NCLHIA Probings - Home Inspector News

North Carolina Home Inspector Association

Probings

The Newsletter of the North Carolina Licensed Home Inspector Association

January 2016

The mission of the NCLHIA, the premier nonprofit association of licensed home inspectors in North Carolina, is to promote excellence and exemplary practice within the profession, and to meet the needs of the home buying/selling public.

In This Issue

Annual Conference in Winston-Salem

Garage Door Header Rot

Best Photos from 2015

Probings
The Newsletter of the NCLHIA
Jamey Tippens - Editor
jamey@jameytippens.com

with valuable help from
Dave Hahn
dhahn@metrolina-inspection.com

Scheduled Events

NCLHIA Education Conference and Home Inspectors' Convention

February 25, 26 and 27, 2016

Marriot Winston-Salem
425 North Cherry St
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
See the article to the right for all the information

NCLHIA Board Meeting

Thursday January 25, 2016, 1:00 PM

at the NCLHIA Conference

NCHILB Board Meeting

Friday January 26, 2016, 9:00 AM
Meeting at NCLHIA Conference

For additional information about the state licensure board meetings, interested persons may contact OSFM Customer Service Representative, Rodney Daughtry, via email Rodney.Daughtry@ncdoi.gov or phone 919-661-5880 x 212

Join a Local Chapter

Your local chapter is where it's happening. Meet other inspectors and share your stories and tips.

For more information, contact the chapter presidents listed below

Triangle Chapter - Wilson Fausel
wfausel@nc.rr.com

Coastal Chapter - John Gainey
secureinspect@yahoo.com

Charlotte Chapter - Dave Hahn

dhahn@metrolina-inspection.com

Benefits of Joining NCLHIA

Meet and Share your experiences with other Home Inspectors at the local chapters
Save on Continuing Education at the Annual Conference
NEW! Discounts on Radon Certification Training through RTCA (see below)
Special Pricing for Insurance through AFLAC
Special pricing with Legal Shield
Stay up to date with the latest developments concerning Home Inspectors in North Carolina
Inspector Directory on the NCLHIA Website helps your clients find you!

NCLHIA BOARD

President: Bob Scott

bob_scott55@hotmail.com

Vice President:
Wayne Mander

waynemander@carolina.rr.com

Secretary:
Jamey Tippens

jamey@jameytippens.com

Treasurer and Past President:

Eric Coates
eric@detailedhomeinspections.com

Executive Director:
Robert Wilson

rhwilson@carolina.rr.com

Charlotte Chapter President:

Dave Hahn

dhahn@metrolina-inspection.com

Triangle Chapter President:

Wilson Fausel

wefausel@gmail.com

Coastal Chapter President

John Gainey

secureinspect@yahoo.com

The Start of a Great Day

By Wilson Fausel

A few mornings ago, when I left for an inspection on a large home in the country, my truck started running rough, traffic was real bad and I wound up late. The Realtor was even later. Then I found out the buyers were not going to show up to pay me. When I went to the front of the home to take a picture, the batteries were dead in my camera. After replacing the batteries, I went back to the front of the home, looked up and saw the largest buzzard I had ever seen sunning himself on top of the home and thought "This is going to be a omen for the rest of my day". Within about 30 minutes he flew off and took the bad juju with him.

Gear Review:

KrawlGear Comfort Crawl Gloves

By Dave Hahn

If you're like me, you like "stuff." You like getting "stuff." You like seeing if some new "stuff" is better than the "stuff" you've already got. This Gear Review is one inspector's opinion about some "stuff."

While a crawl space is not my favorite place to be, I try to make it the least painful I can while I'm there. So in addition to coveralls, gloves, a bump cap (with headlamp), respirator and hard-shell knee pads, I also wear hard-shell elbow pads. OK - I look like an alien, but I don't come out gagging or in pain.

Now, I like to wear my pads on the outside of my coveralls to save the coveralls from abuse in those high-abrasion areas. So when I saw the KrawlGear Comfort Crawl Gloves ($29), an all-in-one glove and forearm/elbow pad, I thought I'd get me some new "stuff." (Note: since this purchase, KrawlGear has come out with a new and improved version of the gloves that I tested ($36). I learned of this from an InterNACHI newsletter, but have yet to see them on the KrawlGear website)

The gloves, seen here in black/orange, are billed as having been developed by a building inspector during years on the job. They are approx. 22 in. long with padded leather on the forearm and finger ground-contact area and flexible material at the wrist and palm for comfort. One size fits most.

I liked the all-in-one idea and they seem durable. They did a good job of protecting against exposure to insulation and dirt at the gap left between my current gloves (Uline Kevlar® Rubber Coated Gloves) and the end of my coverall sleeve. But in practice, I have two criticisms. First, I did not find the padding along the forearm and elbow to be sufficient enough for crawling across broken brick and other common debris. The newer version of the glove boasts stronger leather and greater padding. However, I can't tell from the photo here (black and yellow gloves) whether they have beefed it up at the elbow enough for me. Secondly, the material they use for the non-leather portion of the glove (including palm and fingers) was so slippery that trying to hold anything (e.g., camera) was like trying to hold a greased pig. I got tired of either dropping my camera or having to take off the gloves every time I wanted to take a photo.

Some may find this to be the perfect match. But for me, they've been relegated to what I give to that rare client who wants to come into the crawl space with me.

Using the NCHILB recommended language for Stone Veneer? Check the link!

The link to the Masonry Veneer Manufacturer's Association on the original recommended language no longer works. Here is the new link:

http://ncma-br.org/pdfs/masterlibrary/MVMA%20Installation%20Guide%204th%20Edition%20web.pdf

Discounted Radon Certification Training

As a benefit to NCLHIA members, Radon Testing Corporation of America (RTCA) is offering a $100 discount for on-line training for radon certification and continuing education.

Benefits of Radon Certification

Extra income - NCLHIA members have reported that from 15% to 40% of their inspection customers also want radon testing along with the home inspection. With radon testing prices from $125 to $175, this can be an additional source of income.
Free listing on the NC Radon and the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) web sites will bring you more business

How The Discount Works

For all NCLHIA members, contact Robert Wilson via email at rhwilson@carolina.rr.com and let him know you are interested in this program. He will forward your information to RTCA who will contact you with your login for their on-line program, apply the discount and RTCA will collect their fee - NCLHIA does not collect any fees. Once you have completed the training with RTCA, you will contact the NRSB. If you have never been certified, you will take an exam administered through the NRSB or by an approved proctor in your area (information on approved proctors will be sent to you by the NRSB). If you have been previously certified, there is no exam.

Fees

Inspectors with no previous certification:

The on-line course through RTCA is $225 for NCLHIA members ($325 for non-members). Price for an exam through NRSB is $90. After passing the exam, the certification fee through NRSB is $85 for 1 year or $135 for 2 years.

Inspectors previously certified through NRSB:

You take the on-line CE through RTCA at $225 for NCLHIA members ($325 for non-NCLHIA members). Then the certification through NRSB is $85 1 year $135 for 2 years - no exam is required.

Call for articles

Probings is always looking for articles for upcoming issues. If you have a tip, a suggestion, a funny or scary or informative story about home inspections, please email Jamey Tippens: jamey@jameytippens.com

Welcome to Probings, the NCLHIA newsletter. Want to improve your business, learn new skills, stay ahead of the curve? NCLHIA is here to help. Please enjoy the newsletter, and let us know what you think.

IN THIS ISSUE:
Twentieth Annual NCLHIA Education Conference
Best Photos from 2015
New benefits for Members

Join the NCLHIA

For only $150.00 a year, enjoy all the benefits of membership. Just click here to join - it's easy.

20th Annual NCLHIA Education and Home Inspectors' Convention

Downtown Winston Salem, NC

February 25, 26, 27, 2016

You should have already received information regarding the upcoming NCLHIA Home Inspectors' Convention to be held at the Marriott Winston-Salem.

Many of our members like to bring their family and make this a long weekend of sightseeing and fun. Old Salem, museums and many historic sites are within a short drive. Again this year we will be gathering Thursday for an evening of dining, fun, connecting with old friends from across the state and networking with new friends. Dinner is at your cost and all are invited. If you decide to stay over Saturday night, we have planned a group excursion to one of the area's finer restaurants. It's a great opportunity to meet and network with your fellow inspectors and families. This has been a fun, informal and impromptu event in past years.

At the convention you can receive all of your required 12 CEU'S. In addition to the state update course, we again will be presenting a two-track option to include:

John Bouldin is back with presentations on Deck Inspections and I-Joist and Engineered Beams. Lawyer Jorge Crowley presents Home Inspection: The Contract, The Work, and The Lawsuit. Floyd Gibbs presents History of Homes & Product Recognition. Eric Coates and Tom Williams teach Building Science Principles and Applications - all about moisture and heat transport in buildings.

You'll also be able to meet and talk with industry supportive vendors and attend the vendor's reception after class on Friday.

The NCLHIA board will meet on Thursday February 25, 2016, at 1 PM, followed by two one-hour presentations by industry professionals, and then dinner. The NC Home Inspectors Licensing Board will hold their regular meeting on Friday morning at 9:00 AM. Education begins at 1:00 PM on Friday and continues on Saturday morning at 8:00 AM.

Register online at the website www.nclhia.com or download and print a registration form from the website and mail it to the address listed below. Of course, please call if you have any questions.

For hotel reservations call 336-725-3500 or 800-320-0934. Cut off for discounted hotel rooms and Early Bird special is February 3, 2016. Be sure to ask for the NCLHIA room rate.

Look out for Rot at Garage Doors

by John Hagan

http://www.inspectorhagan.com/

This garage door had aluminum wrap on the exterior trim piece at the header over the garage door and vinyl siding.

The only visible evidence of a problem were some rusted nails holding the aluminum wrap, and the aluminum was slightly loose (per client). I missed this on my inspection and wanted to pass on to other inspectors to be sure to check this transition above the garage door.

I wish this client had called me right away once he realized there might be a problem, but he did not contact me until 3 months after the repair so I was not able to look at it again. It's tough to determine if I was at fault or not, but I certainly will be checking this area closely in the future.

John Hagan

License #2931

NEW ELECTRIC CODE

The NC Building Code Council (BCC) has adopted the 2014 NC Electrical Code effective April 1, 2016

There is a 90-day grace period for projects under review, provided they gain a permit within 90 days of the code effective date. Projects with permit applications prior to April 1, 2016 may use the current 2011 NC Electrical Code, provided they gain a permit by June 30, 2016.