Author: Merle Parkins

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Door Gap Gauge Grainger Purchase Now

Purchase a Door Gap Gauge Grainger and support our Mission.

Door Gap Gauge Grainger - You can not get the best door gap gauge from Grainger.  They are only available online at All Things Inspector.   We now have product packages listed below providing deeper discounts to help you support our #1 Mission of Giving Back.  Here at All Things Inspector we live by 3 rules.

1. We GIVE BACK 1% of proceeds from any purchases made to charity.
2. We help you SAVE money with $1 shipping and we always pay the sales tax.
2. We have a Instant Access Until You PASS GAURANTEE.

Our mission is to keep our pricing simple by paying the sales tax and having free shipping,  all while still giving back 1%.

Instant Access Until You Pass Guarantee
for all Commercial Building Inspector Practice Exams / Test and Study Materials.

We GIVE BACK 1%
of proceeds from any purchases made to charity.

Door Gap Gauge Grainger

Below is our #1 best seller The Door Gap Gauge.

We have created packages of door gap gauges that have a built in 5% discount.  Get yours today!  We hope with your support that we will be in a position to make our 1st $100.00 contribution to the Crayon Initiative before the end of the year.

We have picked the Crayon Initiative as this years charity.

The Door Gap Gauge is a simple to use, highly efficient “must have” tool that every inspector, fire marshal, commercial property/maintenance manager and fire department needs in their toolbox.  The door gap gauge has gained popularity and can be found in use across the United States

Purchase a
Door Gap Gauge 1 Pack

Another side profile highlighting the steps of the door gap gauge.

Purchase a
Door Gap Gauge 2 Pack

Purchase a
Door Gap Gauge 3 Pack

Purchase a
Door Gap Gauge 4 Pack

Purchase a
Door Gap Gauge 5 Pack

If you need to learn more about the door gap gauge and see it in action we have a page dedicated to the door gap gauge including some informational videos showing you why it is the best door gauge you will need to inspect your fire rated doors.

Door Gap Gauge Grainger Map

A list of door gap gauge grainger locations.

We are happy to say we have even sold door gap gauges in Hawaii and Alaska.  Get yours today.

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The top ten best multitools for construction

The Top Ten Best Multitools for construction

As a multi-tool enthusiast and inventor, it is not easy picking the Top ten best multitools, largely because everyone’s need for one is different. Will you carry it every day? How will you carry it – in a pocket, on a keychain, in a toolbox, in your backpack or in a pouch? What do you need it for? On top of all that, you need to consider the tool’s durability, utility, and cost.

There may be no single multi-tool that’s perfect for everyone. This blog article is geared to the top 6 best multitools you might want if you are an inspector or in the construction industry.

We’ve compiled a list of the latest and best multi-tools currently available on the market that are up to any challenge you throw their way. We paid specific attention to versatility, durability, and overall reliability when making our selections.

Below is a list of our favorites.

#1 Leatherman New Wave
Multi-Use Tool

The Leatherman Wave + all sprawled out and looking ready to conquer any task.

 

The Leatherman Wave Plus has all the essential tools of the original with the addition of replaceable, durable wire cutters.

The tools on this model can be accessed in both the folded or closed positions just like you would use a pocket knife. Besides the cutting tools (knife, serrated knife, saw), this multitool also comes with replaceable needlenose and regular pliers, various screwdrivers, integrated wire tools (hard-wire cutters, stripper), and spring-action scissors. These are the most important but if you count them all, there are 18 tools in total, a complete arsenal for a wide variety of projects.

All 18 tools can be opened and locked with one hand to quickly, conveniently tackle any task. Many of these tools are outside-accessible, so you can use them when the multi-tool is folded and closed.

Key Features:
Made in the USA
18 Tools in one
Internal locking blades
Customizable bit drivers

Buy It On Amazon

 

#2 Gerber Center-Drive
Multi-Use Tool

The Gerber Center Drive Multi-use tool opened up and neatly displaying it's 16 different functions.

Gerber’s new multi-tool offers uncompromising performance through revolutionary design. The innovative center-axis driver opens to align like a real screwdriver, yielding maximum torque and rotation. No productivity is sacrificed with the addition of a 30% longer outboard blade and one-thumb opening sliding jaws. Thanks to a much longer blade, you can use this multitool like a full-size knife and cut more effectively compared to a standard multitool knife.  The ability to use your own bits is now available in case you want to switch from the magnetic ones on the multitool.

Full size, real tools – the multi-tool just got a reality check. –

Features:
Made in the USA
Limited lifetime warranty in North America
One-thumb opening pliers
3.25″ 420HC Fine edge blade

Buy It On Amazon

#3 Gerber Cable Dawg
Specialized Multi-Tool

The Gerber Cable Dawg does not make it on many top 10 blogs, but it makes it on ours because it is packed full of functionality for the inspection and construction industry.  Originally developed for US Military communications personnel, this invaluable tool is a specialized, industrial-grade multi-tool for work on fiber optic, IT, and cable systems. Loaded with industry-specific features, the Cable Dawg will save you multiple trips to the toolbox.

Features:
Made in the USA
Wire/Cable Cutter
CAT5 Jacket Cutter
RJ45 Crimper Head
Wire Strippers
Buy It On Amazon

#4 BAALAND Folding Shovel
Multi-use Tool

 

 

  • MULTI-FUNCTION: It could be used as Shovel, Axe, Hoe, Hammer, Screwdriver, Rescue Knife, Fire Stick, Bottle Opener, Bow, Ice-axe, Hexagon Spanner and Nail Puller.
  • WIDE APPLICATIONS: Self-defense, Fishing, Outdoor sports, Anti Lothario, Camping Adventure, Emergency tools.
  • EMERGENCY TOOL: The folding shovel can be used to dig tires out of dirt or snow if a car becomes stuck in dirt or snow. It includes a pick tool that can help crack ice or remove rocks.
  • PORTABLE: Only 2lbs weight, and it is made to be compact in size when folded.
  • ERGONOMIC DESIGN: Comfortable Aluminum Alloy Handle, Knurl design, Thickened Cutting Edge.

Buy It On Amazon

 

#5 BAALAND Military Folding Shovel
Multi-Use Tool

  • MILITARY SHOVEL- This is the shovel you are looking for, a multifunctional outdoor and bushcraft tool shovel. Made from ultra-durable, water and rust resistant heavy duty carbon steel, this multi-tool was built to last as long as you do. Designed to satisfy even the most demanding needs, this multipurpose kit is simply a must for all, even as a garden shovel
  • ALL IN ONE MULTIFUNCTION- It could be used as Rescue Knife, Hoe, Shovel, Ice-axe, Hammer, Bottle Opener, Bow, Nail Puller, Hexagon Spanner, Fire Stick, Saw etc. It is designed for Exploring, Camping, Traveling, Hiking, Garden Use, Driving Emergent Tools For daily outdoor use, this entrenching shovel can also be used as a garden shovel, snow shovel, and trench shovel.
  • EMERGENT & SURVIVAL TOOL- Equipped with red and white flashlight diffusers, can be used for general lighting or SOS emergency signal. It also can be used as a power bank. The Lifesaving Rope can be used in lifesaving, climbing, hiking, outdoor expansion, fire rescue, aerial work, cave exploring, downhill. A whistle to broadcast your position when lost in the wilderness. Hemostatic Hose to stop bleeding in an emergency. Glass Breaker, an escape tool from your car.

Buy It On Amazon

 

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Firestopping Compression Calculator

Firestopping Compression Calculator

Joint Firestopping insulation material compression calculations per the XHBN UL Guide Specification for Joint Systems.

Have you ever read a UL listing and it requires a 50% or even a 33% compression ratio?  What does it mean and how do you calculate it?  You can use the firestopping compression calculator below to figure out how much-uncompressed insulation material you will need?

If you have a joint that is 10-inches wide for an edge of slab stuff and spray and the listing indicates a 50% compression. It seems like a simple math calculation right.  You would think that 50% of 10-inches is 5-inches, so you would add 10-inches plus 5-inches to have an uncompressed thickness of 15-inches.  Thus, when the 15-inches of material is compressed you would fill the 10-inch edge of slab with the compressed insulation material having a 50% compression.

If we dig a little deeper to make sure that we are doing the math correctly you will want to reference XHBN UL Guide Specification for Joint Systems and follow the formula that they provide to calculate the required uncompressed thickness of insulation material that needs to be used in your system. Not an advertised feature of the door gap gauge but you could use it to measure the joint width required for your fire stopping requirements.

A common issue associated with mineral wool usage in firestop systems, and often observed during field verifications, is that the compression of the wool specified in the listed system’s installation instructions is sometimes not achieved. The compression ratio might be calculated incorrectly by the installer, or sometimes even ignored. For instance, a 1-1/2” joint that requires mineral wool as a backing material installed with 33% compression would require 2-1/4” of mineral wool compressed into the 1-1/2” gap. (100% – 33% = 67%. 1.5” /.67 = 2.24” mineral wool).

This calculation is not an easy one for everyone to do, so we created the firestopping compression calculator. You input a couple of simple numbers and the calculator will spit out how much un-compressed mineral wool you will need.

Before the firestopping compression calculator, it was not uncommon to see installers simply compress the wool somewhat, giving it a slight friction fit into the joint, and assume it is “close enough”. Becuase the insufficiently compressed mineral wool provides less resistance to heat conduction, thus leading to the same undesirable result as having a mineral wool with too low of a density. If you are an inspector, superintendent or foreman you can take a few minutes with the installer to educate them on what is required, show them the calculator and have them save it on their smartphones home screen now and have confidence that the calculations are being done correctly.  We hope to be able to create more free tools as our membership base grows.  Please support our efforts by becoming a member.

The formula that the firestopping compression calculator uses for calculating the required thickness of insulation required for firestop joint systems.

 

 

 

 

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TOP Building Code Forum and Discussion Groups

Building Code Forum – All Things Inspector

Building Code Forums

A picture of ATI building code forum.

If you are in an industry and deal with building code such as an inspector, engineer, architect, project manager or superintendent and you have a building code questions. You should swing by our moderated forum and see if someone has already posted your building code question. If you don’t find the answer to your building code question take a few minutes to post it and see what the All Things Inspector community has to say. Chances are someone in the industry has already run into the building code question that you are trying to figure out the answer to. The Building Code Discussion forum was created to be a central location to share information and ask questions.

Building Code Forums and Discussion Group

www.bcdg.hoop.la

A picture of the building code discussion groups website.

 

Building Code Discussion Group is one of the largest professional building code forums on the World Wide Web. A platform for building, fire, MPE, accessibility/ADA code discussions and technical opinions. This Building Code Discussion Group has enough forums to cover all the necessary building code topics and disciplines. The Building Code Discussion Group is sponsored by Interwest Consulting Group.

Building Code Forum | Engineering Forums

www.eng-tips.com

A picture of the building Code discussion group - Engineering Forums

Eng-Tips engineering forums website’s content is primarily composed of engineering forums and is an intelligent work forum community for engineering professionals of all disciplines.

Building Code Forum

www.thebuildingcodeforum.com

The Building Code Forum

The Building Code Forum is a robust forum message board for building code talk, sharing information related to the building industry to include all construction codes.  The Building Code Forum is a robust forum with over 14,000 discussions, over 160,000 messages, and over 5,000 members.  If you have a building code related questions and are seeking answers spend a few minutes and search for it here and if you don’t find what you are looking for register and post a question and most likely someone will help you to come up with an answer.

Building Code Forum | Mike Holt Enterprises for electrical training and building code discussion group

www.mikeholt.com

Mike Holt Enterprises for over 25 years has been the leader in Electrical Continuing Education.  They are your One-Stop electrical training resource. Mike Holt Enterprises was created by a Master Electrician for Electricians, Inspectors, Contractors, Electrical Instructors, Building Code Officials and Engineers.

Visit www.mikeholt.com to find, tips for passing an electrical exam,  answers to technical questions or even post a question in their electrical forum.   Mike Holt’s electrical forum has over a million posts where you can search to find answers to your questions or post your own question to get technical advise.  Their website is a great resource if you are looking for electrical code resources as they have a robust online store where you can find almost any electrical training material that you may need to purchase.

Mike Holt worked his way up through the electrical trade from apprentice to master electrician and electrical contractor. In 1973, he began teaching electrical classes, and by 1980 he had stopped contracting and was focused solely on training. Now, Holt is nationally recognized as an expert on the NEC and is one of the most knowledgeable electrical instructors in the US. His series of books and videos are used across the country by numerous training centers, electricians, and engineers. His books include Understanding the National Electrical Code, Grounding vs. Bonding. After dropping out of high school, Holt later received his MBA from the University of Miami.

Mike’s also an eight-time National Barefoot Water-ski Champion,  has set many national records and competed in four World Championships. Mike and his wife Linda reside in Central Florida and are the parents of seven children.

Mike’s personal educational journey impacts the way he designs training. As a young man he was unable to complete his high school diploma due to life circumstances, but realizing that success depends on one’s education, he immediately attained his GED. Then, ten years later, he attended the University of Miami’s Graduate School for a Master’s in Business Administration. Because of this experience, he understands the needs of his students, and strongly encourages and motivates them to continue their own education. He has never lost sight of how hard it can be for students who are intimidated by the Code, by a school, or by their own feelings about learning. His story has impacted the way he designs his materials and continues to guide him to this day.

Please visit  Mike Holt Enterprises at www.mikeholt.com or visit his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/MikeHoltNEC which has over 27,000 subscribers.

 

 

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Tree Cutting Fail Video | Safety should be a priority.

Tree Cutting Fail Video | Safety should always be a priority even when not at work.

Tree Cutting Fail Video | With safety in mind and a dead tree at hand, we hired some tree cutting experts at our family cabin.  How expert where they we don’t know? As you can see by watching the video, we are lucky we did.  You will see a smashed garage and a gentleman who probably needs to change his pants.  Watch very close, and you will see him pop out from underneath the tree.  I don’t think I will be the only one who thinks he escaped death by the hair of his chinny chin chin.  Watch the video to the end.  You will hear my friend ask how often they cut trees down like this.

Tree care work, in general, is hazardous, but tree removal is especially dangerous. Successfully felling a tree requires knowledge of tree physics, biology, dangerous tools, advanced cutting techniques, and more. Homeowners who attempt their tree removal may be injured by falling limbs, malfunctioning equipment, or the tree itself. Watch the video to see how dangerous it is.

Please click below to watch the Tree Cutting Fail Video.

  • Do not trim trees in dangerous weather conditions.
  • Perform a hazard assessment of the work area before starting work.
  • Eliminate or minimize exposure to hazards at the tree and in the surrounding area.
  • Operators of chainsaws and other equipment should be trained and the equipment properly maintained.
  • Use personal protective equipment such as gloves, safety glasses, hard hats, hearing protection, etc., recommended in the equipment manufacturer’s operating manual.
  • Determine the tree’s felling direction. Address forward lean, back lean, and/or side lean issues.
  • Determine the proper amount of hinge wood to safely guide the tree’s fall. Provide a retreat path to a safe location.
  • Inspect tree limbs for strength and stability before climbing. Tree trimmers working aloft must use appropriate fall protection.
  • Do not climb with tools in your hands.
  • If broken trees are under pressure, determine the direction of the pressure and make small cuts to release it.
  • Use extreme care when felling a tree that has not fallen completely to the ground and is lodged against another tree.
  • Never turn your back on a falling tree.
  • Be alert and avoid objects thrown back by a tree as it falls.

For more tree cutting and trimming safety visit OSHA

For more safety-related items you can learn more about the best fire door gap gauge used to check fire rated door clearance requirements.

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Welding Basics

What are Welding Procedures Specifications?

A Welding Procedure Specification or (WPS) is a document that provides the guidelines to perform a particular weld.  It is a key document used to inform welders of the accepted procedures to ensure a welded joint will achieve the specified levels of weld quality and mechanical properties repeatably when using proven welding techniques as outlined in the welding procedure specification.

 

What are Standard Welding Procedure Specifications?

 

I need a welding procedure Specification or (WPS).  Who Can  Write a Welding Procedure Specification for me?  A welding engineer or any knowledgeable and competent person in the welding metallurgy with appropriate experience can write a WPS.