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On November 30, 2006, the ASHI-NE Chapter will
host another full day continuing education seminar,
plus our monthly evening Chapter meeting and
continuing education session. I hope you can attend
one or both functions. Six CEU’s will be awarded for
the day seminar and two CEU’s for the evening
education session.
Here is a description of the day seminar:
Session one The morning half of the seminar will focus on wells and water filtration systems, both have unique systems and components we encounter daily for which we must be capable of speaking intelligently. Fellow inspector Greg Boyd attended a previous seminar in NY and highly recommended a speaker named “Henry Boyd” for one of our seminars. Henry is the owner of Boyd Artesian Wells Co. of NY (www.welldriller.org) and has agreed to speak to our organization plus display various pumps and equipment for show and tell. Henry’s presentation outline appears to cover everything you could ever want to know about wells. I. Why is well maintenance important? II. What Home Inspectors should look for? III. Flow testing IV. Calculations for volume V. Is the supply dependable? VI. Types of pumps VII. Submersible installation VIII. Things to look for to determine depth & flow IX. Determining low yielding wells X. Wire sizes to determine depth XI. Jet & suction pump installation XII. Tanks XIII. Safety valve & tank tee XIV. Captive air vs. Galvanized XV. Filtration XVI. Water Quality Tests XVII. Well Maintenance XVIII. Problems XIX. Well Disinfection XX. Successful Chlorination XXI. Iron & Slime XXII. Wellhead Protection XXIII. Safe Drinking Water Act XXIV. Well Summary XXV. Recommendations to Homeowners. Session two
Also in the morning session, Fred Rapkin, and Steven Theirault, Residential and Commercial Systems Advisors of Atlas Water Systems (www.atlaswatersystems.com), will teach us all about residential water filtration products and solutions. Atlas installs and maintains home systems for purposes of either correcting water problems or improving water quality. These systems include: whole house, point of entry systems, drinking water, point of use systems and Water Testing. Their presentations will include: • Radon • Arsenic • Nitrates • Lead • MTBE • VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) • Bacteria • Iron Bacteria • Sodium • Iron • Manganese • Hardness • pH Levels • Hydrogen Sulfide Odors They also plan on having Todd Melanson or Michael Carson from Thorstensen’s Laboratory in Westford to speak on how to properly take field water tests and bring them to the labs in a timely manner. Session three
After lunch, our Chapter honorary member Sherman Price will do a presentation on Brownstone homes. Sherman had an article on Brownstones printed in the New York Times and he has graciously volunteered to educate us about what type of stone is Brownstone, quarrying Brownstone, Brownstone construction specifications and related defects that a home inspector should recognize and report. Session four
The final two speakers will educate you regarding contracts, claims and risk management. If you want to sleep better at night, don’t miss this presentation. Ronald W. Gorski, an attorney, is a Senior Claims Examiner in the Miscellaneous Professional Liability Unit at Lexington Insurance Company, a member company of AIG, in Boston Massachusetts. Lexington is one of the world’s leading property and casualty insurance organizations. Ron is responsible for the management of professional liability claims, including those involving home inspectors. Also, James Wasoka, a Professional Liability underwriter for AI Risk, which is part of AIG will be present. He underwrites various E&O programs including Home Inspectors, WOW! Here is a description of the evening education
session
Session one: Have you ever herd the radio ads about “newenglandsbestroofs?” Well, a representative from Interlocking Industries (www.metalroofingnewengland.com) will teach us why their metal roofs are the best. Session two Following the first speaker, our very own Jeff May (www.mayindoorair.com) will speak about a potpourri of issues including: • Why buyers are concerned about mold • The difference between macrofungi (wood rot) and microfungi (superficial molds and mildew) • The main sources of indoor mold spores are carpets, HVAC systems, below grade spaces and wet building materials. • Mold is NOT everywhere; spores are ubiquitous but concentrations vary by the thousands. • Furnishings can also be sources of mold spores. • Rodents can cause mold and musty odors • Remediation companies can be dishonest • Biggest sources of mold issues on home inspections are attics and basements • Why are attics moldy? • Why are basements moldy? • Should home inspectors be sampling for mold on home inspections. • Should remediation companies be sampling for clearance? • Different sampling methods and problems associated with them. • How meaningful are testing results? • The poor quality of some testing labs • Controlling moisture is the answer to all mold problems. Bob Mulloy, Chairman Education Committee |
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ASAP Environmental
HEALTHY HOMES FOR BETTER LIVING
1 Arcadia St. Dorchester, MA 02122
inspections@asapenvironmental.com 800-349-7779 www.asapenvironmental.com
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FREA
E&O Insurance for Home Inspectors
800-882-4410 www.frea.com |
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CORCORAN & HAVLIN INSURANCE GROUP
THE SUPERIOR HOME INSPECTOR ERRORS &
OMISSIONS INSURANCE PROGRAM!
Underwritten by AIG's Lexington Insurance Company - Rated A++ by A.M. Best Home Inspector E&O Coverage offers these features:
For a quote or more information, please call Debi
Drury (x244 or ddrury@chinsurance.com) or
Mike Curtis, Marketing Manager (x243) or visit
website at www.chinsurance.com
287 Linden Street, Wellesley, MA 02482 800-304-8242 Fax 781-235-7190 |
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The following letter was mailed to The Honorable Mitt
Romney on September 6, 2006.
Dear Governor Romney:
I am writing in behalf of myself and the other 643
home inspectors. The purpose of this letter is to
request a review of the licensing fee for home
inspectors.
Under section 3B of chapter 7, the secretary of
administration and finance shall ensure that a
licensing fee shall be charged to all applicants in an
amount sufficient to defray all administrative costs to
the commonwealth associated with the licensure of
home inspectors, but in no event shall the fee be
less than $100 With that said, the fee paid for
licensure of the individual home inspector is the
highest in the state $225.00 In addition, we are
required to carry the additional expense of errors and
omission insurance (on the average approximately
$4,000.00 annually) and take 24 hours of continuing
education, this is an additional cost of $720.00 To
the small businessman, these expenses have a high
impact on the bottom line.
As a professional engineer, my licensure’s fee is
$88.00; however, I am not required to carry
professional errors and omission insurance.
A review of the Division of Professional Licensure’s
fee
schedule indicates that the average individual fee
charged for a license is $78.55, which is in line with
the fee charged for a professional engineer’s license.
As you can see the licensure fee for the individual
home inspector is unfairly set at approximately three
times the average.
Again, I (we) respectfully request that your
secretary of administration and finance review the
fee home inspectors are being charged and hopefully
bring it in line with the one hundred dollar fee
($100.00) mandated under section of chapter 7 of
the Massachusetts General Laws.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Sincerely,
John Digby, PHI License #1 |
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CRACK-X
Got water in your basement?
Since 1985, CRACK-X has been a full service company specializing in residential and commercial foundation welding of cracks and other concrete repairs such as bulkheads, penetrations, cold joints, elevator pits, and slabs. We are committed to 100% customer satisfaction and back up all vertical wall crack repairs with an unconditional 10-year warranty. 25 Washington Avenue, Natick, MA 01760
877-272-2539 www.crackfx.com |
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B-Dry Systems
20 YEARS OF SOLVING WATER PROBLEMS
Written warranty for the full life of the structure. 800-320-2379
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During a recent conversation with Jimmy Morrison,
ASHI NE’s Chapter President, the up-coming Chapter
Leadership Day at ASHI H.Q.’s in Chicago came up.
And, one of the topics that we discussed was
volunteerism. How do we get volunteers? How do we
motivate volunteers? And, what are some of the
benefits we receive from volunteering? Our discussion
stimulated me to more thinking on the topic. And, I’d
like to share our discussion and some of these
thoughts with you. Our discussion lead us to the
following conclusion: Giving back is vital to the
success of any non-profit organization like ASHI.
Volunteering transcends culture, religion, race and
nationality; it is the most fundamental act of
citizenship and philanthropy in our society. It is
offering time, energy and skills of ones own free will.
By caring and contributing to change, ASHI
volunteers gain skills, self-esteem and develop a
more enlightened career. They work toward the
improvement of their society, the organization and
profession and in return they enhance their own
lives. ASHI also helps its members, colleagues and
stakeholders connect through volunteering. It has
been my experience that volunteering is much more
than its own reward.
The benefit that volunteering provides has been
traditionally thought of as the good work given by
the individual to the organization, profession or other
individual(s); the joy of serving others for the
significant personal value that can be derived from
the experience. In other words, the “great feeling”
that is received from helping others. While this is
and should remain one of the primary reasons and
benefits for volunteering, there are many other
benefits and rewards that are created when an
individual volunteers in ASHI including:
-Make important networking contacts -Learn and develop skills -Gain work experience -Build self-esteem and self confidence -Help you meet new people and make new friends -Express gratitude for help you may have received in the past from ASHI -Enhance your interpersonal skills (understanding people better, motivating others and dealing with difficult situations) -Feel needed and involved -Advance a worthy cause or goal -Increase your knowledge and expertise about issues related to ASHI and the profession. -Get recognized for your contributions -Improve your health and well being -Make a difference in ASHI and your profession Whether it is important to you to solve an
organizational problem, improve the profession or to
develop as a person, volunteering in ASHI offers
many benefits in appreciation for the gift of your
time, energy, skills and expertise. When you believe
that something is worthwhile, worth working for and
get involved in ASHI, you see first hand how things
are really done and what makes the organization
grow. Now you begin to understand and truly
appreciate all of the time and hard work that it takes
to keep things going in the right direction. You not
only hear of and see the vision, you live and breathe
it, you become a part of it, you help keep it alive.
Once you give of yourself unselfishly, you will
experience such a profound positive growth you will
never go back. As Oliver Wendell Holmes once
said, “A man’s mind stretched to a new idea, never
goes back to its original dimensions.”
It has also been my experience that the more you
volunteer the more “return value” you will receive.
In fact, the benefits and value you receive are far
greater than the time and effort you give, and far
more than you can imagine. If you have done regular
volunteer work in any capacity you know what I
mean. Ask any of those people including officers,
directors and committee persons and I can assure
you they will echo these sentiments. Another
positive aspect or side effect of getting involved is
you tend to abandon any jaded or cynical mindset
you may have been harboring about the organization
or even some of the people involved.
Volunteering taps into a tremendous reservoir of new
capacities and potential that lies within each one of
us. Access to this potential is not found by focusing
on self, turning inward, or on self improvement. Dr.
Steven Covey, founder of the Covey Leadership
Center and author of many books on the subject
says, “True growth and development may occur from
the inside-out, but we are driven to it from the
outside-in,from the need that all of us have to
serve, to matter, to contribute to the lives of others
and to society, to be involved in something of
transcendent meaning,to leave a legacy.” Robert
Browning put it succinctly: “There is an answer to
the passionate longing of the heart for fullness,live
in all things outside yourself by love, and you will
have joy,it is a lesson learned slowly and through
difficulty.”
.
As professionals we all give so much to our clients at
each inspection and as ASHI members we all need to
give back to our society and our profession. I’ve
always said we make a living by what we get, but we
make a life by what we give. Remember John
Ruskin’s maxim: “The highest reward for a person’s
work is not what they get from it, but what they
become by it.” Edmond Hale said: “I am only one but
still I am one. I can not do everything but I can do
something. And, because I can not do everything I
will not refuse to do what I can”. In other words, one
person can make a difference. What about you? Can
you make a difference?
Over the past 30 years, the cumulative action of
thousands of caring ASHI volunteers has made a
difference. They have had a profound impact on
every aspect of our profession and have fostered
ASHI’s growth and development. This espouses the
value of the voluntary work ethic. We are very
fortunate, most appreciative and proud of all of their
insights and hard work. It is through our volunteer’s
efforts that we continue to build public awareness
and confidence in the Home Inspector and promote
excellence and exemplary practice within the
profession. No doubt whatsoever, that’s why ASHI is
the best. Fortunately, ASHI has so much more brain
power and so many more problem solvers, positive
thinkers, entrepreneurs and potential future leaders
just waiting to be asked. By the way, the number
one reason people volunteer is because they are
asked. So please join-in, make a difference and
enhance your life. Go for it. You will not regret it and
you will never go back.
Note:
Statistics that I have read in various volunteer related web sites indicate that volunteer participation in the US and Canada is highest for those aged 35-54 (30%) closely followed by those aged 15-24 (29%); and the amount of time spent volunteering increases with age, from a low of 130 hours per year in those aged 15-24 to a high of 269 hours per year in those aged 65 and older. I was surprised by the high percentage of people that volunteer in the States and Canada and the amount of hours they contribute. We should be proud of that. Bill Sutton, COR Representative |
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Vent Master
ATTIC VENTILATION SPECIALISTS
Inspectors, when you see signs of:
Recommend Vent Master For a FREE consultation, call Don Marcoux at Vent
Master
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I hope that you have reviewed the brochure
regarding the ASHI National Conference in January.
If not, go to www.ashi.org and check out the entire
event and educational opportunities. I have
contacted the MA Board Division of Licensure and
have gained approval of the speakers and topics
listed below for MA CEU approval. I will be attending
as a MA Education Provider.
Massachusetts Courses Approved For Continuing
Education
at the ASHI National Conference in January 2007.
2.0 - Back to Basics - 10 Common defects 2.0 - Advanced Technical Track- Concrete and Steel Structures 2.0 - Chimney and Fireplace Inspections 2.0 - Code Check/IRC Exam Prep 2.0 - Back to Basics- Exterior Cladding 2.0 - Advanced Technical Track - Building Science - part one 2.0 - Special Topics Track - Decks are dangerous 2.0 - Back to Basics- Flat Roofing Systems 2.0 - Advanced Technical Track - Building Science - part two 2.0 - Special Topics Track - Pool and Spa Inspections 2.0 - Back to basics Track - Basic Residential Electrical 2.0 - Advanced Technical Track - Hardcoat Stucco 2.0 - Special Topics Track - Understanding Dampness 2.0 - Advanced Technical Track - Unraveling some common structural framing conditions 2.0 - Business and Professional Development track 2.0 - Special Topics Track - Havoc on the roof 2.0 - Back to Basics Track - Alternative Foundations 2.0 - Special Topics Track - Basement Inspections 2.0 - Back to Basics Track - Air conditioning Fundamentals 2.0 - Advanced Technical Track - Environmental Review 2.0 - Special Topics Track - Building Planning 1 2.0 - Plumbing 101 2.0 - Advanced Technical Track - Concrete 201 2.0 - Special Topics Track - Building Planning 2 2.0 - Special Topics Track - Crawl Space and floor structural defects, causes and cures 2.0 - Understanding dampness 2.0 - Describe that defect, write it up 2.0 - Unraveling some common structural framing conditions 2.0 - The next step - Forensic Investigations 2.0 - Special topics track - From Hail to hurricanes, havoc on the roof 2.0 - Back to basics track - Inspecting Fau Gas Heating Systems 2.0 - Advanced technical track - Unraveling some common structural framing conditions 2.0 - The next step - Forensic Investigations 2.0 - Alternative Foundations Attending the national conference is a unique
experience and lasting memory. I hope you can
attend.
Bob Mulloy, Chairman Education Committee |
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Peter Greifer Enterprises
ASBESTOS REMOVAL & MOLD REMEDIATION
Serving Eastern Massachusetts & Rhode Island 800-582-5288
401-946-4506 (Rhode Island) peter.greifer@verizon.net |
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The ASHI NE Chapter maintains a library of
educational books, video tapes and CD’s for Chapter
members and candidates to utilize for personal and
business growth. Those who wish to sign materials
out may do so for a fee of $16 per item ($10 per
tape) which covers two-way shipping and handling.
Library materials may be used for a two week period,
beginning on the date of shipment. Those who fail to
return library materials on time will be assessed a fine
of $1 / day. If the materials are not received back
within two months of date of shipping, you will be
charged the cost of replacement. To sign materials
out, there is a form that is posted on our web site
that is to be completed and sent to the executive
office. It is always recommended that you call the
executive office to check on the availability of an
item. Once this form is received, the executive office
will ship the items out with a postage paid return
envelope. The list of the materials that are currently
available in the chapter library is on the web site as
well.
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Rene Mugnier Associates
When in doubt, refer to a structural engineer
specializing in the investigation of homes and
commercial structural problems.
REHABILITATIONS & INVESTIGATIONS
777 Concord Ave., Ste. 201, Cambridge, MA 02138
617-547-7773 |
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Weil-McLain Recalls Ultra Series Gas Boilers for
Carbon
Monoxide Hazard
Hazard: These boilers were manufactured for use
with natural gas, but
could have a blue tag incorrectly indicating to
installers that they are
intended for use with LP (propane) gas. If an installer
connects one of
the boilers to LP gas without installing a propane
conversion kit,
carbon monoxide (CO) can build up due to incomplete
combustion, posing a
risk of CO poisoning.
Sold by: Plumbing and heating wholesale distributors
to plumbers and
contractors nationwide from May 2005 through July
2006 for between
$4,000 and $7,000.
Remedy: Consumers who had a Weil-McLain Ultra
series boiler installed
for use with propane and have not already been
contacted by their
installer should contact the installer or a heating
professional for a
free safety inspection. If the boiler was not installed
with a propane
conversion kit, one will be installed at the time of the
inspection at
no charge. Heating professionals may contact Weil
McLain Technical
Service at (219) 879-6561 for more information.
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Atlas Watersystems
WE DON'T MAKE THE WATER.
WE MAKE THE WATER BETTER!! Residential & Commercial Water
Filtration & Purification Water Testing & Analysis
Radon & Arsenic Remediation Softners * Filters * Purification 800-215-9966 www.atlaswater.com "Bringing Technology to Water"
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President
Jim Morrison /
james_morrison@earthlink.net
Vice President
Mike Atwell /
m.atwell@rcn.com
Secretary Lisa Alajajian /
homequest1@comcast.net
Treasurer
Tom Towle /
tom@hdbco.com
Immediate Past President
Paul Kristenson /
absinspections@comcast.net
Directors
Paul Cornell / pcornell@inspecthouses.com Paul Rogoshewski / paul@harmonyhomeinspection.com Council of Representatives
Paul Kristenson / absinspections@comcast.net Lisa Alajajian / homequest1@comcast.net Bill Sutton / wsuttoninspector@hotmail.com Committee Chair
By-Laws: Mike Atwell / m.atwell@rcn.com Communications: Mark Forkey / mark_forkey@msn.com Education: Bob Mulloy / rmulloy@verizon.net Legislative: Jim Morrison / james_morrison@earthlink.net Membership:Ernest Simpson / esimpson@evergreenhomeinspection.com John Romano / romanohomeinsp@aol.com Executive Director
Walter Perry /
wperry@choiceonemail.com
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We look forward to seeing everyone at the membership meeting on November 30th in Waltham!
Sincerely,
ASHI New England
email:
clough@choiceonemail.com
phone:
800-248-2744
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