It is hard to educate!

1

A friend of mine referred me to a consult client, not for a home inspection.

The client is a middle aged woman who lives with her mother and is nice, but a little dim.

She had her roof replaced and was concerned that the job was not done well. The roofer was state licensed, but you have to understand that, around here, even the state licensed guys often do “commonly acceptable standards” as opposed to “best practices” (because they get more work because few people want to pay for a good job).

She was concerned about the roof decking and if all the damaged decking was replaced. I checked and it was. Some of the decking (plywood) was water stained, but was not delaminated, rotted or soft. Just old.

Now here is my story.

She had hired a “handyman” to do some work, replacing here kitcen tile floor (and he did a good job). Then, the handyman (a Romanian guy and his brother in a white van) start telling her all this other stuff.

  • “You need more attic insulation”, which she did, but he installed it on the roof, not the ceiling, and with Kraft paper.
  • "Your fuse box is wrong. You only have one wire. It must be replaced. (Older Wadsworth (installed in 1963), with a main and a range cartridge disconnect (used for the A/C). He couldn’t understand why only one was the main disconnect. He was totally clueless, and clueless about his cluelessness!)
  • "You have a fuse box. You can avoid havung to change fuses by installing GFCI receptacles (in EVERY outlet!!! EVERY SINGLE ONE, for gawsh sakes!). BTW: He used 15 amp GFCIs on every outlet, even the 20 amp ones in the kitchen and the one serving the fridge!
  • “You need more roof vents. Your attic is too hot. If you don’t, they attic wll get so hot it will catch fire.”
  • “Your front and kitchen doors aren’t safe, they are only wood and you need steel.”
    And much more.

I got p*ssed. The guy was ripping her off, and doing bad (and unsafe!) work on her house.

I met with him, today. The lady didn’t want to “get him in trouble”. She called the local code inspector and he told here that the GFCIs “won’t hurt”. My point is that this dweeb is a) ripping her off ($479.15 for 37 unneeded GFCIs, and $300 in labor to install them, and about half were not installed properly) and that this guy is not a licensed professional and is doing work in a town that requires a licensed guy to do ant electrical work.

So much for code inspectors helping the public.

He refused to remove the improperly installed insulation, but insisted that all the roof decking was “rotten”.

When confrounted with his lack of credentials, he told me that he had been working on houses for 20 years (he appeared to be only about 30. They must start early overseas :mrgreen: ).

I wanted to shoot the guy, right then and there.

I told the lady (who witnessed all this) but she “didn’t want to get him in trouble”.

And the code guys are worthless (and think that they are the only “authorities”).

There is much public education that has to be done.

I tried, at least, today. Took me 3 1/2 hours.

Maybe some people are just to stupid or silly to have houses :frowning:

2

The nerve of some people is just un-freakin-believeable!:mad:

3

It is Friday the 13th. Sometimes it’s better to just stay at home.:shock:

4

People fall for anything.

Imagine if, today, Nick were to announce that all NACHI members would be required to pay an additional $350 per year for what he called a “branding” campaign.

The idea would be to sell NACHI to the real estate salesmen and other professionals as the ONLY association that a qualified home inspector could belong to. Pounding the message through a variety of media…the mantra would soon be accepted by those who continuously hear it (which is why it is called “branding”) whether it was true or not.

Who would be stupider…the agents who buy it or the inspectors who fund it?

But then…that is so far fetched. No inspector or agent would be foolish enough to do anything as unethical and confrontational as that. Right?

5

Jim;

Branding was a complete failure. It didn’t work.

Why are you so obsessed with this, Bro?

Get over it. Go the great, quality inspections that I know you do and move on.

One’s success is not determined by others, but only by oneself!

And, again, you have done thread drift.

If you are so worried about not getting your “ASHI branding sucks” message out, then start your own thread. Have your opinions there. Just don’t step on others.

I’m just saying. :wink:

6

Your overwhelming urge to control and dominate every conversation you involve yourself in is getting tiresome. Knock it off.

You like to stick up for little old ladies against foreign businessmen. I like to stick up for home inspectors battling unethical and idiotic associations. The bottom line is the same. Those with an advantage seek those upon whom they may impose it.

7

They were not “foreign businessmen”, they were preditory, un-licensed, unqualified, dangerous people. Are you saying that being preditory and un-ethical and dangerous is an advantage? Are you saying you have an advantage over me? You are not being clear.

why don’t you just start your own thread? Seriously. I would like an answer.

If you want to post, on topic, you are more than welcome.

8

Get over yourself. I rarely read your threads and stalking them would be an absurd thing for anyone to do.

I find it relative and relevant…using the example of a little old lady who knows no better than to follow the advice and to do the will of one she thinks to be knowledgeable…as what the real estate industry did in response to the ASHI sponsored branding program.

Like the little old lady…the real estate industry was lied to by the oldest home inspection association in the US…and bought the line, after it was pounded into their heads through a highly developed and well financed media campaign…that only ASHI members are qualified to inspect a house.

In Chicago…where they feel comfortable to keep their HQ…you all get along. Perhaps with no licensing issues to fight…that is possible. In my state, and in others, this is not the case.

They still seek to find weak minds to poison with their lies and delusions among legislators and others who they can gain advantage.

This mindset…as demonstrated my your salesmen over the little old lady…is not unique to contractors. Sorry you have difficulty in seeing that.

9

It was a little late to “educate”. Documenting the wrong doings and helping her in a small claims court would have been better, if she was willing. Now the contractors are on their heels and have a chance to cover their backs.

10

Willl
How did you determine that the GFCI units in the kitchen were not made for 20 amp service?

Thanks… Bob

11

From the box they came in.

12

You don’t need the box. 20 amp receptacles look different from 15 amp receptacles, regardless of whether they are gfci or not.

13

Interesting.

I wonder how many of us knew that one.?

14

The “T” slot is the indicator

Cheers

15

Thank you, I never knew that.

16

Thanks Steve, I did not know that.

Will, you can spoon feed the uninformed all the information you want, but they still have to be willing to swallow and digest it.

A valiant effort non the less

17

I walked into someones bathroom today and said that is a 15 amp GFCI.
Cool.

(I know what you guys are thinking and the tub was empty)

18

With even more thread drift, I learned last week that a normal, whatever that is, GFCI lasts around 7-8 years and then should be replaced.

19

Dennis , I would not use a time frame since it is recommended you test them once a month anyway.

20

I believe that even though they are 15 amp, they are also rated for a 20 amp feed through.