Almost ended up in a fist fight with contractor

[pmassie]

Hi Guys!

I did a home inspection yesterday that almost ended up in a fist fight between me and the contractor. see the pics below and tell me what is wrong here

ok, first ting : flooring. presswood is good for flooring he said....then i said show me de drawing (plans) and he did. on the plan it was mentionned : use plywood 5/8 thick....then he went nuts....

for the other pics , tell me what you see....

(Client was REALLY HAPPY)

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by pmassie

Hi Guys!

I did a home inspection yesterday that almost ended up in a fist fight between me and the contractor.

Immediately.......take INACHI's self-defense series of courses!!!!


see the pics below and tell me what is wrong here

ok, first ting : flooring. presswood is good for flooring he said....then i said show me de drawing (plans) and he did. on the plan it was mentionned : use plywood 5/8 thick....then he went nuts....

He is nuts if he substituted the subfloor material without a change order. It's not like OSB board is a bad subfloor but to try to slip in a cheaper product without the homeowner's permission......NUTS, he is!!

for the other pics , tell me what you see....

(Client was REALLY HAPPY)



Attachment 38126

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Attachment 38130

Looks like the butcher.......er......plumber should be in the meat trade.

Was installing an HRV in a new home for an aquaintance 3 years ago. The plumber......er...butcher had cut though 3- 2x8" floor joist for his 3" toilet drain. Called the owner who called the inspector and a fix was agreed on. The plumber was a part-timer whose day job was.......you guessed it....a butcher at a local supermarket!

[cboyd]

Should note that duct tape plumbing repairs should not be made until the house is at least 10 years old.

[Curtis M. Vilt]

I would think 3/4" T&G OSB is better than 5/8 ply. Looks like the only good thing he did

[Bert B. de Haan]

I have no problem with T&G OSB subfloor. Not if the specs call for plywood though. Some of the other defects are great. I especially like the notch in the beam.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by bdehaan

I have no problem with T&G OSB subfloor. Not if the specs call for plywood though. Some of the other defects are great. I especially like the notch in the beam.

Though allowed in I joists.

[ROBERT W. NEWLAND, JR.]

Originally Posted by belliott

Though allowed in I joists.

A notch?

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by rnewland

A notch?

No,of course not.
I was referring to the web.

[Bert B. de Haan]

Originally Posted by belliott

No,of course not.
I was referring to the web.

I was looking at the notch in the first picture.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by bdehaan

I was looking at the notch in the first picture.

What makes it laughable is that right next to his DIY patch job is a slice clear through the bottom of that Ibeam.
I am glad not to see those type beams around here much.

First minute I saw the darn pic I had to figure out why they had joists going perpendicular to each other before I realized it was a cheapo version of a real beam (haha) .(sorry I hate those I beams)

[wnapier]

But it's a NEW house, what could be wrong to need an inspection?

Bwahahahahahahahaha...............

Al (have heard that many times in the last 20 years) in TN

[Marcel Gratton]

Originally Posted by belliott

What makes it laughable is that right next to his DIY patch job is a slice clear through the bottom of that Ibeam.
I am glad not to see those type beams around here much.

First minute I saw the darn pic I had to figure out why they had joists going perpendicular to each other before I realized it was a cheapo version of a real beam (haha) .(sorry I hate those I beams)

Bob,

Are those Gluelan, Laminated Timber that much cheaper than those real Ibeam?

Curious mind wants to know,

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Originally Posted by pmassie

I did a home inspection yesterday that almost ended up in a fist fight between me and the contractor. see the pics below and tell me what is wrong here

ok, first ting : flooring. presswood is good for flooring he said....then i said show me de drawing (plans) and he did. on the plan it was mentionned : use plywood 5/8 thick....then he went nuts....

I do see what appear to be defects in notching of the joists.

However, I hope you didn't use the term "presswood" in your report or oral conversations with the contractor/client. It's OSB, as in Oriented Strand Board and it is much more commonly used than plywood these days.

Number 2: If you aren't an engineer with special training in wood characteristics, I don't think you're qualified to call out as a defect the use of OSB as a flooring material, even if it does contradict the plans. (If that were the case, 95% of the homes here are defective. Here's a good article about OSB vs. Plywood.) Does your jurisdiction have a code enforcement office? Just a thought, but perhaps you should have just documented what you saw and called them to inquire about the acceptability of this material. Or, referred the buyer to the home designer about the apparent contradiction and the ramifications of it.

Number 3: The holes in the I-joists, with some exceptions, are permitted. Just because the hole isn't cut beautifully isn't necessarily a defect. Unless you already know the manufacturer's specifications, a little research in this area may have been prudent before scaring the buyer.

Inspectors have to be very careful, especially when inspecting new construction. Times are hard and buyers are hard to come by. If the deal falls apart based on unsubstantiated or inaccurate allegations from a home inspector, a pissed off builder with the proper financial resources could put you out of business by tying you up in court for years to come.

[Joe Farsetta]

Notched beam at bottom with a piece of protective wood was a nice touch. Square opening in TJI was nice, as was the splintered look of the opening this idiot put in the adjacent TJI. But, from a purely technical standpoint, all may be okay.

Backpitch to the ABS was a beautiful thing, but not as great as substituting what the plans called for in the way of OSB flooring for plywood. OSB is an accepted flooring material, BTW.

I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that squash blocks werent installed at TJIs beneath point loads and bearing partitions...

BUT... Mr. Funderbunk's commentary is spot-on...

Inspectors have to be very careful, especially when inspecting new construction. Times are hard and buyers are hard to come by. If the deal falls apart based on unsubstantiated or inaccurate allegations from a home inspector, a pissed off builder with the proper financial resources could put you out of business by tying you up in court for years to come.

Love the commentary, Big Joe... Bravo.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Another strange thing: all that ABS piping. 99.99% of what's used here is PVC now.