About the Seminars

You will get relevant information you can use right away, every day. At both seminars, many samples of construction materials are provided for the student to hold and examine. This "hands-on" approach aids many students in their understanding. In addition, hundreds of photos taken of construction and problems found in actual inspections are used for illustration.

Course Outline
During this 20 HOUR Continuing Education course, you will learn about the professional requirements and liabilities regarding the evaluation of real property. You will then be presented with in-depth discussions on every aspect of real property inspection, with an emphasis on residential construction. A comprehensive seminar manual is provided. It contains text and illustrations which follow the semianr topics exactly. You'll learn in detail about each of the following topics and how they affect value:

CODES How codes affect your profession Where codes come from What they are meant to accomplish What they cover How they are enforced BUILDING SITE Considerations for your profession Access and parking Drainage problems and solutions Site stability Retaining walls and rockeries Waterfront bulkheads Tree hazards Pavement Fences and walls Swimming pools and equipment Docks Outbuildings Hazardous materials BUILDING DRAINAGE How drainage affects your profession Roof systems Exterior foundation footing systems Interior foundation footing systems French drains and cutoff drains Sump pump systems Other systems WOOD-DESTROYING ORGANISMS Wood-destroying organisms and you Termites and termite control Carpenter ants Powder post beetles Moisture ants Decay Pest inspections Exterminations BUILDING STRUCTURE Structural evaluation for your profession Structural concepts Structural materials Fire-resistive construction Moisture penetration Structural ventilation Roof structures Foundation structures Concrete floors and sleeper floors Balconies, porches and decks Chimneys

BUILDING EXTERIOR Advantages of different types of roofing, siding, gutter and downspout, and flooring materials Skylights and greenhouse windows Doors and windows Gutters and downspouts Porches and decks Hazardous materials BUILDING INTERIOR Wall and ceiling finishes Tub and shower surrounds Cabinetry Flooring Fireplaces and chimneys Doors and windows ADA requirements Stairways and elevators Moisture penetration Hazardous materials EARTHQUAKES & WINDSTORMS Slides and reviews of lessons learned from the Loma Prieta earthquake and Hurricane Andrew ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Electrical definitions Code requirements Grounded systems Aluminum wiring System ampacity Service drops, panels Distribution wiring PLUMBING SYSTEM Piping design considerations Piping materials Water heaters Sewage disposal systems HEATING, VENTILATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Principles Heat transfer and gain Energy codes Energy sources Types of systems

Course Outline
During this 7 HOUR Continuing Education course, you will learn about the home construction process from beginning to end, and how that process has changed over time. You will learn to identify different types of residential construction and many different types of construction materials - all the way from foundations to roof coverings and everything in between. You'll learn in detail about each of the following:

BUILDING PLANS Plan submittal Sensitive area analysis Plan restrictions Floor plan Foundation plan Plan Sections Boilerplate Upper floor framing Shear walls SITE WORK Location of building footprint Removal of top soil Grading for drainage Trenching for utilities Installation of temporary power FOUNDATION Raised foundation Slab on grade Crawl space vs. basement Concrete vs. concrete blocks Footings and stem walls Anchor bolts and seismic straps Backfill, settlement and expansive clay Ventilation DRAINAGE Sources of moisture problems Footing and roof drain systems French drains Rigid vs. flexible pipe Types of gravel Filter fabric Legal outfalls FLOOR FRAMING Sill plates Floor joists Joist hangers Sawn lumber vs. manufactured joists Post-to-beam and footing connections Steel beams and columns Steel framing Floor sheating Stairwells

WALL FRAMING Platforms vs. balloon frame construction Exterior walls Interior walls Installation of headers and major beams Shear walls Brick veneer ROOF FRAMING History of roof structure Trusses Bracing Skylights and chimneys Cathedral ceilings Slope requirements Sheatings Ventilation WINDOWS AND DOORS Code requirements Frame opening Installation House wrap Different materials ROUGH PLUMBING Drain plumbing Supply plumbing Material comparison Water heaters ROUGH HVAC (Heating, Ventilating & Air Conditioning Sytsems) Furnace location Air conditioning and heat pump systems Supply ducts Return air system Indoor air quality code requirements Ventilation ducts Dryer ducts ROUGH ELECTRICAL Panel location Underground vs. overhead wiring Cable runs NM cable vs. conduit Junction boxes and wire nuts GFCIs and AFCIs EXTERIOR FINISH MATERIALS Roofing choices Siding choices History of failure Decks

QUESTIONS?

Please don't hesitate to contact us by email or by phone at 1-800-251-0010.