All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

Rigid.  

@Jake Recz  One of my favorite sayings is: "A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing " 

Picture this:  You sell or rent this house to someone.  There is an electrical fire and someone dies. There is an investigation and they find this: 

"That was my first wiring project in my life. Before this all I knew was that the black wire is hot... I'm pretty proud of myself :)"

 Even if there is no fire or death, would you buy or rent a house where the electrical work was done by a person with no previous electrical experience or license?  Would you want your family to live there?  I sure wouldn't. 

So while I applaud your initiative and hard work I caution you to consider your buyer's or tenant's safety when performing repairs. 

@Dave Williamson This is "turnkey"???  I would not buy this house unless I was getting it very cheap as a fixer-upper. Not only is there a lot wrong but many of the conditions demonstrate amaturish work and dangerous conditions. 

@John Baxter  Why don't you just meet with the inspector and talk with him?  If you need to do something to be in compliance, just do it. 

Inspectors are not the enemy and following code is really not that onerous.  In fact, it's a minimum standard.  Don't start your business off on the wrong foot. 

I'm afraid you just need to tear it out, fix the floor and start over.  If you wait, the floor damage (and mildew) will only get worse and may spread elsewhere. 

When you set the new unit, make sure to support it from underneath. A common method is to lay a bed of mortar under the pan. That way, the fiberglass floor will not flex when stepped on, which may be why this unit failed.

 We're not saying it based on that picture. We're saying it because the roof is only 2 yrs old and the wind gusts were only 30-40mph.  Properly installed, they should be able to withstand winds twice that speed.  It appears they were either short-nailed (3 nails instead of 4) or applied using a nailgun with the pressure set too high (over-driven).  

@rob gribben: Having seen the pic, it's odd that they wouldn't just come and fix it.  It wouldn't take long. If you were closer, I'd come do it for you!

You need to first find out from the city what you'd be allowed to build on that site. They may have new setback, zoning and height restrictions, etc.  Also, the existing house may have lead and asbestos that you'll have to deal with prior to demolition. 

The good news is that I think you're allowed to use recycled paper or cardboard for vents and drains in CA.  :)

I like the look but my inbox and notifications don't appear on my iPad.  Am I doing something wrong?

@Rob Gribben Properly installed shingles should not have blown off at that wind speed and the likely culprit is improper fastening.  Did they even come out to look?

If you know the shingle manufacturer, you can ask that they send a rep to come inspect. Verification by them that the shingles were improperly installed, could perhaps be used to convince the roofer to fix it. 

If they still refuse, then practically speaking, you're probably stuck but at least you know whom not to recommend.  

@Arianne L. Thanks for the zoomed out pic; that is the most helpful one of the bunch!  The construction of it does look a bit suspect e.g. are the posts on footings? Is the beam carrying the deck floor undersized? etc.  The follow-up to those questions is: was this built under a permit?  Because if it was, those two items could not (should not!) be true as it would not (should not!) have passed inspection.

 Really the best thing is going to be having the structure examined by a good GC or a structural engineer in person.  I'd go with the latter because you will need his stamp of approval on any repair anyway.  If the worst is true, it will be an expensive repair.

P.S. I don't think the center post is adding much weight itself, since it's under a gable wall but still...