Recent content by john56h

My 8x18 door is a Raynor brand and it seems to be very high quality.

Here in New York, Zoning variances are "supposed to be" considered by the Zoning Board of Appeals with a "balancing" process. The idea is that the variance requested has to have a benefit for the applicant that balances with the sacrifice of the community. If the ZBA determines that the benefits...

And I would have loved to done the brushing...except that the millionaire neighbors have the project under a microscope. They've hired their own surveyor to get exact elevations of every aspect of the house on the neighbor's property. In this case it is real important that there be zero...

I sleep just fine. The house in question is an "estimated" $525,000 house on a $550,000 lot that has had probably $150,000 of site work. The neighbors are watching like hawks and report everything to their lawyers....and the neighbors houses are in the 1-2 million dollar range. With all the...

Also, keep in mind that after something on a project becomes an "issue" it is easy for those involved from that point on to criticize the people involved with construction and with inspection.....but remember that for those who get involved after the fact, the single item that is the issue has...

As I've mentioned before.....the review and inspection process is in no way 100%, nor is it intended to be. When something is "approved", whether plans or construnction, it basically means that the inspectors/reviewers are comfortable that the building "substantially" meets the requirements...

Anybody ever used battery acid? I have a whole bunch of it to get rid of....and a whole bunch of weeds to kill too!!! But, I don't want to go to jail for crimes against the environment either, LOL.

The references made in this thread about "lattitude & longitude" to the "minutes & seconds" is a bit flawed. Lattitude and longitude would establish a particular coordinate for a point. Most surveyor's maps indicate "bearings & distances". Bearings are the angular measurement of a property...

I'm not a licensed surveyor, but I've worked for them in a survey crew and have a decent bit of knowledge...that I'll try to share. When you have a Surveyor perform a survey and create a mapping of your property, he needs to base it on several factors. Usually the first thing he'll consult is...

Funny you mention the "B" word.....I've been an inspector for about 15 years and have never had someone offer a bribe. I was on a footing/slab inspection for a garage one time though, where the owner was surprised that he didn't have to pay a bribe. The fella had recently moved out of New York...

As far as codes and rules being complex....you betcha! I'm new to the position of enforcing building and zoning codes (been in construction inspection a long time though) and have found that it is very easy to miss something in the code books. This is especially true of the locally adopted...

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Unless you have muddy conditions or poor soil, such as clay or spongy organic type stuff...I would imagine 6"-8" thickness of subbase gravel would do. You would definately want to strip off the topsoil and compact the sub-grade before placing and compacting the subbase gravel. There are many...

You could incorporate the retaining wall into the building foundation. Make the one foundation wall seven or eight feet in height and built of structural concrete...then backfill it. Either that, or consider gabion retaining walls. They are wire baskets that get filled with rip-rap stones...

You have to remember that the home owners who choose to try to save money by designing and drawing their own plans...rather than hireing an architect/engineer...are assuming a lot of risk. The professional designers are trained and certified in the type of work that they produce, plus they are...