Nancy (her Realtor) can show me more properties, and I will find something that fits my needs. Thanks you so much for your time."

I really admire someone that knows their limitations, and has realistic expectations. She'll find another house, and I'll probably inspect it for her.

The call we all like to get

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:26:45 -0500

I got a call this morning from the seller of the house I inspected earlier this week. The call started with: "This is Mr. XXXXXX and you inspected my home this week". This is usually when I brace myself for the verbal assault and arguments that follow.

What followed caught me by surprise. He said he was very impressed with my report. He also said he was surprised by some of my findings because he takes pride in keeping up with problems and taking care of them promptly. As we talked he made the following comments many times: I would have never thought to look there, or for that problem. I had no idea that was going on. It must have been like that since the day it was built. The heating contractor said you must be pretty good to catch that.

He then told me that he had taken care of almost everything on the list, and should have everything done by the weekend. Then he asked me if I would be willing to travel to Arkansas to inspect the house they were buying. I told him that driving 8 hours and crossing a State line was just slightly out of my normal service area. (While I have driven over 4 hours and crossed a State line for an inspection, the cost is fairly prohibitive.)

He ended the conversation telling me he just wanted to call and tell me what a great job I did for the buyers of their home.

Nice!

Scary stuff this morning.

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:42:17 -0500

There was some really weird things going on in the house I was inspecting this morning. Lights were flickering. The bathroom light became brighter when I turned on the wall heater, the hall lights dimmed. When the heat pump kicked on, all the lights went bright for a second.

Inside the panel there were a few melted wires, but probably from a water heater fuse blowing.

I started to trace the ground wire and went into the crawlspace where it was connected to a water line. I could see the clamp was loose and as I went to get close to shoot a photo, I bumped the ground and a big arc shot out at the connection.

I just about messed my pants.

Here's the photos...

Stole a job last night

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 06:24:50 -0500

First of all, I have to say that I have had my fair share of jobs stolen from me because someone was only shopping for the lowest price.

Once it was $5. I know it was $5, because the client called me back and told me I could have the job if I would match the other guys price. In today's market, I might have taken the job and ate the $5.........WAIT! No, the answer would still be the same. He did not value my experience. I told him that if the other guy had the same level of experience, I would meet his price, but he didn't, so I won't. Have a good day.

But back to this blog.

Got a call last night from out of state folks, buying a big house on the lake. 5000 square feet. They were not going to be able to be in town until the end of next week, but the Realtor's inspector was going to be out of town then, so he was pushing for them to have it done sooner, by his guy. They have a lot of concerns about this house, and really wanted to be there during the inspection. They told me the inspectors name and all I can say is I feel he is ethically challenged.

They got my name for a home builder they had met. I didn't recognize the name, but he said I was a picky guy. I asked them a lot of questions, and answered a bunch of theirs, a bunch. They were not comfortable that the Realtor was really pushing for his guy to do the inspection right away.

I told them that I would have to start the inspection at 9 am, because I may only do that house, since I expected to be there 5 or 6 hours, and I wasn't comfortable starting it at my 1:30 time slot. She told me the other guy wasn't going to start his inspection until 2 pm.

At the end of our conversation, she told me I had the job and they were going to call the Realtor and tell him they were NOT going to use his guy, and they WERE going to be there for the inspection. I bet he is going to be pissed. I bet the other guy is going to be pissed. Don't care!

I didn't tell these folks that an attorney has hired me to try to defend this guy in a lawsuit. After going to the house in question, I told him I couldn't support him, because I felt he really messed up, and it was very clear he did. In fact, the attorney from his office that came out to walk with me saw the problem that was not mentioned in the report. IF he saw it, why didn't the inspector?

I have to say it feels pretty good to steal a job for the right reason.

UPDATE to "Don't bring Dad next time".

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:21:05 -0600

I recently wrote a blog about a Dad that just wore me out. Well, as the late, great Paul Harvey used to say, "Here's the rest of the story".

Got a call on Wednesday from Dad. I saw him on caller ID, and have to say I cringed. I really didn't have time to spend going over each item in the report. Should I let it go to voice mail? No, I'll just answer it.

The first thing he said when I answered was, "I want to thank you for doing such a great job for my kids. I did not expect the detail and thoroughness of your report. How did you take those pictures of the roof. Did you go all the way up there?".

I have to say that while I have a pretty good idea my clients appreciate my work, most don't go out of their way to express it. I get the Thanks, and Great job comments a lot, but not often do I get a "from the heart" lengthly expression of thanks. It feels pretty good.

He then told me that the other reason for his call, was to get the phone numbers of some of the people I recommended. A painter, a contractor guy, and my insurance guy. After I gave him the numbers and we chatted a bit, he told me he was going to tell his friends about me. I thanked him for the call.

On Thursday I scheduled an inspection for a friend of his son's. He said that if Charles recommends someone, he's as good as gold. What he said next, was what was gold to me. He said that Charles was an extremely picky guy, and very hard to please, so if he thought that someone was good, he must be REALLY good. THAT comment made my day.

CLARIFICATION: I don't mean to make this post sound like I am a super inspector. Far from it. I do know I am pretty darn good at what I do, but I also know there are a bunch of guys out there that have been doing this longer than I have, and know a bunch more. It was really intended to show how good it feels to hear appreciation from the people we work for, AND to have a little more patience, because it may pay for itself many times over.

New Construction - had been "pre-inspected"

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:17:29 -0600

I inspected a new home today. The sign outside proudly said it had been "pre-inspected".

I have to say that this is a pretty good builder. I really didn't have a bunch of stuff on my list, however, I think a couple of them are 'Inspection 101" kind of things. Here is some of the things I found...

1. The hot and cold was reversed at the master bathroom shower.

2. The sensors for the garage door were over 12" above the floor.

3. The pull down attic ladder not only didn't have enough fasteners, they were drywall screws. There was a huge label on the ladder saying the fasteners must be 16d nails or 1/4"X3" lag screws, AND they needed to be installed in the places indicated by some arrows.

4. Open electrical junction boxes in the attic.

5. Three interior doors would not latch, and some dragged on the carpet.

I consider these pretty important things for a new construction home. I would thing they should have been pointed out - but were not.

Maybe I'm too picky.

Please don't bring Dad next time

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:03:38 -0600

I did an inspection for a nice couple yesterday, it went very well. However, I was at the house almost two hours longer than I expected to be. The problem was Dad.

It seems Dad had called a few years ago when he was looking for a house. He spent a lot of time on the phone with my wife. He went to my web site. He called some references. He ended up, not buying a house, but he kept my contact information in his wallet (no kidding, he showed me the paper). So when his son and daughter in law were going to buy a house, he called me.

He came prepared. He had his measuring tape, his clipboard with graph paper, a digital camera (really nice one too), and a video camera as well. He had a list of concerns - boy did he have a list.

When I start an inspection, I always ask my clients if they have any concerns, so I can address them. I ask them not to come and get me to come and look at something, because I might lose my sequence. I also tell them that if I do find something they need to see, I will come and get them, so they can see first hand what I am talking about in the report.

The problem came when I would show them something, it would take a little longer than normal to explain and discuss. There would always be a few more questions.

For the most part, he left me alone. But between him and his son, they always seemed to have questions, that led to other questions.

When I was just about finished, here came the typical questions, like should I buy this house, am I getting a good deal, if you were going to rate this house, what would it be, and on a scale of one to ten, where would this house be. Usually I will get one of those, and move on, but he just kept coming back with another one. Even after I told him I don't rate house, and I have no idea what houses sell for in this neighborhood, and I'm not looking to buy a house, so I wouldn't buy this one. All the questions, and all the stock answers. It was like a bad dream.

It's funny, I thought I was in control during the inspection. But clearly I wasn't. Somehow, those extra minutes stretched into almost 120. How did this happen? My wife told me I was going to be in for it after she scheduled it. "He's a talker", she said. "He will wear you out", she added.

He was, and he did. However, I have no doubt he will keep my number (he has my card now) in his wallet, and tell everyone he knows what a great inspector I am (I hope).

I guess that if I think of the 2 hours as a marketing meeting, it doesn't seem so bad, especially if it brings new business.

If I would have had an afternoon appointment I probably would have moved along faster, and maybe cut his questions off. But he also might have got the impression I was cutting him off, and not left with the warm fuzzy feeling he did. I know he was feeling good about me, because as I was in my truck getting ready to leave, he tapped on my window and asked me if I wanted to go to lunch with his family. I begged off, telling him I had another appointment, but thanked him.

Maybe bringing Dad was OK after all, I just need to allow for extra time for this family.

We need a termite or pest inspector for our Knoxville BNI group

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:18:44 -0600

My BNI (Business network International) group meets on Wednesday mornings at 7:30 am in Turkey Creek. We would like to have a termite or pest control company join.

There is a certain commitment required when joining the group, but the Giver's Gain moto of BNI really helps to build our businesses. If you own a pest control business, or know someone that does that could benefit from additional business, please contact me.

We need a home stager for our Knoxville BNI group

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:13:52 -0600

We would like to add a home stager to our Knoxville BNI group. We meet on Wednesday mornings at 7:30 am in Turkey Creek. If you are a home stager, or know one that could benefit from additional business referrals, please let me know.

There is a certain commitment that is needed, but the benefits can really pay off. Giver's Gain is the moto of BNI (Business network International).

Are we going to get a discount?

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:57:48 -0600

I've done two inspections for a nice couple. They didn't buy either house, based on the stuff I found during the inspection. I probably saved them several thousands of dollars.

I gave them a small discount when I did the second inspection for them.

They called me this week with questions about a crawlspace. I spent close to an hour on the phone with them over the course of three phone calls. I even drove by the house and went into the crawlspace to look at a sump pump, and didn't charge them. Sure it was not much of adrive out of the way, and it took less than 15 minutes extra for the day.

Today they called to set up an inspection on this house. She asked if I was going to give them a discount, since this was going to be our third. I told her I could give them $25 off. She said, "What about $50?".

I then asked her about when she took her car in to get the oil changed, if the guy gave her a discount when she came in again. She said, "No, but he fills up my fluids". I then said, "But I do an excellent job for you every time". I finally agreed to give her a 10% discount.

It just hit me that I have a client that does not appreciate what I do, and how much money and grief I have saved them. She only sees that they have paid me $XXX dollars and have nothing to show for it. She puts no value on my free telephone advice, or the no-charge site visit I did for them. Now she probably feels that because i'm not going to give her $50, I'm somehow a cheapskate.

Cool waterfall inside the house today

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:37:38 -0600

There was a cool waterfall in the house I inspected today. The sound of running water is supposed to be soothing. There was just one little problem.

It was coming through the ceiling of a bedroom in the basement that was directly under the master bathroom and the whirlpool tub.

New construction. Filled the tub to test it. Turned on the jets and the water level dropped about 2 inches in about 10 seconds. I jumped on the button to shut it off, but all I heard was running water. A few seconds later my client came in and told me water was coming through the ceiling downstairs. Water was also rushing alone the floor of the bathroom I was in (from under the tub).

I ran out to the truck to grab a hand full of towels to start to mop it up. She grabbed a bucket in the garage and put it under the leak. I pulled off the surround cover to take a look. One of the hoses to the jets had broken off the side of the tub.

She called the Realtor, who called the Listing agent, who called the builder, and they all came over. By now the water is coming through the ceiling below in about 5 places.

The builder said he never checks the tubs because he doesn't want the water to stay in the pump for a long time and get nasty. I bet he will check them from now on.

Continuing Education and Building Trust

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:46:02 -0600

Last February the East Tennessee Chapter of ASHI had a 2 -day seminar for home inspector continuing education. We had a pretty good turn out, because most everyone was running around in a panic trying to get their hours before the deadline.

Since the licensing term is two years, most of us do not have to worry until 2010. But how many are going to wait till the last minute again? I guess a lot.

On the State web site that shows licenses, you can check on just how many hours of continuing education an inspector has. I just checked mine. I set for the next renewal period, plus about half again as many as needed.

I know a lot of inspectors opt for the free on-line sessions that get some hours. That's OK, but they are missing out on one of the best reasons to go to a Chapter meeting or educational seminar. They are missing out on meeting and the live feedback you get when you are in a room with a bunch of other inspectors. They are also missing out on developing friendships.

Case in point: An inspector friend of mine called last Thursday. Seems he had an EIFS inspections to do on Friday or Saturday. But his Delmhorst moisture meter had died. He knew I had one, and asked if he could borrow it. Of course I said yes. I left it on my front porch and he came by and picked it up, and was able to get his inspection done.

Do you think I would have lent my $400 moisture meter to someone I didn't know? Or the time I went into the hospital with a kidney stone? My wife was able to call a friend that could cover my inspections. That's pretty risky if you don't have a good idea what someone is like. Getting to know your peers at Chapter meetings is a great way to develop trusting relationships.

Sometimes I just hate my job

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:24:48 -0600

Most of the time I really enjoy my job. I don't mind getting dirty. Close conditions don't bother me.....much. Even the yucky stuff doesn't rank all that high on the gab-o-meter.

However, yesterday's crawlspace was right up there. First of all I was under there for about 45 minutes. Thats' longer than normal. This house only has about a 800 square foot footprint.

Second of all, it was pretty wet and muddy.

Third, there were at least two different types of fresh "droppings".

Fourth, the fungus/mold growth was just everywhere. On the framing, on the ground, on the ducts.

Lastly, there was very little room to get around, and the ducts on the ground meant I had to backtrack instead of making a loop.

I really expected what I found. I drive by this house at least once a week, sometimes more. For years I have made mental notes about the extensive wood siding damage and what it must be doing to this house. Then last year, it was getting fixed up. Fast forward to yesterday.

New exterior siding, and fresh paint. Inside it was great. New kitchen and bathrooms, light fixtures, and just about everything inside looked great. And for the most part, it was pretty darn good - INSIDE and OUT.

However, when I went under, it was all over (as far as I was concerned).

I kind of doubt my client will buy this house, unless the flipper, sorry, seller will either fix the stuff, or knock a bunch off the price. But, there will probably be someone that will go in, fall in love with all the cool stuff, forgo the inspection and buy it.

Here are some photos..

Of course I know what I'm doing

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:01:36 -0600

Frequently we see things that confirm that whoever made a repair may not have known everything they could about whatever they were working on.

I'm sure that the plumber that worked on the house I inspected this morning thought he knew everything there was about plumbing. Everything that is except the basic concept.

When close enough is really not good enough

Jack Feldmann (Clayton Inspection Service, Inc.) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:43:07 -0600

Sometimes we see things as inspectors that cause us to just shake our heads. It's most often a case of some sort of Bob Villa worship, and a desire to buy new tools and put them to use.

It's just too bad that a lot of these weekend warriors don't understand WHY something is done they way it is, and instead use the "That's good enough" approach.

Here's a little tid-bit from a recent inspection.