At the side of your natural gas meter (if you have one) is a thing that looks like a flying saucer turned on its side. This is the gas pressure regulator. In the event that downstream pressure exceeds a preset level, the regulator maintains constant pressure to your home by […]
Your property, Your investment
27 posts
Rim joists, which are the areas above the foundation wall of your home, are major sources of energy loss. You can seal and insulate yours in just a couple of hours. Doing this will help lower your energy costs and save you money, as it will stop air infiltration to […]
Why we recommend thermal imaging Thermal imaging allows us to identify possible concerns that a standard visual inspection cannot. This can at least alert you to the possibility that there is a reason to perform further, more invasive inspection than a normal home inspection is allowed to do. The […]
Advantages of Flat and low-slope roofing Thermal advantages – They can help keep the interior warmer by absorbing sunlight at a higher rate than slated roofs. Accessibility – They are also more accessible, allowing for easier inspection processes. Economical – Flat roofing, for smaller areas, is generally considered to be […]
November is here. Many people do not realise that November is radon awareness month. Some people have not even heard of radon. Bookmark this page as I will be offering lots of information and advice concerning this subject that will allow you to make an informed decision on what sort […]
Another day, another inspection. This one was a PDI for clients. This house was an energy star “compliant” home. Saving energy from waste water – well partly. Retention of energy was the name of the game. After all, it had a Drain Water Heat Recovery Unit (DWHRU) fitted to […]
I am frequently asked “Why should I hire a Home Inspector to inspect a home when I could just as easily hire a General Contractor?” Well, in Ontario at the time this piece is being written, there is no requirement for Home Inspectors to be regulated in law, so you […]
Required Egress (or How to get out in an emergency) While a Home Inspection is not a code inspection and older homes are built to codes that are maybe not as strict as more modern ones, a Home Inspection, performed by a Professional Home Inspector should be able to alert […]
What is the concern? Recent fires in residential properties have brought to light a possible concern with Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing, otherwise known as CSST. The concern is that lightning, striking on or near a property can cause an electrical arc to puncture the CSST tube and subsequently ignite the […]
I frequently see poured concrete cracks appearing in the foundation walls of homes I am inspecting. The majority of these are typical shrinkage cracks or in older properties small settlement cracks and not considered structural. That said, they ought to be repaired to prevent water intrusion or further deterioration. I am […]
One of the biggest causes for deterioration of property components, and the hardest on a sale of property, is water. In Ontario, as across much of Canada and the U.S. we have just undergone a protracted period of snowfall and icing. As the snow and ice accumulated over the past […]
During a home inspection, I will see situations that I will call out as “not safe” or a life-safety issue. More often than not, these un-safe issues surround the electrical installations. The most common of these issues are caused by inexperienced people working on the electrical systems. Generally DIYer’s who […]
Every once in a while I come across an air-conditioning system that does not seem to be working properly. No matter how low the thermostat is set, there doesn’t seem to be any cold air coming out of the registers. Lack of air from the registers can mean a number […]
Mould (or Mold spelled the U.S. way) is the common word for any Fungus that grows on food or damp building materials. It often looks like a stain and comes in a variety of colours. In some cases, however, mould may not be visible but may have a musty odour. […]
What is the concern? Apart from incorrect installation, where pipes have been bent beyond their allowed installation radius, or they have been scratched, or subjected to chemical solvents the piping itself is adequate for normal residential and commercial installations. The piping itself, unless made with a Ultra-Violet barrier such as […]
If you are the owner of a newer property built between 1995 to 2007 you may know that your house is plumbed, not with copper tubing, but with a plastic piping known collectively as PEX. What you may not be aware of, is that for those years a problem existed […]
Another Class action lawsuit regarding brass fittings on Pex plumbing has arisen, this time it’s against Zurn Pex Inc., and Zurn Industries. Same problem as with the Kitec fittings where the brass fittings suffer from a problem called dezincification. This is where the Zinc leaches out of the brass in […]
Humidity in your home
What is Humidity?
Humidity is a term used for the amount of moisture or water vapour in the air.
Why does concrete crack?
Concrete shrinks as it dries and cures. On average, a concrete slab shrinks 1/16th inch for every ten linear feet. This may not seem much, but what this shrinkage does is produce significant internal stress within the slab.
So you have decided to sell your own house?
Whether
this is because you feel you can do a better job than the Realtors in your
area, or you don’t want to pay the 5% (or more in some cases) for the process,
you have taken on a big task.
On top of
the cleaning of the property, de-cluttering and staging, you are having to show
people around and listen to their opinions in a disspassionate state.
Facts
- 84% of all home purchases in North America involve a home inspection.
- Of the 16% that don’t the majority of these are where the home is new, direct from the builder, or less than 5 years old.
WHAT IS UFFI? (Pronounced You-Fee)
The full name of UFFI is “Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation” and it was developed in Europe in the 1950s as an improved means of insulating difficult-to-reach cavities in house walls.
What is Knob & Tube Wiring?
Knob and Tube wiring can still be found in many older Century homes right up to those built just before the Second World war. Even today, across North america there are some installations (mainly industrial) that use Knob & Tube wiring.
Before you put your home on the market, you need to realise that there is an 80% chance that your house is going to undergo a home inspection as part of the deal.
While any serious fault will not escape the notice of a good home inspector, in order to not have a home inspection report with a long list of issues, there are simple and inexpensive ways to minimize the list of items that might come up on the report, and therefore deter a prospective purchaser from buying the home.
- The value of installed wallboard in residential construction in North America in 2008 exceeded $35 billion.
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