Seminars, Lectures and Training

I am available to present seminars, lectures, and / or training for corporations, schools, homeowners associations, home inspection associations, builder groups and more.

Please call or email me to customize a program for your event. Programs are available for the following subjects:


Heating Systems: Furnaces, Boilers (Steam and Hydronic) and Heat Pumps (air to air and geo-thermal)

• Evolution of heating systems
• Learn how every heating system component functions and why
• Firebox, heat exchanger and boiler failures.
• Includes all types of distribution systems (i.e. ductwork, convectors, radiant heat, radiators and heating coils)

Synthetic Stucco: Exterior Insulating Finish Systems (EIFS)

• Causes of damage
• Barrier and drainage system discussion
• Requirements and vulnerable areas
• Proper Installation
• Flashings
• Problems: Who's fault is it? The synthetic stucco systems? The installation and or the applicators? The window manufacturers or installers? The EIFS materials?
• Hybrid systems, better or worse? Conventional stucco comparisons. Materials, costs, applications, life expectancies, maintenance, vulnerabilities. What to do about it.

Water Intrusion / Penetration

• Basement and crawl space water penetration
• Causes, solutions and costs to correct
• To ventilate a crawl space or not....that is the question
• Discussion of options and conclusions
• Roof leaks: All types of roofs, causes, discussion of evidences of failures on all types of roofs
• Solutions and costs to correct
• Ice damming: Cause, conclusive evidence whether or not the condition is present at any time, solutions

Structural Systems

• Causes of failures, explanation of vertical, horizontal and diagonal cracking
• How they develop and which ones are a structural concern
• Masonry construction (i.e. brick and brick veneer, stone, concrete) and how it is done on various types of construction
• Wood frame construction (i.e. conventional wood frame construction, wood floor and roof trusses, where they get their strength, types of lumber used for structures)
• Types of support options for failures
• Costs to correct

Environmental Issues

• Carbon Monoxide: Measuring, sources, solutions, health dangers, solutions and costs to correct
• How much CO is emitted by heating systems, automobiles, ranges and ovens
• Radon: Types of testing (i.e. continuous monitors, charcoal canisters, E-Perms)
• Which is the most accurate
• What does the EPA require
• Which is the most difficult to compromise
• Radon levels and an understanding of how and where it develops and the best ways to manage or evacuate these gases Radon decay chain (where does it start and how does it impact human respiratory systems)

Electrical Systems: Residential Single Phase Systems and Commercial 3 Phase Systems

• How circuits are distributed and how you can determine if the wiring going through the walls is safe or not
• Circuit breakers vs fuses for safety
• Grounding
• Amperage necessary for appliances
• ARC and GFCI's and how they function
• Ohms law and how you can apply it
• How much current are the appliances drawing
• Wattage divided by volts equals amps
• Double taped circuits, reversed polarity, grounded and ungrounded outlets

Roofing Systems: Residential and Commercial Low Sloped and Sloped Roofing

• Built up roofing, single ply, metal and wood and asphalt composition shingles, etc.
• Preparation, sheathings and structure discussions
• Flashing and valley types, most dependable, how tos and typical flaws
• Miscellaneous: Ice damming, crickets, drainage, gussets, scuppers, maintenance

Plumbing

• Water Supply systems, services, piping types, shallow and deep well pumps, water pressure and poor pressure options
• Municipal systems
• ells (soils, depth, yield)
• Municipal and private waste systems
• Septic systems and cesspools
• Perc testing, sand mounds, holding tanks, ejector pumps, alarms
• Vents and traps
     -How they function
     -How to inspect / evaluate
• Problems with piping, acidic and alkaline water and levels of concern

Condensation, Ventilation and Insulation

• Causes for condensation in any area, any time of the year and how to correct or solve any issues (i.e. attic mold, bathroom mold, condensation on ductwork, basements, crawl spaces, water piping, walls, floors and ceilings)
• Clear understanding of how water / moisture moves in walls, floors and ceilings
• Ventilation issues in attics, basements and crawl spaces
• How ventilation functions
• Absolute best ways to solve any ventilation problem and why
• What does not work and why
• Proper amounts of insulation, types, placement of insulation and vapor barriers
• Moisture / vapor and air barriers
• Diminishing returns
• What you must know about climate variables

Exterior Surfaces

• Brick, brick veneer, stone, aluminum siding, vinyl siding, conventional stucco, EIFS or synthetic stucco, wood sidings and hardboard sidings
• Preparation, sheathings, types and installation of vapor and air barriers and installation of the above noted exterior surfaces
• Problems: Water accessing the area behind the sidings and masonry
• Understand water penetration and solutions

Chimneys and Vents

• Structures, fire protection clearances, proper smoke draw characteristics/requirements
• How you can know in one minute whether a fireplace chimney will draw properly or not, without lighting a fire
• Discussions: smoke shelf, throat requirements, firebox and flue size requirements, hearth requirements
• Water penetration and condensation at chimneys and adjacent wall and roof structures
• Multiple flues, the 2, 3, 10 rule, multiple appliances in one chimney, typical temperatures of various appliances, clearances, metal chimneys, masonry chimneys without flues