Originally Posted By: kwitchey This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I inspected a chimney where the mason laid the flues dry and when he started to run out of plumb he just wedged them to line them up, Thus causing gaps and offsets. Now the creisote is leaking out through the blocks already. not to mention the trouble with trying to clean it!! Mason says he don’t see a problem with it as long as you only burn dry oak and burn it hot!
Can anybody telll me where I can get any literature to to show him the potential danger. Mabybe something I could download or website.
Thanks
Kent Wiitchey The Village Inspector
Originally Posted By: rking This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Kent,
I agree, your recommendation is in writing. You know it is a problem, make sure your client knows and leave it at that.
Alternatively as others have said, a licensed chimney sweep or W.E.T.T. inspector or the local Fire Prevention Officer at the fire department can usually help!
-- Muskoka Home Inspections
"Wisdom is the Anticipation of the Consequences"
Steering Committee Member At Large
Originally Posted By: jonofrey This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Joe,
I love that "put it writing" comment that you so often remind us about. I have used it on several occasions, thanks to you. What a great bullet to have in your inspector gun.
Originally Posted By: jmyers This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
John,
It works. Many times I have had seller's call and say that so and so company said this was ok, you said in your report is was not. The only answer that I ever have is have them put it in writing, I did. Realtors, GOD love them, are oblivious to what is right and wrong and they look to you for direction. Most of the time they call the sellers are telling them they had a professional company look at this and XYZ company said it was fine. My suggestion to the realtors is that if they are saying it is fine, ask them for that in writing. I state that they are the professionals and if they say it is ok, I would ask for it in writing, I DID!
Most of the time one of two things is happening. Harry homeowner decided to do it himself (maybe even feed a friend a few beers and a pizza) and did it incorrectly in which case they never had a professional come out and inspect it under the assumption they knew what they were doing because they watched Bob Vila for a couple of weekends. Two is the company that came out did some cost cutting techinques at the request of the homeowner because they could not afford to fix it correctly.
Either way no company is going to come out and say it is correctly done after reading in the inspection report it is not, unless it really is ok. If I am wrong I offer to pay Harry homeowner for the service call, it happend once. Cost me $55 for what I thought was a defective thermostat, one of those programable Honeywells. Turns out is was not defective the manner in which it was installed you actually had to push the switch to manual to override the heating or cooling settings. I gracefully apologized to everyone and paid my dues.
I figure if that company is willing to take on the liability stating it is ok in writing it takes the liability off me and the buyer agent. What realtor will argue with you on that note?
BTW...the realtor always calls back and states they had XYZ company come out and fix that problem you stated in the report.  Now that is one happy realtor!