The toughest aspect I have found is the regional differences in terminology. Most of the differences I found are in framing practices, however the other disciplines also have slang or regional terms. Example I used in my writing assignment was “Water Heater” vs “Hot Water Heater”. I was corrected early in my career not to call it a hot water heater since we were not heating hot water. Although this may be a moot point, my question is how important is using the proper term when performing reports and what is the best practice? Also, has anyone else had this issue/struggle in using terms whether textbook or localized vernacular?
A water heater does heat hot water it also heats warm water and cold water. It doesn’t wait until all of the hot water has left the heater to start heating cold water but…
You’re right about terminology and I think that this one could go either way. The NEC uses the term water heater so maybe you’re onto something. Wonder what terminology the plumbing code uses. Interesting to hear some other opinions.
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Learning and using the correct terms is critical, in my opinion. Using the correct ‘terms’ in your reports gives you credibility, to say the least. Just imagine that your report is forwarded to licensed tradesmen to make repairs and is full of incorrect terminology. I don’t imagine that they will speak very highly of you!
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Yes, it does make a difference. If you put in report that “the support beam post lack the proper footers sizing…” Some will know what you’re talking about, but it’s not the correct terminology.
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Thanks for the feedback. In this day and age, I really feel the right terminology usage is important. There has been a lot of changing or redefining vernacular and language across the board. My intentions are to ensure the proper usage and ease of understanding for credibility as well as avoiding liability for term misusage. Again appreciated!
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On a side note, I use acronyms in my reports, only after I use the unabbreviated with the acronym in parenthesis. For example;
" The discharge piping for the Temperature Pressure Relief (TPR) valve on the water heater is improperly installed…"
" The kitchen counter is lacking Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) receptacles…"
Once mentioned, I will only use the acronym throughout the remainder of the report.
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I find that electrical terminology is difficult and that’s where I see things from slang terms like Ufer all the way to generic words like “ground”.
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There are many terms in the country to define and architectural component and is standardized in architectural dictionaries. A lot of slang was derived from different areas of the country.
A water heater is the correct term and defined as:
water heater A device for heating water for
domestic use, usually supplied at a temperature
in the range between 120°F and 140°F (approx.
50°C and 60°C).
Using this as a guide would be prudent;
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I use HIP as my report writer, it has a glossary function that will highlight anything that needs a definition for clarity. Much easier for the client that might not understand what a GFCI or afci, or tpr is.
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It is very important for the reasons already expressed and yet another. When your client reads the report and does not understand they may search the WEB for an explanation. Using a wrong term can lead them way astray or even leave them empty handed.
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That’s a good point. I have read several times on this forum that HI’s like to use terms in their reports that their clients will understand so it can be a catch-22. I think that your approach is better. Use the correct terminology and let them look it up if they don’t know what it means.
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Yes, there are differences in terminology within the trades. Most buyers have no idea what the terminology means either. For good communication, it’s important to be aware of that. Using pictures with an arrow plus the terminology under the picture is a good practice. Our job includes good communication.
Example: “Truss queen strut lacked lateral bracing” with a picture and arrows illustrating what you’re talking about. A graphic also helps a lot.
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There has been plenty of talk in the past about loading up a report with photos. This is one of the reasons why I include so many in my reports. I can write the technical terms which we as home inspectors take for granted, but the majority of our clients, I suspect, aren’t always sure of what we’re saying. How often have you been in a discussion with someone who is not a home inspector and have had to explain what you were describing to them about something you saw on an inspection? As I age (or as the population gets younger) it seems as though there are more people who don’t have a clue what I’m talking about.
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I’ve done EIFS / Stucco moisture testing since 1998, and when I quit doing home inspections several years ago that was one of two things that I continued to do.
I realized years ago on Stucco / EIFS inspections that if I let a buyer, seller or agent follow us around and be talking to us and asking questions … it easily added an extra hour or more that nobody wanted to pay us for AND it can easily distract you and end up in you making a mistake or forgetting to write or record something … SO we stopped that practice.
We’re 15’ up on a ladder taking a pic of the area with a missing kickout flashing & probing under that area, then caulking the probe holes, making notes on the moisture content and condition of the substrate (solid, soft, missing) AND the buyer, seller, or agent is distracting us by asking what we were taking pics of, was there a problem, WHATS a kickout flashing, etc … SO we tell them up front several things … We don’t need OR want them there; we’re like the phone or cable guy - we DO NOT set exact times, instead we tell them we will be there SOME TIME on Tuesday afternoon between noon & 5:00 (that further disuades them from trying to dog is).
If they were with me on site asking what a kickout flashing OR head flashing is, etc it can easily add 10-15 minutes to your time on site / and multiply that by MANY questions and it eats up time BUT when they get our report with a pic of WHERE a kickout or head flashing should be AND a graphic OR photo of what one looks like … I hardly ever get questions.
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