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Adventures In Home Inspection (Some May Be NSFW)

jfields said:
This young woman and her husband are so excited that they found a home with a wood burning fireplace. I haven’t gone down to give them the news yet, but I feel really bad for them. First home purchase for both and they told me during my in-brief that they wanted to make sure the fireplace was safe. Whomever installed the clay liner didn’t do anything to secure it so it wouldn’t shift later. Not safe to use currently, and won’t be a cheap repair. Picture isn’t visible the entire length of the flue, but you get the idea how jacked up it is.
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No signs of rot/damp with all that rain getting in?
 
CigarStone said:
@jfields John, could you see how far down the offset tiles went? In the pic, it looks like it might be just the last two tiles that are FUBAR?

How can a builder not be held responsible for something like that?
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I counted a total of seven tiles. The two at the top you can really see in the picture, and then the one below that wasn’t too bad. But, the two below that one are even worse than the two at the top you can see that I posted here. Then the very two bottom ones were perfectly normal.
I think it’s a matter of when it’s caught as far as builder liability. That home was built in 1986.

I wish you could post videos here. I don’t have time to go upload this on YouTube, but I was at a home inspection for a new construction home, and as always I inspected the outside first. When I came inside the first thing I noticed was pretty fireplace and I liked how rustic it looked. But, then it dawned on me that I never noticed a chimney on the roof. So, I went back outside and nope! No chimney! So, I went back inside and looked up the flue to see the attic decking when I shined a flashlight up in there. Single lady client canceled her contract citing “If that’s what we can see, what can’t we see?”
 
Hixs said:
No signs of rot/damp with all that rain getting in?
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No, but you could see where the clay was spalling (fancy word for chipping away) from not having a rain cap on the flue. The clay we use isn’t as nice as the stuff your way.
 
Man, those fireplace horror stories hit me. I grew up in a house with a wood burning fireplace so if my fiancee and I ever get to the point of buying our own, a wood burning fireplace would be one of the most important features I would be looking for. This being LA, I would assume the only houses with them were built a long time ago or are custom builds.

I'm hoping at some point my fiancee comes to accept the idea of living in my parents house when they are no longer with us. Then I'd have my old fireplace back.
 
The Black Cloud said:
Man, those fireplace horror stories hit me. I grew up in a house with a wood burning fireplace so if my fiancee and I ever get to the point of buying our own, a wood burning fireplace would be one of the most important features I would be looking for. This being LA, I would assume the only houses with them were built a long time ago or are custom builds.

I'm hoping at some point my fiancee comes to accept the idea of living in my parents house when they are no longer with us. Then I'd have my old fireplace back.
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Funny! Whenever I’m the area, I go and look at the home I grew up in. I would buy it and move in at a moments notice. Even if it is in an area I’m not so hip on anymore. Just so many memories in that home. Mostly good ones!
 
My folks had a fireplace when I was growing up. I still have memories of being 10 years old with a chainsaw, a sledgehammer and some splitting wedges going through a dumptruck of wood to keep that sucker going.

That pretty much cured me from any romantic fireplace longings. ;)
 
ChuckJr said:
My folks had a fireplace when I was growing up. I still have memories of being 10 years old with a chainsaw, a sledgehammer and some splitting wedges going through a dumptruck of wood to keep that sucker going.

That pretty much cured me from any romantic fireplace longings. ;)
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I thought the same growing up. But, I love it now. Therapy of sorts, and rewarding to watch the wood pile grow.
 
jfields said:
What? Me smoking all of Dan’s cigars?

I had this video of me sneaking up in this huge wolf spider in a crawlspace. At one point the spider takes off in front of me left to right, and you can actually hear the pitter patter of its little spider feet hitting the vapor barrier as it ran across.
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And you call me dumb? You are scared to death of spiders and you crawl under houses for a living!
 
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