August 2016 Reporter

ASHI

8.16

REPORTER

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Inspection News & Views from the American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc.

8

Being Frank: This Month’s Word Concise

9 The Word: Decks

14

What to Expect when You’re Accepting (…Credit Cards, That Is)

36

The Communication Side of Home Inspection THE ART OF HIGH-RISE AND CONDO INSPECTIONS

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42 On My Mind: Stone Season, Summer Heat and Your Health

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ASHI Reporter t August 2016

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8.16

ASHI

REPORTER

August 2016

Features 9

14 16

The Word: Decks Bruce Barker, ACI

What to Expect When You’re Accepting (…Credit Cards, That Is) Aaron Fuhriman

The Art of High-Rise and Condo Inspections Kurt Mitenbuler, ACI

22

Everything You Need to Know About the Apartment You’re Buying Before You Buy It

36

The Communication Side of Home Inspection

Larry Ubell, ACI and Matthew Barnett, ACI Rudy Platzer, ACI (Retired)

Departments 6

Around the CoRner

8

Being Frank

From ASHI’s Executive Director

26

The ASHI School

28

ASHI Community

34

Your ASHI

38 42

9

Jim Funkhouser, Speaker of the CoR

Hands-on Home Inspection Training vs.

Simulated Training Chapter Listing, New Inspector Status, Chapter Events, Council News and Education Membership News, Event Calendar, Endorsed Member Programs & Anniversaries

Vol. 33, #8

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2 leviton.com/afci 5 healthyhomescheckup.com 7 www.OREP.org 11 homeinspector.org/LogoDesign 11 844-268-2677 11 htoyh.com 13 www.TargetProIns.com 15 fortreports.com 17 perma-boot.com 19 3dinspection.com 19 bpgwi.com 21 inspectorinsurance.com 23 InspectIT.com 25 inspectionworld.com 25 cahpinational.org 27 www.joeferry/ashi.com 33 allenins.com 37 NHIEStudyGuide.org 39 ahomewarranty.com 41 AmericasCallCenter.com

Southeastern Home Inspectors Sun Nuclear HomeGauge

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Postcards From the Field It’s Wacky Out There

On My Mind Randy Sipe, ASHI President

WALL COVERING SHEATHING FLASHING

WATER-RESISTIVE BARRIER 1 OR 2 IN. GAP PER WALL COVERING MANUFACTURER WASHERS FOR ≤ 1/2 IN. DRAINAGE SPACE (OPTIONAL)

36

WATER-RESISTIVE MEMBRANE FLASHING WATER-RESISTIVE BARRIER

Deck Flashing

© 2015 Dream Home Consultants, LLC.

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ASHI National Officers and Board of Directors Educated. Tested. Verified. Certified.

A SH I M I S S I O N S TATEM ENT To set and promote standards for property inspections and to provide the educational programs needed to achieve excellence in the profession and to meet the needs of our members.

Randy Sipe, President Spring Hill, KS, 913-856-4515 randy@familyhomeinspections.com

Tim Buell, Treasurer Marysville, OH, 614-746-7485 tim.buell@gmail.com

Howard Pegelow, President-Elect Gilbert, AZ, 414-379-4186 hpegelow@yahoo.com

Scott Patterson, Secretary Spring Hill, TN, 615-302-1113 scott@traceinspections.com

Robert Walstead, Vice President Sun City Arizona, 623-695-4789 rwalstead@aol.com

Alden Gibson, Immediate Past-President Breslau, ON, 519-648-3963 alden@inspectgib.com

Directors Bruce Barker 2015-2017 Cary, NC, 919-322-4491 bruce@dreamhomeconsultants.com

Donald Lovering 2015-2016 Auburndale, MA, 617-928-1942 lovering@earthlink.net

Shannon E. Cory 2015-2017 Fayetteville, GA, 770-461-3408 Shannon@rainbowhomeinspections.com

Blaine Swan 2016-2018 Columbus, OH 614-506-0647 goodeyeinspections@gmail.com

Richard Hart 2016-2018 Conyers, GA, 770-827-2200 ashi1@comcast.net David Haught 2016-2018 Huntington, WV, 304-417-1247 inspector@wvchi.com Keven Kossler 2015-2017 Huntersville, NC, 704-875-3200 Team@CastleCheck.com Bruce Labell 2015-2017 Scottsdale, AZ, 602-765-2140 inspect@cox.net Mark Londner 2014-2016 Purcellville, VA, 540-668-6339 mark@LBIhome.com Publisher: Frank Lesh Editor: Carol Dikelsky Art Director: Arlene Zapata, Jr. Designer: Kate Laurent American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc. 932 Lee Street, Suite 101 Des Plaines, IL 60016

Tony Smith 2015-2017 Cedar Rapids, IA, 319-533-4565 inspecthathouse@netscape.net Mike Wagner 2014-2016 Westfield, IN, 317-867-7688 mwagner@ralis.com John Wessling 2016-2018 St. Louis, MO, 314-520-1103 john@wesslinginspections.com

ASHI Reporter t August 2016

Frank Lesh, Executive Director, 847-954-3182, frankl@ashi.org Jen Gallegos, Executive Assistant, 847-954-3177 jeng@ashi.org Education, CE Approval, ASHI Online Learning Center, InspectionWorld

Michele George, Director of Education & Events, 847-954-3188 micheleg@ashi.org Membership, Chapter Relations, Booth Rental, Product Orders

Russell Daniels, Assistant Executive Director, Director Membership & Chapter Relations, 847-954-3185, russelld@ashi.org Janet George, Membership Services Supervisor, 847-954-3180 janetg@ashi.org Kathy Harris, Membership Administrator, 847-954-3175 Kathyh@ashi.org Mark Lester, Membership Services Coordinator, 847-954-3176 markl@ashi.org Accounting

Toni Fanizza, Accounting & Human Resources Manager 847-954-3190, tonif@ashi.org Beverly Canham, Financial Assistant, 847-954-3184 beverlyc@ashi.org Website, Information Systems, Database

Kevin Westendorf 2014-2016 Mt. Pleasant, SC, 843-881-7842 kevinw@lowcountryhome inspection.com

Mike Rostescu, Director IT & Internet Communications 847-954-3189, miker@ashi.org

Speaker, Council of Representatives: James Funkhouser 2015-2016 Manassas Park, VA, 703-791-2360 jfunkhousr@aol.com

Dave Kogan, Manager of Marketing & Business Development 847-954-3187, davek@ashi.org

847-954-3186 Reporter calls only 847-299-2505 (fax) Reporter only E-mail: frankl@ashi.org Advertising: Dave Kogan Phone: 847-954-3187, E-mail: davek@ashi.org

ASHI REPORTER – ISSN 1076-1942 – the official publication of the American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc. (ASHI), 932 Lee St., Suite 101, Des Plaines IL 60016, is published monthly. Annual subscriptions: $44.95 to non-members. Periodical postage paid at Des Plaines, IL 60016 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ASHI Reporter, 932 Lee Street, Suite 101, Des Plaines, IL 60016-6546.

Copyright© 2016, ASHI. None of the content of this publication may be reproduced, in any manner, without the prior written consent of the publisher. Inclusion of or specific mention of any proprietary product within does not imply endorsement of, nor does exclusion of any proprietary product imply non-endorsement, by the American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc. Opinions or statements of authors and advertisers are solely their own, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of ASHI, its agents or editors. See above for information pertaining to submission of articles, advertising and related materials.

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Main Phone: 847-759-2820, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Mon. - Fri., CST Executive Director

Officers

Ken Harrington 2015-2017 Delaware, OH, 614-507-1061 inspectorken@rrohio.com

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Advertising, Marketing, IW Expo Hall, Public Relations

Graphics, Publications, Member Logo Design

Arlene Zapata, Graphic Design Manager & “ASHI Reporter” Managing Editor, 847-954-3186, arlenez@ashi.org Kate Laurent, Junior Graphic Designer & Administrative Assistant 847-954-3179, Katel@ashi.org The ASHI School

Bonnie Bruno, Manager, 888-884-0440 or 847-954-3178 bonnie@theashischool.com Steve Reilly, Senior Sales Representative, 888-884-0440 or 847-954-3181, steve@theashischool.com Kimberly McGraw, Administrative Assistant & Sales Representative 847-954-3198, kim@theashischool.com

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Around the CoRner

From the Speaker of the CoR

T

his month I celebrate 25 years since I reached full Member (now ACI) status in ASHI. And no, it doesn’t seem “just like yesterday,” it seems like forever ago. I’m not even supposed to be here.

I’m supposed to be working at a newspaper somewhere or at a television station as a reporter. People who knew me in my younger days ask me “What happened?” like I had some terribly disfiguring accident that prevented me from becoming what they thought (and I thought, too) was my destiny. Well, as with many others, I guess, the deviation from my birthright path began when I uttered the words “Will you marry me?”

I began my journey as a home inspector August 13, 1989. My boss and instructor was also my new father-in-law (there’s your “Aha!” moment). I studied for months before moving back from Murfreesboro, TN, to Northern Virginia (a brief dalliance into the world of professional songwriting). My new boss would hand-write 50 to 100 questions on sheets of legal pads and mail them to me every week or two. I read Becker, I read Seaquist, I read everything I could get my hands on. He insisted, right off the bat, that I must join ASHI and work hard to reach full Member status as quickly as I could. He insisted I attend the local ASHI meetings, which were the MACASHI meetings in Rockville, MD. I decided to take advantage of the wisdom at those meetings. Now, remember it was 1989. All the inspectors there were in their mid-40s on up. I was 27. I walked up to

ASHI Council of Representatives Speakers and Group Leaders Speaker: Jim Funkhouser 571-214-4039 jfunkhousr@aol.com Alternate Speaker: Hollis Brown St. Louis, MO 703-856-7567 JHollis@thorospec.com Secretary: Brendan Ryan 724-898-1414 brendan@csahomeinspection.com Group Leaders

New England/ Canada Mike Atwell 617-630-5629 mike@jmhi.com

New York/ New Jersey Kevin Vargo 732-271-1887 kpvargo@comcast.net

Mid-Atlantic Hollis Brown 703-856-7567 Hollis@thorospec.com

Midwest Eric Barker 847-408-7238 ebarker@morainewoods.com

ASHI Reporter t August 2016

Joe Pagborn 573-228-4509 Joe@Pangborn Inspections.com

North Central George Basista 330-565-3760 GeorgeBasista@ yahoo.com

Mountain Bryck Guibor 520-419-1313 bryck@msn.com

South Atlantic

Pacific

Ray Baird 615-371-5888 bairdr@comcast.net

Darrell Hay 206-226-3205 darrellhay@aol.com

If it had stopped at that moment, I’d have probably never remembered the incident. But there was more. He then said the absolute worst thing he could have, and he said it right at my flushed, freckled face: “You’re not a home inspector, are you?” I was crushed.

For years later, I would wonder what could have made anyone that angry. Today, after decades of dealing with agents, lawyers and builders, I fully understand. I didn’t let that incident stop me, though, and I am so thankful I didn’t. By the way, if you’re reading this, Mr. Williams, it’s OK, we’re cool. I continued attending chapter meetings, eventually taking part in forming a new chapter in Northern Virginia—NOVA ASHI. Next year, that chapter will celebrate 25 years.

I credit much of my learning and growing as an inspector to being part of an ASHI chapter.

T

o give some perspective to those of you who are newer to this profession than I am, I remember the debates on the use of moisture meters during home inspections as being “beyond the scope” and a lawsuit waiting to happen. I remember having to find a pay phone when I got lost, the library of maps in the backseat and the carbon paper I used to create a copy of my handwritten report.

We only had seminars and conferences when we wanted education for MRCs. No cell phones, no Internet, no GPS, no email…it was a simple life. In a very short amount of time, this profession has gone from the Victorian Age to the Space Age. No more will you find home inspectors who use nothing but a flashlight and a screwdriver.

We now have thermal imaging cameras, all sorts of moisture meters, carbon monoxide detectors, combustible gas detectors, digital thermometers, laser measurers, receptacle testers that will measure more than you’ll ever need to measure and much more. We have freakin’ drones, for God’s sake! But now, instead of gathering together to learn and share, we spend our time in the “E”-world and not in “THE” world. We do all of our business via email or text messaging.

We do our marketing on the web, Facebook and Twitter. We get our CE credits from this site or that site.

I pass along these thoughts as someone who has seen the changes.

You are depriving yourself if you are not participating in your local chapter or attending as many seminars as you can. You will become as two-dimensional as your website pages if all you do is melt into your desk chair at the computer or are permanently bent-necked over your phone. Go make friends, shake hands, share stories and ask questions. Help your chapter grow or help put together a local meeting group. Today we are losing human contact in so many parts of society. Let’s not lose it in ASHI. H

Gulf Jim Dickey 972-907-0202 jim@jjdickey.com

6

South Midwest

one of the “gods” in the room, a venerable inspector named Speed Williams. I introduced myself and asked him a home inspection–related question. To this day, I can’t remember what the question was, but I remember his reply: “That’s the dumbest question I’ve ever heard.” I froze. It was a full-on, deer-in-the-head lights, pee-just-a-little moment. I wanted to turn my head to gauge how far I was from the door, but I couldn’t pull my eyes from his.

~ Jim James Funkhouser, Speaker, ASHI Council of Representatives speaker@ashi.org

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From ASHI’s Executive Director

This Month’s Word: “Concise�

H

ow many times have you heard this when calling a phone number? “I’m not available right now. If you wish to leave a callback number or leave a detailed message, please wait for the beep.â€? Then the automaton voice comes on to say, “At the tone, please record your message. After recording, you may hang up or press 1 for more options. If leaving a call-back number. ‌â€?

Braggadocio Overly Suspicious Expansive Home And Personal Property Inspections report (henceforth gratefully referred to as VERBOSEHAPPI), the inspector, using his front-facing orbital senses, observed a deciduous acer rubrum limb from an adjacent property in contact with the roof-covering material in a method inconsistent with its proper intention.�

What planet do people live on where they don’t know to wait for the beep?! How many hours (or what seems like days to me) have been wasted listening to Ms. Captain Obvious explain to anyone who has half a brain knows what to do? How about simply saying, “I’m not here, please leave a message.�

How about: “I started my inspection at 8a.m. and saw a tree limb laying across the house roof.�

While I’m at it‌ R55 (-. 5) 5supplemental restraint system, corrective eye lenses or dead front panel, how about air bag, glasses or electrical panel cover?

R55 " (5/-#(!53)/,5 65 )53)/5, &&35( 5.)5 5.)& 51"# "51 35.)5 turn out of your driveway to get to your destination?

Why is the human penchant so strong to complicate the obvious?

Here’s a thought: Why not be concise? Make it short and sweet, get to the point, what’s the bottom line?

I’ve heard many presentations by attorneys who, after reviewing a typical home inspection report, agree that most clients don’t want to read pompous, blustering, turgid, verbose, orotund, high-flown, high-sounding, overwrought, pretentious, ostentatious, grandiloquent—in other words, inspectorspeak—reports.

Now remember, I’m not talking about technically exhaustive reports necessary for special situations. I’m just talking about your average, run-of-the-mill home inspection report.

A

nd while we’re on the subject, is it really necessary to have a 40-page report with 75 photographs for a two-bedroom condo? ! #(65 ]'5().5. &%#(!5 )/.5 5 5*,)* ,.385 #( 5." 5( ' 5) 5 this column is “Being Frank,� I’m going to use my prerogative to suggest that there is a lot of insecurity or self-doubt with many inspectors out there who try to CYA more than necessary to serve their clients.

Instead of: “Upon arrival at or about 0800 hours to the aforementioned property listed on the preceding Page 1 of Voluble Exhaustive Redundant 8

ASHI Reporter t August 2016

Wouldn’t that suffice?

Get to the point, people. Nobody likes to listen to some blowhard make their ears bleed. There’s nothing wrong with being concise (adjective: succinct, incisive, brief).

That’s my rant for the month. Oh, wait, there’s one more. Take care of yourself! I know I’m starting to sound like your mom, but there , 5.1)5!, .5 ,.# & -5B^ (5 35 #( _5 35 ( 35 #* 5)(5 ! 5jh5 of this month’s Reporter ( 5^ (5 )/5 **&35 ]-5 /,*)- 5 ( 5 )* 5.)5 )/,5 1(5 &.">5 ,85 ( 35 3-5 -65 )/5 (_5 35 ,85 ( 35 )& ,!5)(5 ! -5hj7hk5) 5." 5 /&35#--/ 5) 5." 5Reporter) that describe some of the hazards and health issues of our lives. & - 5, 5." - 5 ,.# & -5 ( 5. % 5." 5' -- ! -5.)5" ,.85 &.")/!"5 some of us may be able to fool our spouses, our friends or our health care professionals, we can’t fool our bodies. We only get one. And while some parts can be repaired or replaced, our bodies, like buildings, are a system, with related parts depending on and influencing all the others.

Although it’s fun to think, “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow, what a ride!� The reality is we need to treat ourselves with respect and work for the best life we can.

Next month: Leadership Training Conference. Get ready for a really great ride! H

Frank Lesh, Executive Director American Society of Home Inspectors %JSFDU t 'SBOLM!BTIJ PSH t XXX BTIJ PSH

Decks

By Bruce Barker, ACI

O

nce again, The Word invites you to travel into the dark realm of subjects that are sometimes misunderstood by home inspectors. The Word hopes you will find this trip informative and maybe a little entertaining.

Our subject this month is decks. Readers with a long memory may recall The Word’s rants on this subject more than four years ago. There have been several changes to recommended deck construction practices since that time, a good enough reason to revisit the subject. Another reason is that after 65 columns (including the July issue’s column on the related topic of deck stairs), it is getting hard to think of completely new subjects to discuss. Please send new subject ideas to The Word.

Scary Stuff Decks are not the most frequent source of claims against home inspectors. That dubious distinction belongs to structural problems inside the house. Does this tell you anything about a good place to focus your inspection? The good news about structural problems is that they usually can be repaired, given enough money. Structural problems rarely result in personal injury.

Deck structural failures, however, can result in personal injury and even death. Some of the injuries can be life-altering, and death is the ultimate life-altering event. No amount of money can fully compensate for a catastrophic injury or death. This is one reason why decks are scary.

Another reason why decks are scary is that decks, especially older decks, are often improperly built. There are several reasons for this. One reason is that decks are a popular do-it-yourself project; home inspectors

know what that means. Another reason is that residential building codes have not had meaningful rules about deck construction until about the last 10 years. Even with these rules, misunderstandings about proper deck construction practices and inconsistent enforcement of minimum requirements have created a situation in which every deck you see has a high probability of having at least one significant defect.

Remember the Duck Decks are like ducks. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.

Similarly, if it looks like a deck and is built like a deck, then it’s probably a deck.

Decks are, therefore, more than just the structure at the back of the house. A deck could be a front porch, a landing and stairs to a door, a balcony or any number of similar structures. Make sure you look for decklike structures anywhere around the house.

If it’s built like a deck, then you should probably inspect it like a deck. There is one caveat to the previous statement: If the deck carries more than its own dead load, then deck construction rules may not apply. An example of this is a screen porch that is built on a deck. The loads, including vertical and lateral loads, imposed by the roof and supporting components are not in the scope of the deck construction rules. Structures such as screen porches deserve additional attention, and possibly further evaluation by an engineer.

Deck Demons There are lots of demons lurking around decks just waiting for an opportunity to cause a deck failure. We could spend an entire inspection evaluating only the deck.

We may have a standard of practice within the next year to do just that, for a separate fee, of course. For now, however, we have

Photo 1

a limited amount of time to inspect a deck.

We need to focus our efforts on identifying the scariest deck demons.

If you look at deck failures, some patterns emerge. It’s uncommon for components like posts, footings, floor joists and beams to be the primary cause of deck failures. These components can be secondary failure causes.

They are important and should not be ignored, but there are other components that are scarier.

Stairs, guards and handrails are frequent primary causes of deck failures. Falls caused by improper construction and maintenance of these components can result in injuries ranging from minor to catastrophic. These components are scary and deserve careful inspection. The Word discussed these components in last month’s column (http:// www.ashireporter.org/HomeInspection/ Articles/Deck-Stairs/14890).

The big gun in the deck demon world is detachment of the deck ledger from the house. This big gun has two scary relatives that enable the evil work of this demon.

Ledger detachment is one of the most likely causes of a deck collapse.

Improper deck flashing enables the ledger detachment demon by letting water into the building. Water deteriorates the band board/rim joist to which the deck ledger is usually attached. If the band board/rim joist fails, it does not matter how many fasteners are used; the ledger connection may fail, causing a deck collapse (Photo 1).

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>

Decks Figure 1

WALL COVERING SHEATHING FLASHING

Figure 2

WATER-RESISTIVE BARRIER 1 OR 2 IN. GAP PER WALL COVERING MANUFACTURER METAL OR PEAL-AND-STIC PAN FLASHING APPLIED OVER WATER-RESISTIVE BARRIER

WASHERS FOR ≤ 1/2 IN. DRAINAGE SPACE (OPTIONAL)

CORNER PATCH

IN.

IN.

12 IN.

WATER-RESISTIVE MEMBRANE FLASHING

12 IN. FASTEN TO P EDGE OF WATER-RESIS TO SHEATH TIV ING, DO NO T FASTEN BO E BARRIER MORE WATE TTOM EDGE R-RESISTIV , E BARRIER WILL SLIP UN DER THIS BA RRIER LATE R

WATER-RESISTIVE BARRIER

Deck Flashing

Pan Flashing for Windows and Doors

© 2015 Dream Home Consultants, LLC.

Lack of proper bracing enables the ledger detachment demon by allowing the deck to move. This movement stresses the ledger attachment connectors, which can, over time, cause fastener withdrawal, including detachment of the band board/rim joist itself. This bears repeating: Deck collapse can occur when the band board/rim joist and the deck ledger detach from the house as a unit. The Word will discuss bracing in a future column.

A False Demon Deck failures, especially deck collapses, are sometimes blamed on too many people being on the deck. This might sound like a real demon, but it is, in almost all cases, a false demon. Studies have demonstrated that when people stand at a normal comfortable distance apart, it is nearly impossible that their combined weight will be more than the design live load of a deck (40 pounds per square foot). This does not mean that people’s actions are never the cause of deck failures. Lateral loads created by sideto-side motion, such as dancing in unison, can loosen important deck connections.

Deck collapse caused by people overloading a deck is an exceptionally uncommon event.

Deck collapses caused by people’s actions are far more likely to involve neglect of good construction and maintenance practices than they are to involve wild parties.

Flashing Good deck flashing is very simple. Figure 1 shows how it should be done. Even if the L flashing is omitted, the flashing will usually work.

Installing washers to provide a drainage space between the ledger and the sheathing is controversial. The Word sides with the camp that believes that flashing is often im10

ASHI Reporter t August 2016

© 2015 Dream Home Consultants, LLC.

perfect and that providing a draining space gives water a place to go other than around imperfect flashing. The Word also appreciates the camp that believes in direct contact between the ledger and the sheathing.

Most decks have a door that provides access to the deck. Flashing around this door is often improperly installed. Figure 2 shows how it should be done. Even if the door flashing is improperly installed, the deck will probably not collapse for that reason alone. When combined with other improper flashing, improper door flashing can create a significant risk factor for a deck collapse.

The problem encountered when trying to inspect deck and door flashing is that important components are usually concealed.

Look again at Figures 1 - 2. Note how the components are lapped shingle fashion to create a drainage plane. None of these flashing details are usually visible.

If the water damage is significant enough, and if there is access to the band joist/rim board area, the results of improper flashing can sometimes be detected. Even if access is possible, the results of improper flashing can take a long time to be detected. For this reason, it may be prudent to include a concealed flashing disclaimer in the deck inspection report.

2

Deck Ledger Attachment Most decks rely on the attachment of a deck ledger to the house to provide support.

Many, if not most, deck collapses occur when this support fails. Inspectors should understand how this attachment connection should be installed and they should carefully inspect this connection during a home inspection.

The first concept to understand about a deck ledger attachment is that there are two primary forces acting on a deck: Gravity (vertical) loads exert a downward force, and lateral loads move the deck from side to side and from front to back. Each load needs a separate connection system to help the deck ledger remain attached to the building.

Bolts or screws help the deck ledger withstand vertical loads. Lateral load connectors help the deck ledger withstand lateral loads. Both connection systems should be installed. This fact is, unfortunately, not well communicated in deck construction standards.

The second concept to understand is that proper deck ledger attachment is more complicated than just installing some bolts or screws. Factors such as the type of house floor joists, the type of house band joist or rim board, and the orientation of the house floor joists are a few of the factors that determine how the vertical and lateral load fasteners and connectors should be installed. Discussing all of these factors is beyond the scope of this article, but we will cover the basics.

Figures 3 and 4 show how screws or bolts should be installed to connect the deck ledger to a band joist or rim board. These figures assume at least a 2x8 dimension lumber band board, or at least a 1-inch thick engineered rim joist, with dimension lumber floor joists or I-joists that are perpendicular to the band board or rim joist.

SPACE FASTENERS PER EBC TABLE R50 .1 AND STAGGER ≤ 5 IN. BETWEEN TOP AND BOTTOM OF LEDGER 5

2 IN. 1 ≤ 5 IN. 2

Figure 3

DEC LEDGER

IN.

Spacing of Deck Ledger Fasteners © 2015 Dream Home Consultants, LLC.

IN. 2 IN. 2 IN. 2 IN. 2

SCREWS BOLTS 10 12

USE WHEN ATTACHING 2 LEDGER TO 2 BAND OIST USING SCREWS OR WHEN USING BOLTS SPACED USING SCREW SPACING

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Decks ≤ 1/2 IN. DRAIN SPACE BETWEEN SHEATHING AND LEDGER (OPTIONAL) REMOVE E ISTING WALL CLADDING INCLUDING MASONR BEFORE INSTALLING LEDGER 1/2 IN. HOT-DIPPED GALVANI ED OR 2 IN. STAINLESS STEEL LAG SCREWS OR MACHINE BOLTS

2 IN.

2 IN. BAND JOIST OR 1 + IN. ENGINEERED RIM BOARD

1 IN. ≤ 5 IN.

2

VERTICAL LOAD CONNECTORS

HOUSE FLOOR JOIST

DEC LEDGER

DECK JOIST

SHEATHING ≤ 1 IN.

/ IN. SCREW IN.

¾ I N.

2 IN.

≤ 1 IN. BETWEEN BAND OIST/RIM BOARD AND LEDGER © 2015 Dream Home Consultants, LLC.

© 2015 Dream Home Consultants, LLC.

Figure 4

Fastener spacing depends on factors such as deck floor joist length and spacing. Proper spacing distance can be found in DCA6-12 and in the International Residential Code (IRC). DCA6-12 is a free PDF download that may be found at www.awc.org. Every inspector who inspects decks should have this document.

Are home inspectors required to determine if the bolt/screw spacing is installed according to tables in the IRC or DCA6-12? The Word’s opinion is no. We are not required to determine code compliance and we are not required to determine if a component is adequate to perform its intended function.

If it appears that a reasonable effort was made to properly install bolts/screws, the home inspector can move on.

Figures 5 and 6 show two methods of installing lateral load connectors. Figure 5

750 LB. HOLD DOWN CONNECTOR AT 4 LOCATIONS, EVENLY DISTRIBUTED, ONE ≤ 2 IN. FROM EACH END OF DECK ALTERNATE INSTALLATIONS POSSIBLE

750 Pound Lateral Load Connectors Connectors in Sill Plate or Wall Plate

Deck Ledger Connection to Band Joist or Rim Board

Note the distances between the screws or bolts and the edges of the band board and rim joists. Also note that the screws or bolts are staggered vertically along the deck ledger. These details are important to help ensure that the deck ledger and the band board/rim joist do not split under load.

(8) 10d NAILS OR (6) MANUFACTURER APPROVED SCREWS

HOUSE BAND JOIST

Figure 6

shows a connection for which the building floor joist is aligned with the deck joist.

Figure 6 shows a connection for which the building floor joist is either parallel with the band joist/rim board or when the building floor joist is not aligned with the band joist/ rim board. Figure 5 represents a connector such as the Simpson DTT2, and Figure 6 represents a connector such as the Simpson DTT1. Both connectors, like all manufactured products, should be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This means, among other things, using manufacturer-supplied or -approved fasteners to install the connectors.

There are several good lessons in this story, but the most important lesson for this column is this: Do not be the inspector who fails to report deck defects. The deck demons may haunt you if you do not find them and report them.

The Bottom Line The Word wrote this column while traveling to and from the October 2015 Keystone ASHI seminar (a very well-run seminar presented by this ASHI chapter that is located in east-central Pennsylvania). A participant told The Word a story about how a client had fallen several feet after a deck guard failed. This inspector had, fortunately, reported a deficient guard and had recommended repair. As a result, this inspector heard about this unfortunate incident only when the client called to book another inspection.

Bruce Barker is the founder and president of Dream Home Consultants, and the author of Everybody’s Building Code, written to help home inspectors understand the International Residential Code. Bruce has been building and inspecting homes since 1987.

He currently serves on the ASHI Board of Directors. He is a certified Residential Combination Inspector and a licensed contractor in Arizona, Florida and North Carolina. To read more of Bruce’s articles or if you need a presenter at your next chapter event, go to www.dreamhomeconsultants.com.

Memo to Hestia (goddess of the home and hearth): The Word does not reside on Mt. Olympus (just at its base) and welcomes other viewpoints. Send your lightning bolts or emails to Bruce@DreamHomeConsultants.com. The thoughts contained herein are those of The Word; they are not ASHI standards or policies. H

Figure 5 LATERAL LOAD CONNECTOR

DECK LEDGER

BAND JOIST FLOOR JOIST

VERTICAL LOAD CONNECTORS DECK JOIST

Lateral Load Connection if Dimension Lumber Floor Joists Perpendicular to Band © 2015 Dream Home Consultants, LLC.

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ASHI Reporter t August 2016

IST

AT 4 D, CK BLE

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What to Expect When You’re Accepting

What to Expect When You’re Accepting (‌Credit Cards, That Is)

By Aaron Fuhriman, Owner, Guardian Financial, 800-608-7363 ext. 605

N

o one likes credit card fees and no one likes dealing with credit card processors. However, in today’s world, accepting credit cards is simply a must (see these blog posts: “Show Me the Money�1 and “Why You Should Love Paying Credit Card Fees�2). Because it’s a necessary evil, it’s extremely important that you understand the basics of credit card fees, contracts and red flags. In this article, I’ll focus on what you should look out for when setting up an account with a new processor and the best practices to follow to keep your current processor honest.

What to Expect Account Types, Discount Rates and Transaction Fees. When looking for a new processor, you need to know what fees to expect. I’m going to assume that you process transactions through your home inspection software (for example, HomeGauge, Home Inspector Pro [HIP], Horizon, Inspection Support Network [ISN]) and that the transactions are “non-swiped� (refer to “To Square or Not to Square�3 for information on swiped accounts).

There are two ways to structure fees associated with merchant accounts (that is, credit card processing accounts), and neither one is inherently better than the other. The first is a tiered account and the second is an interchange plus account.

Tiered accounts are set up so that all transactions fall into one of the following three categories: R55 / &#ŀ 95(),' &5 #- 65 -. , , 5 or Discover transactions R5 # 7+/ &#ŀ 95, 1 , -5 , R5 )(7+/ &#ŀ 95 ),*), . 5 , -65#(. ,( tional cards and transactions for which the zip code and security code don’t match Interchange plus accounts simply charge you a certain percentage (generally a set 14

ASHI Reporter t August 2016

number of basis points) above cost or “interchange.�

With both of these types of accounts, you also will pay a per-transaction fee. The percentage that’s charged with these types of accounts is referred to as a “discount rate.�

Monthly and Gateway Fees. On top of the discount rate and the per-transaction fee, you also will generally have a monthly fee.

(Refer to “To Square or Not to Square�3 for more information about accounts that have no monthly fees.) This fee is typically $5 to $10 per month. If you process transactions through your home inspection software program or on your website, you also will have a gateway fee. Depending on which payment gateway your software developer recommends, you’ll pay $5 to $20 per month for this feature. The payment gateway is required for any and all online processing; it is the security feature that credit card companies require to keep your customers’ information secure when processing transactions online or through a software program.

FANF.5 #- 5#(.,) / 5 5^ /(_5( 15 5#(5 2012 called the FANF (Fixed Acquired Network Fee). This fee is applied to every merchant account and the amount of the fee is based on processing volume. For the average home inspector, a monthly FANF will be $0 to $15 (which means you process $0 to $39,000 during that time). This fee )' -5 #, .&35 ,)'5 #- 65 ( 5#( #0# / &5 processors have no say in the matter.

PCI Compliance Fee. Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance is another relatively new fee that is now applied to every merchant account. Some charge it monthly, most charge it annually. It can range from $60 to $150 per year. Also, most processors will charge you more if you don’t complete ." 5, +/#, 5 #- I -. , , 5 5 )'-

pliance questionnaire every year. Essentially, the card companies require that you annually state that you are still compliant.

Each processor has different procedures for how to remain compliant and each has different penalties for not keeping up with compliance. Make sure you find out what your compliance fee is, what the penalty for noncompliance is and what the procedure is for remaining compliant.

What to Look Out For Cancellation Fees and Contract Terms.

The most important thing to watch out for when setting up a new merchant account is the cancellation fee. Never sign an agreement with a processor that locks you into a term contract and charges a cancellation fee if you terminate early. (Many processors will try to lock you into a three-year agreement.) If you are locked into a contract, the processor then can increase the rates to whatever they want, knowing that if you cancel, they will get a lump sum cancellation fee and if you stay, they will make a killing on your processing fees. So, again, do not ever sign a term agreement with any processor.

Junk Fees and Clubs. Beware of junk fees.

Many processors will try to get you to sign up for equipment maintenance programs or “club� programs that add additional monthly fees. Make sure you look at all the fine print to see if there are any additional (potentially hidden) monthly fees.

Equipment Leases. Never, ever, ever, ( 0 ,65 5-#!(5 5& - 5 ),5 +/#*' (.85 Please just trust me on this. It is never, ever, 0 ,65( 0 ,65 51),."5#.85 Start-Up or Application Fees. You should never have to pay start-up fees or application fees. Just say no‌the processing company will waive it.

Smart Card Readers. Smart cards are a hot topic right now. It’s likely that companies will contact you to try to scare you into thinking that you need new equipment that is “smart-card ready� for when the government requires all merchants to use smart cards. Simply put, this is not true. You don’t need to update your equipment yet—the time may come someday, but we are not there yet.

> Currently, the only thing that has been “required� when it comes to smart cards is a slight liability shift in certain situations.

Here’s an example: Let’s say you are face to face with a client who hands you a credit card that you swipe (instead of using a smart card reader). If the card your client gave you was counterfeit, you would take on the liability for that transaction; however, if the card the client gave you was stolen, you would not have any liability. Also, if you keyed in the credit card numbers either over the phone or online before the inspection or even at the time of the inspection, you would not take on any additional liability.

I

t might be reassuring to consider that if someone goes through the trouble of making a counterfeit microchip and then embeds it on a credit card with a counterfeit magnetic stripe, the last thing that person is likely to do is take that fake credit card and use it to pay for a home inspection. Now, if you sold high-end big-screen TVs or top-of-the-line car audio equipment, that’s a different story and I would probably say that it’s time for you to upgrade your smart card equipment. But for the typical home inspector, it just isn’t something you need to worry about yet. Especially if you process transactions through your home inspection software, this is something that simply does not apply to you. The important takeaway is to not get sucked in by a sales pitch to buy new smart card equipment that you don’t need.

How to Keep Your Current Processor Honest Assuming that you are already processing credit card transactions, one of the easiest things you can do to make sure you don’t get taken advantage of by a credit card processing company is to calculate your effective rate every month. To do this, you simply take the total amount you processed and divide it by the total amount of fees you paid out. If you do this every month, you’ll be able to notice if there are any significant changes. Now, because processors determine rates according to the type of cards that your customers use for your services, your effective rate probably will change a little bit every month. This is normal. What you want to be looking for are changes that are larger than 0.25%. If you notice a pattern that concerns you, you should contact

What to Expect When You’re Accepting

your processor to clarify the amount of the fees.

I understand that most home inspectors hate dealing with this part of their business, but I urge you to remember this: Your credit card processor sees your money before you do. So please, if you do nothing else, take two minutes each month to determine your effective rate, compare it with your rates from previous months, and take action if you notice any significant discrepancies. If you do nothing else, this one small thing could save you hundreds of dollars per year.

If you have any questions about credit card processing, please don’t hesitate to contact me or anyone in the Guardian Financial office. We’ve been in the credit card processing business for 14 years, and for more than a decade of that time, we’ve worked almost exclusively with home inspectors.

We understand your business, your industry and your inspection software. We can help you integrate your credit card processing with your website or software. Even if you don’t use Guardian Financial, please feel free to contact us for help you might need to analyze your current rates and fees. We can help you negotiate with your current credit card processor to get you better rates. H Suggested Resources 1. Guardian Financial Blog. Show Me the Money. http://www.smallbizguardian.com/company/ our_blog/e_771/Guardian_Financial_Blog/2015/8/ Show_Me_The_Money.htm.

2. Guardian Financial Blog. Why You Should Love Paying Credit Card Fees. http://www. smallbizguardian.com/company/our_blog/e_773/ Guardian_Financial_Blog/2015/8/Why_You_ Should_Love_Paying_Credit_Card_Fees.htm.

3. Guardian Financial Blog. To Square or Not to Square. http://www.smallbizguardian.com/ company/our_blog/e_770/Guardian_Financial_ Blog/2015/8/To_Square_or_Not_To_Square.htm.

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Aaron Fuhriman started Guardian Financial in 2002, right after graduating from Boise State University with a degree in secondary education. For more than a decade, he has focused on the home inspection industry and has become the industry expert when it comes to credit card processing and home inspectors.

15August 2016

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The Art of High-Rise and Condo Inspections

The Art of High-Rise and Condo Inspections

By Kurt Mitenbuler, ACI

W

hen you’re inspecting condominiums, attached townhomes and high-rise properties, you expect to check a few outlets, mash the (GFCI) buttons, run the appliances, flush the toilets and that’s about it, right? For most inspectors, it is.

For a few of us, it’s not.

I’ll come right out of the chute with an idea that few share, that the old guard dismisses out of hand and that instructors roundly condemn and advise against in home inspection school: Look at and report on the deficiencies you see on the building exterior and in common areas.

Home inspection school instructors, inspection report software moguls and continuing education providers just spewed coffee on their computer screens. Why would you ignore decades of conventional wisdom and open yourself to that liability? It’s simple— that’s where the expensive and dangerous problems usually are.

Do home inspectors think their clients will be concerned about a double tap in the breaker panel, but not about conditions that could cost them thousands of dollars in special assessment fees, injury or death? I hope not. Yet, it’s what nearly everyone in this business does.

Now that I’ve lost about 97% of readers with my take on this thing we do, let’s go.

I’m going to cover the majority of buildings we see in Chicago…high-rises, low-rise renovated condos in vintage buildings, new masonry condos and attached townhomes.

High-Rise Condos (those towers downtown…)

Charge enough. I often charge as much for an inspection of a two-bedroom condo downtown as I do for a single-family residence in the ‘burbs.

16

ASHI Reporter t August 2016

Look at details. Report on those door scratches and cabinet hinges that are slightly out of adjustment. (Condo-dwellers care a lot about these kinds of things.)

Bring a stepladder. Why? Ceiling hatches.

These places have lots of Milcor hatches, behind which are valves, shut-offs, mechanical systems, humidifiers and other stuff that no one wants to think about. Open every hatch and look—you’ll occasionally find really stupid stuff.

Bring a 12-volt impact driver and drill bit collection with every imaginable option.

Those previously noted hatches often have proprietary hatch mechanisms with obscure configurations.

Check the humidifier. They all have them; none of them work. They’re almost always those little steamer types that no one likes except the people who sell them. They fail constantly and need maintenance several times a year. Make sure there’s a condensate drain pan under them.

Visit the laundry. Absolutely comment on the presence or absence of drain pans under washers, burst-resistant hoses and flexible plastic dryer ducts, and be sure to check for a floor drain. When this stuff goes bad in a high-rise, it can affect apartments on several floors…and it’s almost guaranteed that the lawyer who lives in one of them will sue

everyone imaginable when a water stain appears on the ceiling.

Run through this HVAC list: R55Electric baseboards—pretty basic; see if everything works.

R55Slide unit (as seen in the types of motels I frequent)—run it through the cycles. If it’s old, say so. These are inexpensive and easy to replace, so this issue is relatively easy to figure out.

R Coil and blowers—seen in most highrises in Chicago, usually at least three in each condo, sometimes one unit serves two rooms. Sometimes one or two larger systems are placed above the ceiling, which is why you bring a stepladder and all those bits to open the hatches and see these systems.

Determine if it’s a two-pipe (meaning the building determines when to switch from heat to air-conditioning and vice versa) or four-pipe (meaning the occupant controls things). Most new buildings are four-pipe.

These things have short duct systems of fiberglass duct board, oftentimes filthy and chewed up. I warn my clients that fiberglass particles could get into the airstream.

Check the coils for crud and the condensate pans and drains for adequacy and function.

Not complicated.

R55Ceiling electric resistance heat. You need an infrared (IR) camera, no way around it.

After determining if it all works, inform the client that it’s dated technology and that

The weakest link in a modern roof: The vent stack gasket The Problem: The plumbing vent pipes that penetrate your roof are typically sealed with a rubber gasket to keep rain from entering the home. These rubber gaskets deteriorate when exposed to the sun and high temperatures. Over time they get brittle and crack thus losing their ability to protect the home from water intrusion.

While modern roof shingles often offer a lifetime warranty, these rubber gaskets usually deteriorate in as little as 3 to 5 years.

As a result, water begins to flow into the home causing damage to roof shething, insulation, ceilings, interior walls and carpet.

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The Art of High-Rise and Condo Inspections

several buildings with similar systems have required gut-wrenching special assessments to retrofit new mechanical systems into the property.

Inspect electrical systems. Do pretty much what you’d do for any property, except remember there’s a high likelihood for aluminum wiring in high-rises built during or before the ’60s. You know what to do. If you put the amprobe on everything, you may want to rethink it for high-rise work. My personal credo is “don’t do it� (unless you enjoy getting barraged by emails from every stakeholder asking what you mean and then telling you that every other party in the universe says you’re wrong).

Check plumbing. Older buildings may " 0 5),#!#( &5! &0 (#4 5*#* 85 #* 5, .,)ŀ.5 is a huge issue. Check pressure and flow, and if it’s lousy, the building probably needs plumbing upgrades that will cost thousands (or millions). Beyond that, check for leaking fixtures and loose toilets. Basic stuff.

Assess windows. If the windows are original (usually single-pane, aluminum-frame), inform your client that new windows for the building can cost a few million bucks.

Also, determine whether and why the building has window brakes, which make it impossible to open them wider than about four inches. Check all windows for weather-stripping; high winds at the 52nd floor can make things uncomfortable if the weather-stripping isn’t adequate.

Low-Rise Renovated Condos in Vintage Buildings (The “Olde� Stuff) Old masonry. Everyone uses the wrong mortar. Everyone. It destroys old buildings.

Don’t tell people to have their old masonry “tuckpointed.� What you’re recommending isn’t tuckpointing in the first place and it causes slow-motion demolition of the masonry in the second place. Do not, repeat, DO NOT recommend getting advice from a qualified licensed mason (they’re the ones causing the problems). Learn about old masonry and teach your customer what’s right.

If you don’t understand old masonry, check out these resources I’ve written for Chicago HouseWeb.com: R55^ " .5 -5 / %*)#(.#(!_5(http://chicagohouseweb.com/what-is-tuckpointing/)

18

ASHI Reporter t August 2016

R55^ -)(,35 ( 5 . ,5 ( ! ' (.65 ,.5g_5(http://chicagohouseweb.com/ masonry-water-hows-it-work/) R55^ -)(,35 ( 5 . ,5 ( ! ' (.65 ,.5h_5(http://chicagohouseweb.com/ masonry-water-hows-it-work-vol-ii/) HVAC. It’s either building-wide or individual units. Building-wide means there will be a boiler (steam or hot water) and radiators. If it’s summer, the heat will be shut off so you can’t check it. Say so. There’s too much to cover everything, but here’s a short list: R55Building-wide HVAC. Check each radiator valve. Use an IR camera to determine if the radiator heats evenly or if it’s air locked and only warms partially. If you don’t have an IR camera, use your hand: Check the top and bottom of the radiators; they should be evenly warm. If the bottom is hot and the top is cold, there’s trapped air and the radiator needs a bleeder valve.

R55Steam system. Tell folks about uneven heat balance and all the stuff we know is problematic with steam, and tell them to research these issues with the condominium association and get back to you.

It’s all you can do. Old buildings have been around long enough for everyone to know what the issues are and there’s usually a paper trail in the condo board meeting minutes that describes them. One thing‌if there’s no “energy management systemâ€? along the lines of an R&D Series 1400 boiler control, the heat distribution is probably a mess. Find out if there’s a multisensor control system; if there’s not, it’s essentially guaranteed that the building doesn’t heat evenly.

R5Individual GFFA. Improperly located return air registers, inadequate clearance to combustibles, lack of drain pans under furnaces, venting issues and lousy air flow‌of this list, venting is usually the most problematic.

R55Multistory venting. Lots of old buildings use this—all the units in a particular tier dump their Category I exhaust into a common B vent. Can’t do that; blockage in one unit can mean all the units in that tier get gassed from exhaust backing into their unit. It can’t be fixed without ripping the building a new one or everyone switching .)5 .5 5B1"# "5 &-)5/-/ &&35' (-5,#*ping the building a new one). Don’t cop out with a “grandfather clause� excuse;

combustion backflow kills people—tell clients to install new equipment or fix the multistory venting arrangement, which ( 0 ,5" ** (-85 /-"5 ),5' 25 5 & ,'-:5 it’s all you can do.

R55Duplex down condos with supply registers in high ceilings. Tell your customers it’s going to be cold in winter because all that hot air being delivered to the ceiling will stay right up there.

R55Mechanical closets. Negatively comment on closets that are so small you can’t get to the water heater without removing the furnace. Customers are always amazed when I mention this—point being, what’s obvious to us may not be obvious to buyers.

Plumbing list R55Pipe material. Same issues as for highrises. It’s either old or new. Your customer needs to know that it almost always will require a special assessment and a lot of disruption to put in new pipe.

R55Pans under water heaters. Make sure the pan drains to a floor drain, that it’s not just a pan going nowhere (which is surprisingly common).

R55The usual stuff of pressure and flow.

Check new or old pipes, fixtures, and find out whether fixture shutoffs are under the sinks. Having no shutoffs in a condo means the whole tier will get shut down if there’s a problem.

Electrical list R55New or old. New service? Fine. Old service? There’s never enough circuits. Say so. Advise why they would want a larger service and additional circuits. If you don’t, they’ll wonder why you didn’t when their window air conditioners are blowing breakers every five minutes.

R55GFCIs: You know what to say. Install new ones and more of them.

R5Old breakers. This seems to be a trending topic, so if you think the breakers are too old to work properly, tell your customers what you think.

New Masonry Condominiums Masonry and stucco. First, masonry—it’s all wrong. Of course, you have to know what “wrong� means, but if it wasn’t built in the last few years, there’s a 99.9% likelihood that it’s wrong. Leaking masonry causes

> problems that can’t be seen for years, but when it shows up, it’s full-tilt disaster stuff.

It’s becoming a long-term disaster story in Chicago; with thousands of these things out there that are all wrong, we’re finding more leakers with amazingly bad structural problems every year.

They’re all wrong in the same ways and after a while, it’s easy to look over a large building and make an accurate assessment about its condition because it’s always wrong. Repairing masonry is prohibitively expensive; this is one of the primary areas about which your customer needs to know more than just what’s going on inside the unit.

Second, stucco—to get up to speed on the issues, read this excellent series written by Mark Cramer, published in the May and June 2016 issues of the Reporter: R55^ &),# ]-5 ./ )5 #- -. ,65 ,.5g_5 (http://www.ashireporter.org/ HomeInspection/Articles/Floridas-Stucco-Disaster-What-Every-HomeInspector-Should-Know-Part-1/14847) R55^ &),# ]-5 ./ )5 #- -. ,85 ,.5h_5(http:// www.ashireporter.org/HomeInspection/Articles/Florida-s-Stucco-Disaster-Part-2/14877) Again, masonry and stucco are wrong in the same ways, so it’s kind of a “choose one from Column A and two from Column B� reportage thing. Have your list of what goes wrong with masonry and stucco, and mix and match comments from your library to describe what you see.

1960s low-rise flat roofs. Get up there and report on them; they’re always a mess.

Everything else. The rest of your inspection should include pretty much the same as listed for the previously described buildings.

Attached Townhomes Balconies and decks. They’re almost always deficient. Be careful when inspecting enclosed balconies, especially boxed-beam

The Art of High-Rise and Condo Inspections

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The Art of High-Rise and Condo Inspections

wooden assemblies, because that’s the type that went down in California.

Final Thoughts

It’s become apparent that these need inspection access ports and ventilation; if there’s no access port or vents, FLAG IT! The investigators of an engineering study delineating the causes of failure and methods for avoiding failure in the future named inspection hatches and ventilation as “must-have� improvements for balconies. Frank Woeste, "8 5 8 865 ( 5 5" 0 5 (5 2 " (!#(!5 emails for a year looking into this issue and his analysis is that you need hatches and ventilation. So, if you’re looking at balconies, look for inspection hatches and vents.

If you don’t see them, flag this with a big red arrow. Expect to be the only person who does so.

t i* EJEO U QFSGPSN BO FYIBVTUJWF detailed inspection of the FYUFSJPS CVU * EJE TFF UIFTF things that are a major concern and they include, but are not limited to‌.�

Sidewall cladding. Improperly installed Hardie board is common. Download spec sheets from jameshardie.com to back up your comments about siding being installed wrong (because it’s almost always wrong).

Here are two good resources: R55^ )'')(5 # #(!5 #&/, -6_5 35 ,%5 ,& 65 )/,( &5) 5 #!".5 )(-.,/ .#)(5 (http://www.jlconline.com/how-to/exteriors/common-siding-failures_o?utm_ source=newsletter&utm_content=Feature&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JLC_061916a%20(1)%20A&he=) R55 , # & (%X5 *5 # #(!5#(-. && .#)(5 requirements (http://www.jameshardie.com/d2w/installation/hardieplank-hz5-us-en.pdf) Vinyl siding. Same as with other rain screens, all you can do is look for gross violations, like caulk, lack of drip caps, J channel as a starter strip and the usual vinyl siding red flags. After that, I tell my customers to research leak and moisture intrusion issues in the homeowners’ association meeting minutes.

Commentary that works for me:

t i* EJEO U QFSGPSN B DPNQMFUF BOE technically exhaustive inspection PG UIF XIBUFWFS TZTUFN CVU * EJE TFF UIFTF UIJOHT UIBU * DBOOPU ignore‌.�

You can disclaim entire building issues, yet still note deficiencies. Yes, you can.

Someone always brings up the old saw that if a person reports on one item in a list, then that person is also responsible for every other item in the subset of components. I’ve researched this with several partners in law firms, professors at Northwestern University Law School and friends who practice law, and not one of them has ever cited any legal basis for this cherished bit of home inspectors’ lore. The only problems I’ve encountered in this business were when I didn’t comment on problems, not when I did.

Tell your clients to get a year’s worth of meeting minutes and read them, looking for complaints that don’t get resolved, not the crank complaining about the doorbell.

Tell your clients to check the reserve fund.

Expect real estate agents to be outraged by you talking about reserve funds. Ignore the realtors.

Inevitably, the old guard gives this admonition: “Where does one stop?� My advice is to stop whenever you think you need to stop. Don’t go in the deep end if you don’t know how to swim. After that, learn how to swim. Customers need to know this stuff, so tell your customers what they need to know.

When I was in China last winter, I received an email from an attorney I’d never met.

Attached were 19 home inspection reports from others, plus my report, all for the

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ASHI Reporter t August 2016

same property. I skimmed everything and replied, “You’re either suing me because I didn’t report on all the picayunish crap the others built entire reports around or commending me because I’m the only one who reported the need for a quarter mil in masonry repairs.�

He replied, “Yep, you were the only guy who saw and wrote about it.� I don’t know what others think, but that struck me as interesting. I am now known to another 19 people as the competent inspector, not the incompetent moron they hired, and I’ve already booked gigs on the referrals of people I don’t even know and never worked for because they remember me as the only guy who did the job they thought they were supposed to get. Yep, interesting.

To be clear, everyone gets to do whatever they want in this gig. I don’t care how anyone else does it. Independence is a big part of why we’re all in it; we get to design our own show.

But it’s silly to not tell people what they need to know and expect them to find things for themselves the hard way.

Instead, we can charge more and do more, which is what people expect us to do when they hire us.

Being the only inspector who reports on expensive, important stuff hasn’t hurt my business and it won’t hurt yours. It’ll only help and you’ll be doing the job your customers hired you to do. H Kurt Mitenbuler has spent 30 years inspecting buildings in Chicago.

He is a 28-year member of ASHI, an iconoclast/troublemaker on the ASHI forum and a denigrator of the ways it’s always been done.

Disclaimer: Inclusion of or specific mention of any proprietary product within does not imply endorsement of, nor does exclusion of any proprietary product imply non-endorsement, by the American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc. Opinions or statements of authors and advertisers are solely their own, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of ASHI, its agents or editors.

21August 2016

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Everything You Need to Know About the Apartment You’re Buying

Everything You Need to Know About the Apartment You’re Buying Before You Buy It

By Larry Ubell, ACI and Matthew Barnett, ACI, Accurate Building Inspectors (www.accuratebuilding.com)

FOR YOUR CLIENTS… Editors’ note: Larry Ubell and Matthew Barnett of Accurate Building Inspectors in New York City compiled this information for their website to advise clients about the importance of having a home inspection before buying a co-op or condo in the city. We think their advice for clients and home inspectors applies beyond the Big Apple. Check it out.

Don’t walk blindly into a big purchase.

Whether a co-op or condominium is in a new or vintage structure, hiring a licensed home inspector may save you a lot of heartaches and thousands of dollars in the future.

Caveat emptor—let the buyer beware.

A Holistic View It’s the perfect studio apartment—it comes with a parking space and a rooftop garden.

You’ve taken a good look at the apartment, but what about the building that surrounds that perfect apartment?

The Building’s Board Minutes When considering an apartment for purchase, start by asking to see the board minutes. You should know that not everything is in the minutes. Items may have been left out, not for malicious reasons, but because the management or building managers may not have the construction expertise to analyze the building systems or that perfect apartment. If you have any unanswered questions about the building, this is a good time to hire a trained and licensed building inspector to help you uncover any problems that would affect the apartment and its livability.

The Building’s Infrastructure A trained, licensed home inspector will help you understand the mechanical and electrical systems that support the apartment. An aging infrastructure, including the boiler, water heater and plumbing or electrical systems, can work fine if systems are well

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ASHI Reporter t August 2016

maintained, but problems with these systems could become constant interruptions to your life. One area to look for is whether the building has or may develop dampness issues. Is there evidence of a previous flood from a mechanical failure such as a pipe leak or burst? Is the location prone to a natural flood disaster? Though most pre-purchase inspections do not focus on environmental issues, it is important to consider that additional testing might be necessary to determine if leaks or flooding have made the apartment or building unsafe. A home inspector can advise you on these issues.

A Legal Perspective When making any major property purchase, you might consider talking with a real estate attorney who can advocate on your behalf and help protect you from pitfalls and traps throughout the transaction process.

Your attorney may recommend a thorough inspection—this information can be used to compare your goals with the purchase costs and to negotiate a better deal. Food for thought: Clients who decline an inspection may be required by their attorney to sign a “no inspection request form.”

The Inspector’s Checklist Who Owns the Problem?

Typically, major building systems (for example, boiler, sewage drain lines and electrical boxes) are the co-op or condominium building manager’s responsibilities, and systems and appliances within the apartment are the unit owner’s responsibilities. So, when is an apartment problem a building problem or a unit problem? Does the condo association have enough money in reserve to pay for repairs or replacements? For example, a structural problem in the apartment is a building issue that may influence the long-term costs of owning the apartment. Therefore, when building maintenance issues are discovered, they should be discussed and negotiated before signing a contract, not after closing.

The following list covers some of the issues we’ve found during thousands of pre-purchase apartment inspections. To correct some of these defects, you may have to bear the cost of repair, increases in monthly maintenance or additional assessments.

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ASHI Ad.indd 6

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Everything You Need to Know About the Apartment You’re Buying

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ASHI Reporter t August 2016

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Heating and Domestic Hot Water Heating t "HJOH BOE EFUFSJPSBUJOH IFBUJOH FRVJQNFOU t #PJMFS VTJOH $PME /P PS /P PJM t $PNCVTUJPO HBT MFBLBHF GSPN IFBUJOH FRVJQNFOU t .JTTJOH PS CSPLFO CPJMFS TBGFUZ DPOUSPMT t 1PPSMZ NBJOUBJOFE IFBUJOH FRVJQNFOU Accurate Building Inspectors® was founded in 1961 by Alvin and Estelle Ubell; Lawrence Ubell joined the company in 1983 and currently is the president and chief inspector (partner). Alvin Ubell is a vice president and senior inspector (partner); he is also a retired ASHI member.

Matthew Barnett is a vice president and senior inspector (partner); he joined Accurate Building Inspectors® in 1986. H

The Odds Are in Your Favor at InspectionWorld TM A Sure Bet! IWTM is the biggest professional development opportunity of the year for home inspectors.

REGISTRATION BEGINS SEPTEMBER 1 Las Vegas, Bally’s Resort • January 22-25, 2017 ASHI’s annual meeting and the largest education conference and expo of the year for professional home inspectors www.inspectionworld.com

7 1 20

Go to www.inspectionworld. com for details. Registration begins September 1.

A special raffle will be held October 1. Three lucky registrants will receive complimentary conference registration to IWTM -BT 7FHBT Attend more than 45 educational sessions taught by knowledgeable experts. Fulfill 20 ASHI continuing (CE) credit requirements, as well as earn CE credits to put toward the requirements of state and other industry organizations.

®

EVERYONE’S A WINNER!

t 1SF BOE 1PTU $POGFSFODF DPVSTFT t 8FMDPNF UP "4)* &WFOU GPS OFX ASHI members and first-time attendees)

ASHI Members Welcome …

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2016 CAHPI NATIONAL CONFERENCE

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Sheraton Cavalier Calgary Hotel Calgary, Alberta CANADA

October 20 – 22, 2016

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Join us this year and enjoy the hospitality and all-inclusive registration.

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Package includes:

t (BMB EJOOFS BOE EBODJOH (optional) t *OTQFDU1"$ $PDLUBJM 3FDFQUJPO (tickets may be purchased onsite) t &YDJUJOH -BT 7FHBT Get In On the Action. Meet vendors with the latest and greatest technology, equipment, tools and more. Speak with Dr. Jim Johnson and ASHI staff members about what it takes to move up to the next level. Gain valuable knowledge and share experiences with other professional home inspectors.

H

Welcome reception with Alberta ‘beef on a bun’ Exhibitor and product showcase with product demonstrations Learn beyond your field or interest from subject matter expert speakers 18 educational credits (approved by ASHI) Meals are included: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, coffee breaks and banquet An opportunity to network with home inspectors from across Canada Bring your family to Calgary, Alberta Canada … there is a lot to see and do

Full details available on www.cahpinational.org 25August 2016

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Hands-on Home Inspection Training vs. Simulated Training Is there really a question?

By The ASHI School Staff

O

nce you’ve decided to become a home inspector, you need to get training.

And if you surf the Internet, you’ll notice that several organizations advertise their training. So, how do you choose which path to follow? t :PV DBO CBTF ZPVS EFDJTJPO PO DPTU .BZCF you could go with the cheapest course out there; however, when has cheaper ever been associated with better quality? t )PX BCPVU UIF GBTUFTU PS UIF TIPSUFTU course? Well, that’s an option, but do you really want to miss out on something important because you want to get the class over with quickly? t 8IBU JG ZPV MFBSO POMJOF GSPN IPNF FWFO while still wearing your pajamas? That might be appealing, but wouldn’t you rather learn in a classroom with actual instructors and classmates and then go to actual houses so you can use your training in real homes?

Here’s a related question: If you could learn from those who created the standards that are the basis of the entire profession of home inspection, would you jump at that chance? Of course! You want to learn from the best of the best, not the worst of the worst.

These are all reasons why you should attend The ASHI School (TAS). And if you’ve already attended yourself, then you should be telling others about it.

Here are some highlights of The ASHI School’s education: t .PSF MJWF åFME USBJOJOH UIBO BOZ PUIFS home inspection school offers t 'JFME USBJOJOH UIBU IBQQFOT JO SFBM IPNFT not in simulations or cutaways t &EVDBUJPO UIBU T BQQSPWFE CZ UIF 6 4 Department of Veterans Affairs t $PBTU UP DPBTU USBJOJOH MPDBUJPOT

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ASHI Reporter t August 2016

t /BUJPOBM )PNF *OTQFDUJPO &YBN /)*&

handbooks to help prepare you for the examination t 'SFF POF ZFBS NFNCFSTIJQ XJUI UIF American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). (Remember that statement about the people who created the standards that home inspection professionals follow? Those people are ASHI members!)

When you want a glass of orange juice, do you want fresh squeezed or frozen concentrate?

Upcoming Classes Across the Country August 1-12, 2016 t $ZQSFTT $"

Did you know that TAS educators are not your average, run-of-the-mill instructors?

They are currently practicing home inspectors, all ASHI-Certified (ACI), with a wealth of knowledge that they are happy to impart during and after class. The ASHI School instructors will not only teach you the basics of home inspection, but they will also share tips and tricks, lessons learned on the job and more. (If you are interested in becoming an instructor at TAS, please contact Bonnie Bruno at 847-954-3178 or bonnie@theashischool.com.)

August 15-26, 2016 t %FT 1MBJOFT *- t 4U -PVJT .0 t $PMVNCVT 0)

We give you money! Well, that’s a little misleading. But if you are already an ASHI member or if you have already been a student of TAS, you can qualify to receive a $50 Visa gift card just by referring another student to The ASHI School.

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New classes are starting near you! We have 13 class locations in 10 states, so look at our schedule and find the class that’s scheduled near you. Plus, we host classes during many home inspection–related events each year, including ASHI’s InspectionWorldTM, the California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA) annual conference, ASHI chapter events and more. We also offer ancillary courses in radon, commercial buildings, four-point wind mitigation, mold and more! Check out www.theashischool.com/ class listings/ to find out what’s scheduled.

Call 888.884.0440 for more information or to register today. H

September 12-23, 2016 t -BLFXPPE $0 t 5BNQB '- September 19-30, 2016 t $JODJOOBUJ 0)

Two-Day Radon Measurement Webinar

Commercial Class: September 21-23, 2016 t -PT "OHFMFT $"

SM

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RECEIVE YOUR BEST SLEEP-WELL-AT-NIGHT MEDICINE

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good night’s sleep. And it isn’t the blueprint for a successful business.

You can’t predict the future, but you can control the steps you take now to make it a lot less stressful and a lot more restful.

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VISIT WWW.JOEFERRY.COM/ASHI TO SIGN UP BEFORE LOSING ANOTHER NIGHT’S SLEEP 27August 2016

t www.ASHIReporter.org

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NORTH CENTRAL ASHI Central PA

www.ashicentralpa.com Second Monday, 6 pm, except Jan. & July, Bonanza Steak House, Walnut Bottom Rd., Carlisle William Weitzel, 717-919-5087 bill@centralhomeinspections.com

Keystone (PA)

www.keystoneashi.org First Monday, 5:30 pm The Crowne Plaza, Reading David Artigliere, 610-220-1907 artihi@gmail.com

Ohio

www.ohioashi.com Howard Snyder, 330-929-5239 ohashi@neo.rr.com

North Central Ohio

www.ncohioashi.com William Stone, 216-308-9663 wstonehomeinspection@gmail.com

Pocono-Lehigh (PA)

www.pocono-lehighashi.org Third Tuesday, Tannersville Inn, Tannersville Ronald Crescente, 570-646-7546 amerispec@pa.metrocast.net

PRO ASHI (PA)

www.proashi.com Second Wednesday of Jan., March, May, July & Nov. John Fleenor, 412-862-1443 jthefleenor@gmail.com

Tri-State (DE, NJ, PA)

www.tristateashi.org Second Tuesday except April, Aug. & Dec., Dave & Buster's Plymouth Meeting, PA Peter Muehlbronner, 215-8527319, peter@ahiconsulting.com

MIDWEST Central Illinois

www.cicashi.com Second Monday, 6 pm Kevan Zinn, 309-262-5006 info@inspectwithzinn.com

Great Lakes (IL, IN, IA, KY, MI, MN, OH, WI) For monthly meetings: www.greatinspectors.com/ schedule-of-events/ Carol Case, 734-284-4501 carol@greatinspectors.com

Greater Omaha (NE)

www.ashiomaha.com Rick Crnkovich, 402-779-2529 Rick2@cox.net

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ASHI Reporter t August 2016

Heartland (IA, MN, ND, SD, WI)

www.ashiheartland.org Reuben Saltzman, 612-205-5600 reuben@ashiheartland.org

Indiana ASHI

www.inashi.com Quarterly Danny Maynard, 317-319-7209 danny@inspectinc.net

Iowa ASHI

www.iowaashichapter.org Fourth Tuesday, 7:00 - 9:00 pm Clarion Inn, Cedar Rapids Craig Chmelicek, 319-389-7379 elitehomeandradon@gmail.com

Kentuckiana (IN, KY)

www.ashikentuckiana.org Allan Davis, 502-648-9294 elitehomeinspections@ insightbb.com

Mid-Missouri

www.midmoashi.com Second Thursday, 12:00 pm, Even months of the year; Columbia Board of Realtors office.

2309 I-70 Drive NW, Columbia, MO Bobbi Wilson, 573-881-8585 Bobbi@wilsonhomeinspectors.com

Northern Illinois

www.nicashi.com Second Wednesday (except Dec.) 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm Crazypour, 105 E. North Ave., Villa Park, IL Jeremy Meek, 630-854-2454 jeremy@discoveryinspector.com

MOUNTAIN Arizona

www.azashi.org Tony Hecht, 480-507-0837 tony@tonyhecht.com

New Mexico

www.ashinm.org Every other month, Second Saturday, (Jan., May., Sept.)

Mimi’s Cafe Albuquerque - 9:15 am Bodega Burger Co., (March, July) Socorro - 11 am Lance Ellis, 505-977-3915 lellis@amerispce.net

Northern Rockies (ID, MT) Lamar Rase, 406-531-4848 completehomeinspectionsinc@ msn.com

Rocky Mountain Fourth Tuesday, 6:30 pm Kathleen Barbee, 303-646-3413 info@ab-inspections.com

Southern Colorado

www.ashi-southerncolorado.org Second Thursday, 6:30 pm Valley Hi Golf Club, Colo. Springs Mike Meyer, 719-686-8282 mikehome07@msn.com

Utah

www.ashiutah.com First Tuesday, 7 pm Marie Callender’s, Midvale Fred Larsen, 801-201-9583 Fred.larsen@pillartopost.com

PACIFIC

SOUTH MIDWEST Arkansas Lonnie Moore, 479-530-5792 mhinsp@cox.net

Great Plains (KS, MO)

www.ashikc.org Second Wednesday of even months The Great Wolf Lodge, Kansas City Doug Hord, 816-215-2329 doug@firstchoice.com

Midwest PRO ASHI (KS) Jack Koelling, 316-744-9990 jackkoelling@cox.net

St. Louis (MO)

www.stlashi.org Second Tuesday, 6:30 pm Spazio’s at Westport Frank Copanas, 314-456-0783 Acropolis-inspection@live.com

Alaska Meeting dates: Jan 1, March 1, Aug 1, Nov 1 Location varies each meeting David Mortensen, 907-243-4476 dave@discoveryinspect.com

ASHI Hawaii

www.ashihawaii.com Alex Woodbury, 808-322-5174 Woodburya001@hawaii.rr.com

California Randy Pierson, 310-265-0833 randy@southbayinspector.com

Central Valley CREIA-ASHI Peter Boyd, 530-673-5800 Boyd.p@comcast.net

Golden Gate (CA)

www.ggashi.com John Fryer, 510-682-4908 johnfryer@gmail.com

Inland Northwest (ID, WA) Chris Munro, 208-290-2472 chris@peakinspections.net

Orange County CREIA-ASHI (CA) www.creia.org/orange-countychapter Third Monday, 5:30 pm Hometown Buffet, 2321 S. Bristol, Santa Ana Bill Bryan, 949-565-5904 bill@rsminspections.com

Oregon

www.oahi.org Fourth Tuesday, 6:30 pm 4534 SE McLoughlin Blvd., Portland Jay Hensley, 503-312-2105 jay@carsonconstruction.com

San Diego CREIA-ASHI First Tuesday each month Fillippi’s Pizza Grotto, Mira Mesa Dennis Parra, II, 619-232-1100

San Joaquin Valley (CA) Third Tuesday, 6 pm Rice Bowl, Bakersfield, CA Raymond Beasley, 661-805-5947 rbinspector@aol.com Mail: 3305 Colony Oak St. Bakersfield, CA 93311

Silicon Valley ASHI-CREIA (CA)

www.siliconvalleyinspector.com Felix A. Pena, 510-573-0367 homesavvyinspections@comcast.net

Southwestern Idaho Second Monday David Reish, 208-941-5760 dave@antheminspections.com

Los Angeles-Greater San Gabriel Valley Second Tuesday, 6 pm Old Spaghetti Factory, Duarte Larry Habben, 714-685-0321 habbenshome@earthlink.net

Los Angeles-Ventura County ASHI-CREIA First Thursday, 5 pm Holiday Inn, Woodland Hills Bob Guyer, 805-501-0733 guyerinspections@roadrunner.com

South Bay (CA) Webinar meetings Randy Pierson, 310-265-0833 randy@southbayinspector.com

Western Washington

www.ashiww.com Michael Brisbin, 425-742-1735 seaviewinspections@comcast.net

NEW ENGLAND/CANADA British Columbia

www.cahpi.bc.ca Gary Poirer, 604-220-0305 gary@walkaboutinspections.com

CAHPI Atlantic

www.cahpi-alt.com Blaine Swan, 902-890-0710 goodeyeinspections@gmail.com

CAHPI Ontario

www.oahi.com Rob Cornish, 613-858-5000 robc@homexam.ca

Coastal Connecticut

www.coastalctashi.org Third Thursday, 6 pm, Westport VFW Lodge, 465 Riverside Avenue, Westport Gene Autore, 203-216-2516 gene.autore@gmail.com

New England (ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)

www.ashinewengland.org Fourth Thursday, 5 pm The Lantana, Randoph, MA Michael Atwell, 617-630-5629 mike@jmhi.com

First State (DE)

www.firststateashi.org Third Wednesday, 7 pm The Buzz Ware Center, 2121 The Highway, Arden Mark Desmond, 302-494-1294 mark@delvalleyhome.com

Garden State (NJ)

www.gardenstateashi.com Second Thursday, The Westwood, Garwood Bret Kaufmann, 973-377-4747 bretkaufmann@optonline.net

Hudson Valley (NY)

www.mac-ashi.com Second Wednesday, Rockville Senior Center, Rockville John Vaughn, 800-767-5904 John.vaughn@yahoo.com

www.ashirochester.com Second Tuesday, 6 pm, Murph’s Irondequoit Pub, Irondequoit John White, 585-431-0067 john@iihomeinspections.com Second Tuesday, 6 pm Daddy O’s Restaurant, 3 Turner Street, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533 Michael Skok, 845-592-1442 ashistatewide@yahoo.com

Long Island (NY)

Prairies (Alberta) (CAHI)

New York Metro

Quebec AIBQ

www.aibq.qc.ca Germain Frechette, 514-694-4350 Insp.glf@sympatico.ca

Southern New England (CT)

www.snecashi.org First Tuesdays, 6:30 pm Billy T’s, 150 Sebethe Dr., Cromwell, CT Richard W. Hall, 860-281-4238 rhall@usinspect.com

NEW YORK/JERSEY/ DELAWARE Capitol Region (NY)

www.goashi.com Third Thursday, 7 pm, Doratos Steakhouse and Pub, Guilderland Robert Davis, 518-885-7949 rdavis@home-inspection.com

Central New York

www.cnyashi.com Second Wednesday, 6 pm, Tony’s Family Restaurant, Syracuse Peter Apgar, 315-278-3143 peter@craftsmanhomeinspection. net

Hampton Roads (VA)

Greater Rochester (NY)

www.nnec-ashi.org Tim Rooney, 603-770-0444 homeviewnh@comcast.net www.cahpi-ab.ca Chris Bottriell, 780-486-4412 api94@shaw.ca

www.greaterbaltimoreashi.org Third Thursday except July & Aug., 6:30 pm dinner, 7:00pm speaker Maritime Institute Conference Center, 5700 N. Hammonds Ferry Rd., Linthicum Heights, MD 21090 Andy Bauer, abauer@bpgwi.com Second Thursday, 7 pm, Cypress Point Country Club, Virginia Beach Guillermo Hunt, 757-245-3100 huntshomeinspections@gmail.com

www.liashi.com Third Monday, 6 pm, Domenico’s Restaurant, Levittown Steven Rosenbaum 516-361-0658 inspector@optonline.net

Northern New England (ME, MA, NH, VT)

Greater Baltimore (MD)

MAC-ASHI (MD, VA)

NOVA-ASHI (MD, VA)

www.novaashi.com Fourth Tuesday, Associate hour 6-7 pm, Membership meeting 7-9 pm Northern Virginia Resources Center, Fairfax Ferando Barrientos 703-255-6622 fernando@abodecheck.com

Piedmont ASHI (VA) Robert Huntley, 540-354-2135 rwhuntley@cox.net

SOUTH ATLANTIC

GULF ASHI South (AL)

www.ashisouth.org Quarterly, Homewood Library, Homewood Derl Nelson, 205-529-1657 dbnelson@bellsouth.net

Central Florida

www.centralfloridaashi.org Second Tuesday, 6:30 pm Bill Labita, 407-977-9182 hbis@cfl.rr.com

FLASHI (FL) First Tuesday except July, 6 pm Golden China, 11112 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville David Sorge, 904-484-4847 safetekk@comcast.net

Florida Wiregrass

www.ashiwiregrass.org Second Wednesday, 6:30 pm Hyundai of Wesley Chapel Nancy Janosz, 813-546-6090 ProTeamInsp@aol.com

Gulfcoast (FL) First Thursday, 7 pm, The Forest Country Club, Fort Myers Len Gluckstal, 239-432-0178 goldenrulehi@comcast.net

Gulfstream (FL) Ralph Cabal, 305-256-7369 info@cabalinspections.com

www.nyashi.com Last Thursday, Eldorado West Restaurant-Diner, Tarrytown Raymond Perron, 914-329-2584 pres@nyashi.com

ASHI Georgia

Lone Star (TX)

East Tennessee

Louisiana

Southern New Jersey (NJ)

www.etashi.org Third Saturday of Feb., May, Aug. and Nov. Paul Perry, 866-522-7708 cio@frontiernet.net

www.southernnjashi.com Third Wednesday, 6:30 pm Ramada Inn, Bordentown Rick Lobley, 609-208-9798 rick@doublecheckhi.com

Western New York Second Thursday, 6:30 pm Tony Rome’s, West Seneca Andy Utnik, 716-636-9676 esimail@aol.com

MID-ATLANTIC Central Virginia

www.cvashi.org Second Tuesday, 6:30 pm, Capital Ale House, Midlothian, VA Jim Wilson 804-237-9523 fchi@comcast.net

www.ashigeorgia.com Shannon Cory, 404-316-4876 shannon1943@comcast.net

Mid-Tennessee Ray Baird, 615-371-5888 bairdr@comcast.net

Mid-South (TN) Steven Campbell, 901-734-0555 steve@memphisinspections.com

North Carolina

www.ncashi.com Third Wednesday, 3 pm, Quality Inn at Guilford Convention Center, Greensboro Andy Hilton, 336-682-2197 hiltonhomeinspection@gmail.com

www.ashitexas.org Craig Lemmon, 817-291-9056 craig@reioftexas.com Quarterly Michael Burroughs 318-324-0661 Mburroughs2@comcast.net

Suncoast (FL)

www.ashisuncoast.com First Tuesday, 6:30 pm, Please see our website for meeting locations.

Steve Acker, 727-712-3089 steve@buyersally.com

Southwest Florida

www.swashi.com Second Wednesday, 6 pm Holiday Inn, Lakewood Ranch 6321 Lake Osprey Drive, Sarasota Michael Meesit, 941-321-6962 mike@acu-spect.com

South Carolina First Saturday of Feb., May, Aug. & Nov., 8 am Roger Herdt, 843-669-3757 herdtworks@msn.com

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TO SUBMIT YOUR MATERIALS FOR MOVING UP, PLEASE CONTACT JANET GEORGE AT 847-954-3180 OR JANETG@ASHI.ORG

New ASHI Associates As of June 1, 2016

H Denotes graduate of The ASHI School James Diemer Anchorage, AK

H Matthew Scharf

Henry Handback

Claxton Walker & Associates Washington, DC

Ardmore, AL

Ryan Harvey

H Brandon Saraceni

WIN Home Inspection South Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL

Huntsville, AL

Jacob Pitman

Johnny Stanley

KC & Associates Inc. Greenwood, IN

Integrity Home Inspections of Missouri Columbia, MO

Anthony Lyons Brownsburg, IN

William Smith

Jason Jennings

Smith Home Inspections Madison, MS

TruHome Inspections, LLC Baton Rouge, LA

Robert Bancroft Rockville, MD

Pat Dargan High-Tech Home Inspections Salisbury, MD

Brian Gahagan Pillar to Post Professional Home Inspections Billings, MT

Brian Tedder Cabins to Castles Home Inspection Morehead City, NC

Guardian Inspection Service, LLC Conway, AR

John Livingston Winter Garden, FL

Adam Hunter

Robert Edminson

Monika Silowowska

Baltimore, MD

David DeVries

HouseMaster Sahuarita, AZ

L&L Home Inspectors North Fort Myers, FL

Joseph Ponton

NE Home Inspections Wolfeboro, NH

Joshua Melstrom

Asaf BenSenior

ProTec Inspection Services Poolesville, MD

Robert Dallas

Be Confident Home Inspection Services, LLC Scottsdale, AZ

Roswell, GA

David Whaley

Trenton, NJ

Clay Chilsholm

Daryl Woolems

Matthew Beeston

Jill Cordrey

Delmarva Property Inspections, Plus, LLC Denton, MD

Pillar to Post Home Inspection Elk Grove, CA

Bill Bryan

Woodstock, GA SouthEast Property Inspections, LLC Athens, GA

RSM Inspections Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Monty Hill

Lasse Elbe

Michael Humphries

Happy House Inspection, LLC Harvey, CA

Tony Espinoza Pro View Property Inspection Salinas, CA

Christopher Lee CSL Home Inspection, LLC Orangevale, CA

Mark Wagoner Home Team Inspection Service of North O.C. Yorba Linda, CA

Rex Flynn

Covington, GA AmeriSpec Inspection Services Atlanta Acworth, GA

Elite Home Inspections Spokane, DC

Joesph Redman Good Faith Home Inspections Spokane, DC

ASHI Reporter t August 2016

Home Tech Consultants, Inc. Hicksville, NY

Allgen, MI

Abdallah Gheith

Craig Hardy

AG Legacy Home Inspection, LLC Brooklyn, NY

Grand Haven, MI

Adams Kreps

William Mannino

Michael Teofilo

Accurate Home Inspection, LLC Coloma, MI

MTT Home Inspections New York, NY

Stephen Savala

Kyle Hotchkiss

Karl Blessing

Faith Home Inspections, LLC Cartersville, GA

Edward Shin Tomahawk 23, LLC Duluth, GA

Nathan Baker

Eric Eikrem

H Timothy Burton

Robert Albani

SouthEast Home Inspections, LLC Loganville, GA

Michael Leahey

Richard Gavitt

Excel Home Inspection, LLC Waterford, CT

Advance Home Inspection, LLC Randallstown, MD

Charles Price

Mike Wasikowski

Debbie Odom

Bryant Wilkins

Professional Inspections & Evaluations, Inc. La Madera, NM

Upright Inspections Westland, MI

T-Rex Home Inspection Services, LLC Longmont, CO Mudd Colorado, LLC Aurora, CO

30

MEMBER

Tom Connerley

North Side Home Inspections Columbus, GA Pillar to Post Home Inspectors Waianae, HI

Becky Borota B&D Home Inspection, LLC Garwin, IA

Gilbert, MN

Reed Poitra Technical Inspections, LLC Burnsville, MN

Michael Sudin Principle Home Inspection, LLC Litchfield, MN

Michael Sundin Principle Home Inspection, LLC Litchfield, MN

H Craig Angerer Jefferson City, MO

H Joshua Hoyes

Dan Lowder

Bur Oak Home Inspections Columbia, MO

DSL Home Inspections, LLC Rupert, ID

Michael Ryno

Terry Cook Granite City, IL

Ryno Resources Jefferson City, MO

Schenectady, NY

Pillar to Post Aurora Ohio Ravenna, OH

Paul Franke Howard Alan Homes, LLC Cincinnati, OH

H Paul Franz Franz Inspection Services, LLC North Rigeville, OH

Shannon Fritz Fritz Property Maintenance New Madison, OH

Brad Groves Groves Home Inspection Lancaster, OH

Steve Hayes Hayes Home Inspection Elyria, OH

Chris Joseph Joseph Inspection Services, LLC Kent, OH

SEE PAGE 32 FOR CHAPTER EDUCATION.

New ASHI Inspectors

Joesph Smith

David Torres

Paul Tieche

Cincinnati, OH

Allentown, PA

Walter Stark

Jeremy Edmunds

PT Home Inspections Rixeyville, VA

HomeTeam Inspection Service Milford, OH

Prestige Renovations & Inspections Vaudreuil, PQ

Garett Andren

Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Joseph Walsh

Elena Myers

Scott Zeiger

Joe Walsh Contractors Exeter, RI

Inspector Myers, LLC Snohomish, WA

Nathan Douglas

Art Perez

Keystone Home Inspection of the Lakelands, LLC Ninety Six, SC

Anacortes, WA

Scott Home Inspection Longmont, CO

Bradley Fischer

Adam Smith

Russell Wagner

SJ Inspections & Consulting, LLC Olmsted Falls, OH

H Mitch Calvert Tulsa, OK

H Vincent Moseley VM Home Inspection Service Owasso, OK

Donnie Frye North River Contracting, LLC Klamath Falls, OR

Charley Newhouse Caliper Home Inspections Portland, OR

Roland Zapata

Qualified Home Inspections Rideway, SC

Kyle Fisher Verona, WI

Ron Greene

Rick Liebergen

Golden Eagle Home Services, LLC Mountlake Terrace, WA

Daniel Lusk Eagle Eye Inspections of SC, LLC Simpsonville, SC

Matt Beickert AmeriSpec MidSouth Memphis, TN

H Christopher Davidson

Lebanon, TN Integrity Home Solutions, LLC Mount Juliet, TN

Wilkins Two, PA

David Haney

Mark Herbein

360 Home Inspections, LLC Jefferson City, TN

Rhett Major The Energy Doctor North Huntingdon, PA

Darryl Mitchell Mitchell Inspectors Needmore, PA

Dennis Maddux Pillar to Post Cleveland, TN

Steven Paul Final Eyes Home Inspection, LLC Burlington, WI

Wayne Course

New ASHI Certified Home Inspectors

Welland, ON

As of June 1, 2016

Ken McFarland Kilworthy, ON

Ted Padley Thomas Powell Cambridge, ON

Michael Bley

Bath, ON

Corner 2 Corner, LLC Mesa, AZ

Kenneth Kelley HomeGuard Incorporated San Jose, CA

Michael Hammel

Philadelphia, PA

Timothy Fisher

Joshua Supik

Fisher Solutions, LLC dba HouseMaster Stafford, VA

Jerry Kelly Southern Home Inspection, LLC Birmingham, AL

Crisp Pro Home Inspection Prosper, TX Spring, TX

John Toal

Happy Homes Home Inspection Seymour, WI

Gary Crisp

Steven Noto

Natrona Heights, PA

Brett Jones

ValueGuard Home Inspections Philadelphia, PA

Shawn Bruce

Integra Home Inspections Pottstown, PA

Castle Country Property Inspections Castle Rock, CO

Tech-Inspect, LLC Greenville, WI

H Michael Bragg

Jason Giangiulio

Dave Griswold

Kelly Hite

Ideal Home Inspections, LLC Portland, OR Freedom, PA

Andren Home Inspection Seattle, WA

As of June 1, 2016

Gregory Allen US Inspect Decatur, GA

Michael Conley Advantage Home Services Mentor, OH

Stephen Gindhart HouseInspect Haverford, PA

Christopher Kolb Kolb Home Inspections Arlington, VA

Michael Carson Inspect It Right Home Inspections, LLC Wausau, WI

Brian Smay US Inspect Berkeley Lake, GA

JT Installations-Inspections Media, PA

ASHI Event Calendar October 20-21 , 2016 Leadership Training Conference Des Plaines, IL

January 22-25, 2017 InspectionWorld® and ASHI Board Meeting Las Vegas, NV

October 22, 2016 ASHI Foundation and ASHI Board Meeting Des Plaines, IL

31August 2016

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ASHI Chapter Education Southeastern Home Inspector Conference

North Central Ohio Chapter Fall Seminar

When:

When: Where:

September 7-11, 2016 Please go to the website for location and additional information.

Contact: www.sehomeinspectorconference.com

ASHI New England Chapter 12th Annual Fall Conference When: Where:

September 12-13, 2016 Hilton Mystic Hotel 20 Coogan Boulevard, Mystic, CT CEUs: 12 ASHI CEs Contact: Bob Mulloy info@ashinewengland.com

ASHI Western Washington Chapter 2016 ASHIWW Fall Seminar When: Where:

September 16-17, 2016 Shoreline Community Center Shoreline Room CEUs: 17 ASHI CEs Contact: Brad Albin inspectorbrad@frontier.com

Great Plaines ASHI Fall Conference When: Where:

September 16-17, 2016 Kansas City Expo Center 11728 NW Ambassador Dr., KC, MO Speakers: Tom Feiza, Mr. Fixit; Jason Brozen, Tann Electric; Joe Ferry, Ferry Law Practice; Joe Konopacki, Insight Inspections; Bruce Chyka, Performance Plus Homes; Tony Hyatt, National Cedar Shake Shingle Bureau; Bob Berry, Full Service Chimney; and Mike Westerhouse, Westerhouse Heating and Air Contact: www.ashikc.org doug@firstchoice.com

Great Lakes Chapter When: September 23-24, 2016 Where: Grand Rapids, MI Subjects: Friday: Peer Review, Board Meeting, Hospitality Suite Saturday: Vendors, Furnace Inspections/ John McAuliffe, Infrared Technology/Bill Fabian, Exploring the Metal Roof/ Mike Griffin Contact: 734-284-4501 www.greatinspectors.com

32

ASHI Reporter t August 2016

September 23 & 24, 2016 Holiday Inn of Fairlawn, Ohio 4073 Medina Road Akron, OH 44333 CEUs: 16 CE hours for September 23 - Radon 8 CE hours for September 24, 8am - 5pm Electrical, Lead Contact: Paul Wancata inspectionsunlimited@cox.net

New York Metro ASHI Annual Seminar When: Where:

September 23-24, 2016 DoubleTree Tarrytown, NY CEUs: 19 ASHI CEs Contact: Victor Faggella Webmaster@nyashi.com Register: http://www.nyashi.com/seminar

Ohio ASHI Chapter - Cincinnati Seminar When: Where:

September 24, 2016 DoubleTree Cincinnati 6300 East Kemper Road Sharonville, OH 45241 Subject: Electrical Systems (4 hours) Chimneys, Roofing CEUs: 8 ASHI CEs/4 Kentucky CEs Contact: George Basista, 513-489-3636 georgebasista@yahoo.com

Tri-State ASHI Fall Conference How do Construction Changes Over Time Affect Your Inspection Today?

When: Where:

September 30, 2016 Temple Ambler Campus, Ambler, PA CEUs: 8 ASHI CEs Contact: Gerry Gavin, 620-717-2181 www.tristateashi.org

The IW Education Committee met April 7th to review all presentation proposal submissions. A special Thank You to Greg Grab for his participation in this decision process.

OHIO ASHI Chapter When: Where: Subject: Speaker: CEUs: Contact:

October 1, 2016 Ruth Smucker Home, Salem, OH Historical Home Inspection Presenter: Bryck Guibor 8 ASHI CEs georgebasista@yahoo.com 330-565-3760 ohioashi.com/events

Keystone ASHI Inspection Seminar When: Where:

October 14-15, 2016 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Reading 701 Penn Street, Reading, PA Subject: 2014 NEC updates, Stucco & AMSV, Fuel & Appliance Venting, Reporting, Attic Ventilation, Roofing, Infrared and Mold CEUs: Up to 16 ASHI CEs Contact: www.keystoneashi.org

Mid-Missouri ASHI Chapter Educational Seminar When: Where:

November 4, 2016 Columbia Board of Realtors Office Columbia, MO Speaker: Shannon Cory CEUs: 8 ASHI CEs Contact: mark@inspectcolumbia.com

To have your chapter seminar listed in this section, email all information about your chapter seminar to: micheleg@ashi.org.

BE SURE TO INCLUDE ALL INFORMATION: seminar subject, when, where, CEUs & a link for more information or contact information.

IMPORTANT REPORTER DEADLINES: t 0$50#&3 *446& t /07&.#&3 *446& t %&$&.#&3 *446& t +"/6"3: *446& t '&#36"3: *446& The Reporter is produced 6-8 weeks ahead of the week it arrives in your mailbox.

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Financing Available • Credit Cards Welcome To Learn More: Contact bob@allenins.com or Bob Pearson at (800) 474‐4472, Ext. 201 www.allenins.com

33August 2016

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Leadership Training Conference October 20-21 'PVOUBJO #MVF #BORVFUT $POGFSFODF $FOUFS .BOOIFJN 3PBE %FT 1MBJOFT *MMJOPJT

This action-packed conference will feature how to get volunteers, effective communication, recruiting members for your chapter, running education events, break-out sessions and much more.

8IP TIPVME BUUFOE UIJT DPOGFSFODF 1SFTJEFOUT $P3 3FQSFTFOUBUJWFT Education Chairs, Treasurers, Secretaries and whomever you feel are your up-and-coming leaders. This year, we have a special incentive for the chapters if they send these people.

skills

/FX UIJT ZFBS UIF BUUFOEFFT PG -5$ XJMM IBWF UIF QMFBTVSF PG TJUUJOH JO PO B partial national board meeting. This will be an invaluable experience toward your leadership growth.

learn

learn

learn

Don’t forget about the $30.00 chapter rebate coupon. If a member of ASHI joins your chapter, the chapter can offer the new chapter member a $30.00 discount on their chapter dues.

The chapter simply goes to the ASHI website, downloads the chapter incentive form and emails it to russelld@ashi.org and headquarters will send back $30.00 to the chapter. inspect

INSPECT

Remember, there is no limit to how many people can sign up for your chapter to take advantage of this coupon. H

Pump new energy into your chapter!

34

ASHI Reporter t August 2016

member

homes

Thirty Years

Gil Engler Frank Libero John Schneider

t Augus s rsarie Annive

Twenty-five Years

James Funkhouser Neil Maloney Christopher McNamara Don Norman Charles Sala Douglas Scott Pete Sessa David Taylor Mitchell Thielges Leslie Van Alstine

Twenty Years

Michael Brannstrom Wesley Brendsel Charles Conaway Tony Hecht Robert Kraus, Sr. Gary Maksym Stephen Marten Timothy O’Neall George Pilat John Rozmus Hugh Savage William Stecher William Tyree David Wall Andrew Warde Joe Wilson

Fifteen Years Neil Minnucci Mark Rathz

Ten Years

J. Vince Busnardo Sanford Campbell Cody Davis Michael Foster Jim Giuffre Tracy Gosling John Lancelotta Steve Markiewich Dale Martin Neil Mattson Jerry Smith

Five Years

Robert Bales Geoffrey Bennett Darril Best Greg Grabs Luke Griess Richard Hogan Matthew Jaeck Kevin Kenny Robert Mayberry Josef Niehuser Keith Proctor Jeff Stover

ASHI MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT PROGRAMS ASHI-ENDORSED PROGRAMS ASHI’s E&O Insurance Program: Target Professional Programs www.targetproins.com 860-899-1862 ASHI Personal Lines Insurance Program: Liberty Mutual www.libertymutual.com/ashi ASHI Service Program BuildFax Tricia Julian, 877-600-BFAX x161 TJulian@BuildFax.com www.buildfax.com http://go.buildfax.com/ASHI ASHI Customer Appreciation Program: Moverthankyou.com Brent Skidmore, 864-386-2763 www.moverthankyou.com Brent@POWRsoft.com member

homes

HomeAdvisor.com Brett Symes, 913-529-2683 www.homeadvisor.com ashi@homeadvisor.com LegalShield Joan Buckner, 505-821-3971 buckner.legalshieldassociate.com buckner@legalshieldassociate.com InspectionContracts.com Dave Goldstein, 800-882-6242 www.inspectioncontracts.com david@inspectoreducation.com OneSource Solutions 877-274-8632 www.osconnects.com/ashi/

ASHI Rebate Program Quill.com Dana Fishman, 800-634-0320 x1417 www.quill.com/ashi dana.fishman@quill.com ASHI-ENDORSED EXAMS ASHI Standard and Ethics Education Module Go to www.homeinspector.org, click on the Education tab, then click on the link for the ASHI Standard of Practice Education Module.

National Home Inspector Examination Office: 847-298-7750 www.homeinspectionexam.org ASHI-ENDORSED TRAINING PROGRAMS ASHI@Home Training System 800-268-7070 education@carsondunlop.com The ASHI School Bonnie Bruno, 888-884-0440 Bonnie@theashischool.com www.TheASHISchool.com PLATINUM PROVIDER Millionaire Inspector Community Mike Crow www.mikecrow.com dreamtime@mikecrow.com Mention that you are an ASHI member

CURRENT ASHI MEMBERSHIP ASHI Certified Inspectors: 3,396 Inspectors/Logo: 124 Associates: 3,193 Retired Members: 111 Affiliates: 73 Total: 6,897 Members as of 7/8/2016

Be on the Lookout: ASHI Membership Dues Notices Coming Soon It’s that time of year when you start hearing about ASHI’s Membership Renewals going out. So, skip this section (and all upcoming news about dues renewal) by renewing your dues today!

If you’re planning to continue paying monthly, kudos to you! Ignore this section and enjoy the rest of the magazine. If you have any questions about your dues, feel free to reach out to us at hq@ashi.org. H

Porch.com Eliab Sisay, 206-218-3920 www.porch.com Eliab@porch.com

35August 2016

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The Communication Side of Home Inspection

The Communication Side of Home Inspection

By Rudy Platzer, ACI (Retired)

I

nspectors must practice good written and verbal communication skills as a vital part of the job. I used to tell my clients, “If I leave this house knowing more about it than you do, I have not done my job.”

t *G ZPV SF PGGFSJOH BO PQJOJPO CF TVSF UP state that it is an opinion based on your background and experience.

Rule 1. Tell your client everything you discover! Good things as well as bad things!

This very simple rule must govern an inspector’s communications with clients. What you observe in a house is not your information; it belongs to your client. And what you see must be described in a way that will be easily understood.

Rule 2. Be sure you know what you are talking about before you talk about it!

1. Observe. As you move through a property, the bad stuff will jump out and grab you.

If it doesn’t, you’re either not looking closely enough or you don’t have enough experience or knowledge to recognize bad stuff.

2. Think. Think about the anomaly you’re viewing and how to best describe it to your client.

3. Write. Then enter it into your report as clearly and concisely as you can. Review what you’ve written and make any changes or improvements you feel necessary to adequately convey your finding.

4. Speak. Now you are ready to talk! You will not have blurted out the first thing that came into your mind! Instead, you will provide a well thought out, concise and easily understandable description of the defect.

Rule 3. Don’t say or write anything that you wouldn’t be able to defend in courtroom testimony. t *G ZPV BSF QSPWJEJOH GBDUVBM JOGPSNBUJPO CF able to back it up with credible reference material if and when the occasion ever arises.

Rule 7. Insist that your client attend their inspection.

Rule 4. Communicate in a way that is most appropriate for the particular client.

I like to say that you wouldn’t talk to your grandmother the same way you would talk to your three-year-old, or the same way you would talk to your wife or the same way you would talk to your beer-drinking buddy.

Assess your client’s communication needs and respond accordingly.

Some clients want a lot of information. Their body language and questions will make their interest obvious. These people are probably extroverted and expressive. Give them all the information they want. Others who might be introverted are more reserved and thoughtful and may not outwardly signal their interest.

These folks need time to process information, so back away and present your findings, giving them time to think things through.

Don’t confuse their reticence with a lack of interest! Periodically, ask these clients if they have any questions throughout the process.

This allows them to think through their questions and know that you welcome their questions.

Rule 5. Stay focused and don’t be distracted from looking at everything you need to look at.

A good checklist report can guide an inspector through all of the elements of a property.

36

ASHI Reporter t August 2016

Rule 6. Help your client understand what is wrong and how important it is.

To communicate effectively, inspectors must be able to explain and document areas of concern in easily understood, non-technical terms. Explanations should be concise and to the point. The component is “not functional,” or “not functioning as intended,” or a “safety concern” or “affects habitability.” This should be followed by a brief explanation of the condition. For example: “The unit did not respond properly to user controls,” “It is a fire hazard,” “It is a potential shock hazard” or “The damp environment could support unhealthy mold growth.” And remember, if it is your opinion based on your background or experience, be sure to state it as such!

Here are the communication rules I developed and followed:

There are four phases of reporting your inspection findings, and they must be done in this order:

I called mine a roadmap; it helped me ensure that I looked at, reported on and discussed all of the important elements of a house.

Each item should also be evaluated. I used columns to signify whether an element was “Functioning as Intended,” “Minor Repairs Recommended,” “Areas of Concern” or “Not Applicable/Not Inspected.” This is the essence of the report; it helps the client put the information into a context he or she can understand. In addition to the rating, I used a “Comments” column to further define any relevant findings. And, of course, I discussed my findings with the client as well.

Communication is such an essential part of the home inspection process that, to the extent possible, I insisted that my clients attend their inspections. As I explained things to them, I could show them what I was talking about, read their body language as a gauge of their comprehension, use analogies to help them understand, ensure that they received the information and put the information into proper context for them.

I could go on and on about the importance of communication. In over two decades in the home inspection business, I was never sued— not once! I am convinced that good communication was a big part of that rarely achieved track record.

Bottom Line Remember that your product is information and communication is the delivery system.

A home inspector should never leave a house knowing more about it than his or her client.

Communicate, communicate and communicate!

> This article has been excerpted and adapted from Rudy’s book, The Diary of an Intrepid Home Inspector, which is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors

NHIE Study Guide

Rudy Platzer founded Home Inspection Consultants in 1985. He personally performed over 6,000 whole-house inspections, as well as numerous single-item inspections and consultations. He was complimented by his clients for being genuinely interested in helping them learn and for helping them feel comfortable asking any and all questions. His warm personality, sense of humor, technical knowledge and construction experience combined to produce a true master home inspector and communicator. Rudy was a charter member of the Ohio Chapter of ASHI and served as both its President and Representative to the ASHI Board of Directors.

He now limits his practice to legal consultation and expert witnessing. H

The Communication Side of Home Inspection

Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors

NHIE Home Inspection Manual Components and Systems

Exam Administration

Typical Defects

Exam Content Outline

Maintenance and Safety Issues

How to Take an Exam

Industry Standards References

100 Review Questions HomeInspectionExam.org

100 Review Questions HomeInspectionExam.org

The NHIE Study Guide and the NHIE Home Inspection Manual together contain over 750 pages of technical and administrative information and are produced by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors.

They will benefit the exam candidate along with being a great technical reference for the experienced home inspector.

Be prepared.

Get the NEW

Study Guide and Home Inspection Manual Available from the

Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors

www.NHIEStudyGuide.org

The first Reporter was published, Jaunuary 1988.

March 2002

August 2012

June 1996

ASHI REPORTER FLASHBACK

May 2006

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NEW POSTCARDS EMAIL!! Please send your name, city, state, photos, headings & captions to: postcards@ashi.org

When You Realize You’re in for More Than a Bubble Bath...

Obviously, I Did Not Test This The vacuum system was still wired up live to the original knob & tube block switch with exposed conductors, of course.

...Bag of $100 bills found under master bedroom spa tub.

Tim Pryor Mirowski Home Inspections Springfield, MO

A “Pallet-able” Replacement Post

Gordon Guffey Brewer Inspection Services St. Louis, MO

The Snow Took the “Plum” out of Plum-BRRR And you have easy access to the roof!

Michael St George Sherlock Homes Inspection Service Rochester, NY

Not a Condo, but Would You Pay 1 Million for This Single-Family Home?

Heating unit to your right, water heater to the left, water meter next to water heater, water booster pump in door way and ejector pump behind the booster pump. Oh! Steam shower on side wall. Lower waterdamaged wall removed.

Jerry Woznyj JRW Property Inspection Chicago, IL

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ASHI Reporter t August 2016

This is what happens when you get 30” of snow and then all that snow slides down a metal roof. It broke off the plumbing vent stack pipe.

Matthew Steger WIN Home Inspection Elizabethtown Elizabethtown, PA

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NEW POSTCARDS EMAIL!! Please send your name, city, state, photos, headings & captions to: postcards@ashi.org

Drunken Valley

What Goes Up...

We don’t see many woven valleys in these parts.

Ken Meyer Portico Home Inspection, LLC Portland, OR

...Must Come Down Dry Crawl Space The crawl was surprisingly dry considering there were two springs down there.

Ken Meyer Portico Home Inspection, LLC Portland, OR

Jim Richards Inspection Connection, Inc. Tampa, FL

WHO KNEW??

Have Vent, Will Travel Points for creative recycling, but I’m not sure if that case is UV-resistant.

ASHI School refer-astudent program. > Members can take advantage of this program and get a $50 gift card.

Ken Meyer Portico Home Inspection, LLC Portland, OR

> For every student you refer to the school, you get a gift card. > Please contact the school for any questions: 888-884-0440

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By ASHI President, Randy Sipe

Stone Season, Summer Heat and Your Health T

he alarm sounded as the sun was breaking over the horizon.

Just another workday, two inspections ahead of me. Or so I thought.

The mid-June forecast warned of a heat advisory with temps in the upper 90s and a heat index of 120. The morning inspection started smoothly, but I was relieved when I finished the exterior so I could get indoors. Then I remembered the attic. When I removed the scuttle, the heat blast reminded me of the brutal exterior temperature. After inspecting this attic oven, I was drenched in sweat, ready to be done. I talked with the buyers and let them know I’d send the full report by the next morning.

Back in the SUV, the air conditioning felt great, except I was pretty sure that I’d just strained my lower back. It was uncomfortable but I figured ibuprofen would take care of it. I was eager to get to my next inspection—for the son and daughter-in-law of two of my lifelong friends Mike and Carol. All four of them were planning to meet me for the inspection, and it felt good knowing that I’d get to provide my services to these friends and have them see me at work.

Since I arrived early for our 1 pm appointment, I inspected the outside of the house (in the high-90s heat under the blazing sun).

My back discomfort was a bit worse, but I told myself to push forward and get the job done. There was a low deck behind the house, so I got down and scooted under it to check the framing.

That’s when I realized that I had more than just a sprained back muscle. I got out from under the deck and headed indoors. I thought if I could just sit down and cool off, I’d be all right. It didn’t work, though; the pain got stronger.

I

was standing at the sink splashing water on my face when Mike and Carol arrived. Mike started checking out the house, but Carol immediately noticed that something was wrong with me. I told her that I’d just lie on the living room floor for a few minutes before getting back to work. But it was clear that I was in extreme pain. Carol announced, “We are going to the hospital—now!” She also called my wife who explained, “He has a kidney stone that hasn’t passed. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”

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This might be a good time to mention that my wife has been riding me about “staying hydrated” every summer for years. I wish I would have listened. I knew that having and passing a kidney stone could hurt, but this pain was unbelievable. And I probably could have prevented it if I had taken better care of myself over the years.

At the ER, the results of a CT scan confirmed that I had a stone that was “too large to pass.” The next thing I knew, I was listening to a urologist explain my impending surgery and welcome me to Stone Season. I laughed, but the surgeon explained that that is really what they call it. Apparently, increased summer heat coupled with a person’s lack of hydration can put kidney stones on the move.

So, now that I’m on the mend, what can you do in response to this cautionary tale?

Drink plenty of water and keep hydrated. In fact, drink at least two liters of water in the morning and two liters in the afternoon. Notice that I said WATER…not soda or iced tea. Water, water and more water.

Also, please take away this lesson: None of us are exempt from health issues just because we work hard. Take care of yourself, especially on hot summer days, and no matter what the “season,” keep yourself safe on the job…and maybe listen to your spouse once in a while, too. H

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