ViperCertified Home Inspector
join:2012-03-22
Toronto | reply to telco_mtl
Re: Respect to experts All,
Stop making statements like, 'the inspector you hired was the best of the best and you really liked his work' unless you are a home inspector yourself and can see what he did and if he missed anything.
You might think that your inspector was great until you start finding problems.
For example (I love using examples).
You buy a house in summer with a nice deck at the back, you get it inspected, inspection was great, you love your inspector and you tell stories to your friends.
Winter comes, it snows heavily and you realized that your high eff. furnace stopped working. You find out the exhaust pipe and fresh air intake both were under the deck, show accumulates in the winter, exhaust gases go back through the fresh air intake, sensor in the furnace senses that and shuts off the furnace. You then realize that the inspector that you had hired (who you thought was the best, missed that part).
So lets not get carried away with your inspection experience.
Summary: You dont know if an inspector was great until you start seeing problems.
I can give 10 more examples if you like.
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Certified Home Inspector
Certified Level 1 Thermographer |
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 Nick_LPremium
join:2003-01-22
Pittsburgh, PA | said by Viper:I can give 10 more examples if you like.
Please don't. |
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ViperCertified Home Inspector
join:2012-03-22
Toronto | said by Nick_L:said by Viper:I can give 10 more examples if you like.
Please don't. And your point is?
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Certified Home Inspector
Certified Level 1 Thermographer |
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 nunyaWho is John Galt?Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
kudos:8
 ·Charter
 ·surpasshosting
 ·voip.ms
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Nick_LPremium
join:2003-01-22
Pittsburgh, PA | reply to Viper
said by Viper:said by Nick_L:said by Viper:I can give 10 more examples if you like.
Please don't. And your point is? Your postings here contain a higher than average percentage of hyperbole and a woefully inadequate quantity of factual information.
Also, have you heard the one about it being better to remain silent and...
I can' make it much clearer without violating the guidelines of this forum. |
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ViperCertified Home Inspector
join:2012-03-22
Toronto | inadequate quantity of factual information.
Also, have you heard the one about it being better to remain silent and...
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Certified Home Inspector
Certified Level 1 Thermographer |
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 FronkmanAn Apple a day keeps the doctor awayPremium
join:2003-06-23
Saint Louis, MO | said by Viper:Every example that I have given you is based on fact. I dont like stories.
My "story" was full of all kinds of facts. My home inspector was unable to identify knob and tube wiring and tell the difference between steam and hot water radiators. Another home inspector I have dealt with railed endlessly about FPE breakers but completely ignored the multiwire circuit which terminated on a tandem breaker on the same phase. (theoretical vs. ACTUAL danger)
If you ask my personal opinion, I don't really put a lot of stock into the report of ANY HI. Generalists with limited or no practical experience (either in a trade or advanced-level DIY) can only provide a general level of information. I think most people should assume that the HI missed at least 50% of the problems in the home and factor that into the price negotiations.
In the end, I did my own inspection and made sure that the "official" report included my findings by essentially holding the HI's hand. The sad fact is that the seller will never believe the findings of the buyer but are forced to correct issues that appear in the official report.
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Everyone should own a Mac! Go Bucks! |
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ViperCertified Home Inspector
join:2012-03-22
Toronto | In the end, I did my own inspection and made sure that the "official" report included my findings by essentially holding the HI's hand. The sad fact is that the seller will never believe the findings of the buyer but are forced to correct issues that appear in the official report.
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Certified Home Inspector
Certified Level 1 Thermographer |
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 49528867Premium
join:2010-04-16
Fort Lauderdale, FL
kudos:3 | said by Viper:You did your own inspection? - works for me. Just one question, how did you manage to inspection roof coverings? Just curious. Hey how about a couple of questions for you too?
Asphalt shingled roof 125 wind rating, half inch ply deck nailed 16 by 6.
How do you inspect it?
Overhead fed 200 amp (upgraded) service, meter pan and main breaker panel on the exterior of the residence powering the existing distribution panel within the premises.
How do you inspect it?
Same as above, but supplied by buried service conductors.
How do you inspect it?
A home has a natural gas stove, water heater and clothes dryer, the stove has a non-vented hood, the water heater as well as the dryer have a through the ceiling vent.
How do you inspect it?
Same home but propane?
How do you inspect it?
Hope that is not too much, I can tell by your IM’s you have no problem with long responses. 
Wayne
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Madness takes its toll, please have exact change ready… |
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garys_2kPremium
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI Reviews:
·callwithus
·Callcentric
| reply to Viper
said by Viper: inadequate quantity of factual information.
Every example that I have given you is based on fact. I dont like stories. If you are unable to extract the fact out of my examples then you know very little about my business and you should then.....(see below) Also, have you heard the one about it being better to remain silent and...
so remain silent... As you should have done with that wiring table. Hard to imagine that you argued as you did, in violation of all sorts of codes, but yet you did...
Mike Holmes LOVES guys like you! |
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 DaarkenRara AvisesPremium
join:2005-01-12
Southwest LA
kudos:3 | reply to 49528867
Its been a while since I dropped some Kudos..
I see several in the near future.
Unfortunately I already gave one guy the middle finger a couple of times in this thread itself.
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Getting it Done. |
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ViperCertified Home Inspector
join:2012-03-22
Toronto | reply to 49528867
Four things for you: 
1. Last time I checked, I asked Fronkman this question and you aint no Fronkman.
2. The reason why I asked this question was not to question the inspection routine (which you think i did which is why you gave me this list to test me) but I wanted to find out how a normal person can get up on the roof without a ladder. Even though my next question from Fronkman was going to be what did he look for when he inspected his roof (only if he 'managed' to get up on the roof)?
buried service conductors.
you have no problem with long responses.
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Certified Home Inspector
Certified Level 1 Thermographer |
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 SwedishRiderRider on the StormPremium
join:2006-01-11
Connecticut
kudos:1 | reply to Daarken
said by Daarken:Unfortunately I already gave one guy the middle finger a couple of times in this thread itself.
Maybe that should be suggested as a site option in addition to the thumbs up. |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1 | reply to Viper
said by Viper:but I wanted to find out how a normal person can get up on the roof without a ladder. Where was it stated that no ladder was used? What do you mean by "normal person"? Do home inspectors not use ladders? |
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 TA63ST215WPremium,MVM
join:2000-11-23
there
kudos:2
 ·TekSavvy DSL
·Cogeco Cable
| said by robbin:Do home inspectors not use ladders?
Hmmm. Snakes do not use ladders.
The parallels are amazing:
Snakes and Ladders
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The talented hawk speaks French. |
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ViperCertified Home Inspector
join:2012-03-22
Toronto | reply to robbin
said by robbin:said by Viper:but I wanted to find out how a normal person can get up on the roof without a ladder. Where was it stated that no ladder was used? What do you mean by "normal person"? Do home inspectors not use ladders? I see tiny brains here so let me quarter back for you.
Replace 'normal person' with 'an average home owner'. Now an average person said that he did his own home inspection. I asked how can you manage to inspect roof coverings? And the point of the question was:
An inspection is not completed unless you inspect roof coverings (one of the things inspected during the process). Did the owner inspect the roof coverings? If yes, did he own a 32 ft ladder (unless its a one story bungalow, but you still need a ladder). If by chance he did own a ladder, how did he bring it to the house? I mean did he have a roof rack already installed for that purpose. Lets say the poster did do all of that, what did he look for once he was up on top of the roof?
So the ultimate point of the story was: an average person CAN NOT do his own home inspection, he can 'look around' and that is about it.
Now, I am still waiting to find out what Fronkman has to say on this.
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Certified Home Inspector
Certified Level 1 Thermographer |
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DaarkenRara AvisesPremium
join:2005-01-12
Southwest LA
kudos:3 | reply to SwedishRider
I second that! |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1 | reply to Viper
said by Viper:said by robbin:said by Viper:but I wanted to find out how a normal person can get up on the roof without a ladder. Where was it stated that no ladder was used? What do you mean by "normal person"? Do home inspectors not use ladders? I see tiny brains here I saw that the day you started posting!  |
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 macsierraBaby NewfoundlandPremium
join:2003-11-30
Minden, NV
·Charter
| reply to Viper
said by Viper:"buried service conductors."
By this do you mean service laterals? Try using the correct terminology, helps you with branding
Nice try but… It's a bit hypocritical when you can't use the correct terminology yourself..
Is it electric service lateral or sewer service lateral?
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Hey There, Voter! Do you remember that on Inauguration Day (Jan 20th) 2009, the national average for a gallon of gasoline was about $1.78? How's that "Hope & Change" working out for you? Anyone But Obama Nov. 2012.
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FronkmanAn Apple a day keeps the doctor awayPremium
join:2003-06-23
Saint Louis, MO
1 edit | reply to Viper
No, I did not inspect the roof myself, though I do own a 32 foot ladder. The home inspector got on a ladder, looked around and declared that the 10 year old roof with a 30 year warranty had only months left.
Coincidently Our insurance company came out the same day to take a look at the roof. They estimated at least 75% of the life of the roof was remaining.
so who should I believe? The home inspector who has absolutely zero liability if he gets something wrong or the insurance company who is essentially putting their own money on the line by pricing and underwriting a policy based on accurate info. Interestingly the insurance guy spotted the k&t immediately and was instrumental in forcing the sellers hand in paying for electrical work.
I really don't understand your attitude. Lots of home inspectors do lousy jobs. This isn't exactly the greatest mystery of the universe. I know they frequently refer to themselves as "engineers." No one with a real engineering degree is a home inspector.
The bottom line is that I had to babysit the HI and do a bunch of his work for him. No, I did not do the entire inspection myself. First of all, I was PAYING this guy to do it and second of all I certainly am not an expert in many fields of construction. I have learned a lot from reading, advice from some of the folks here and stuff I learned while taking chemistry and physics in college. But I am no expert. All I wanted was an official document to enhance my bargaining position. If that meant that I had to do a bunch of this guys work for him, paying him all the while, so be it.
It makes you feel bad for homeowners with no background.
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Everyone should own a Mac! Go Bucks! |
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