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…:mrgreen:
for the other pics , tell me what you see…
(Client was REALLY HAPPY)
Call Mike Holmes.
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!
Should note that duct tape plumbing repairs should not be made until the house is at least 10 years old.
:p:p:p:p:p:p
I would think 3/4" T&G OSB is better than 5/8 ply. Looks like the only good thing he did
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.
A notch?
No,of course not.
I was referring to the web.
At the bottom?
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)
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
Bob,
Are those Gluelan, Laminated Timber that much cheaper than those real Ibeam?
Curious mind wants to know,
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.
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…
Love the commentary, Big Joe… Bravo.
Another strange thing: all that ABS piping. 99.99% of what’s used here is PVC now.
I think that the notch at the bottom of the beam is **not **okay from a purely technical standpoint.
I honestly do not care what the price is.
I like those beams as much as I like Brick veneer and will leave it there.
As for the ‘‘presswood’’ word…, us, french Canadians use the term presswood , not a lot of french people knows what OBS boards are, but every one knows what presswood is
IMO, if the drawing calls for plywood , well you install plywood. if you don’t ‘‘follow’’ the drawings well in that case , there is no need for architect. But my point is, material used where not what was called on the drawing, so in that case my client should be advised that his house wasn’t built as per drawing. it’s quite simple imo…and i suggested further evaluation by a professional
note that the ceramic tiles in the kitchen , common to the ‘‘defect’’ area are all cracked and yes this is a brand new house
and another thing , when OBS gets wet , it swells plywood does not that’s why, i think, it’s rarely used on floors, again IMO
