Latest Videos
Roof anchor straps and water damage
Roof anchor straps, also known as tie down straps, are used by roofing contractors to attach their safety harnesses to, and must be removed upon completion of their job. However, we find these straps frequently left behind during our home inspections. These fabric straps wick moisture into the roof assembly and attic area, causing water damage to various structural components.
Posted: December 1, 2024
Bathroom exhaust fan... done wrong
The exhaust fans in your bathroom are supposed to draw humid, stale air from the bathrooms and vent them out to atmosphere. Depending on the design of your home, these air ducts can travel through the attic.
In this short clip, we see a few problems. The attic space gets cold during the colder seasons. The fan motor assembly and air ducts need to be fully insulated, to prevent the humid air within from condensing along a cold inner wall of the ducting. The duct must also be fully sealed, and terminate completely outside the building envelope out to atmosphere.
Posted: February 29, 2024
How to tell the age of a roof
There are several ways to determine the age of a roof. One method is to look at the date code on the roof vents. While this is not a perfect method (since roof vents can be changed), it’s one clue to determine when the roof was installed
Posted: February 29, 2024
Crawlspace Inspection
Crawlspace can be unpleasant places to go into. You certainly won’t come down here for fun. But it’s because they’re unpleasant, that most homeowners avoid looking down here for problems. The crawlspace is a fundamental part of a homes foundation, any many of the jokes mechanical systems pass through here, so all the more reason we home inspectors poke around down here. Deterioration of these systems and components due to age, poor or substandard construction, or just improper repairs or modifications, are just some of the issues that needs to be addressed before purchasing a property. A healthy crawlspace is a healthy home!
Posted: February 29, 2024
Problems with Kitchen Exhaust Fans
Everyone loves the smell of fresh cooked food when they come home (well, sometimes…). What you don’t want are for odors, steam, oil vapors, and other organic aerosols lingering in your home and impacting indoor air quality, hence the reason for having a properly installed kitchen exhaust vent. Air ducts need to be completely sealed, ideally with heat resistant tape, to ensure these aerosols do not leak and settle within your home, causing mold and mildew to grow.
Posted: July 5, 2023
New Construction Inspection - Subpar Attic Insulation
We are in the attic again, this time on a brand new build before our client takes delivery of the home. While we see quality builds from developers every day, some are unable to keep tabs on all their subtrades.
Here we see the insulation installer skimp out on the amount of fiberglass batts installed in the attic. On a cold autumn or winter day, the single ply of insulation is simply not enough, and the gaps and spaces between the individual batts makes matters worse. The homeowner will definitely feel this in the energy bill! Here’s an analogy; imagine wearing a thin jacket on a winter’s day… now add some holes in said jacket…
Posted: June 15, 2023
Strata Rooftop Inspection
Building manager let me up onto the rooftop of a condo in sunny Vancouver, BC.
Let’s look at some problems we came across during our inspection.
Posted: December 1, 2022
Intro to Strata Rooftops
Building manager let me up onto the rooftop of a condo in sunny Vancouver, BC. Here’s a quick tour on a few of the parts and pieces that make up the roof.
Posted: December 1, 2022
Crawlspace Inspection
Crawlspaces are not often the most pleasant places to go through, but this one was more welcoming than most. Come check out a few issues we uncovered.
Posted: November 22, 2022
Fire Hazards
A couple of fire safety issues I’ve come across during last week’s inspections. Stay safe folks!
Posted: November 1, 2022
Home Inspections - Details matter!
While looking at big ticket, big picture items are an important part of home inspections, so too are minor details. Often times, small defects in fit and finish can lead to major damages and undue risks down the road. Check out these two examples we have come across this week!
Posted: September 30, 2022
We're On The Roof!
Posted: July 4, 2022
Electrical Inspections
Posted: June 27, 2022
Blown-In Attic Insulation
Posted: June 21, 2022
Health Impact of Furnace Filters
Posted: June 18, 2022
Water Damage from Washing Machine Hoses
Be sure to check out our other videos, and thanks for watching!
Posted: June 13, 2022
Hot Water Heaters
Inspecting the domestic hot water equipment is a standard part of our inspections. Next time you need a home inspected, PM directly or give us a call!
Be sure to check out our other videos, and thanks for watching!
Posted: June 9, 2022
Attic Inspections
Many mechanical components of a home either run through, or are installed, in the attic space.
Unfortunately, this is not the most pleasant area to venture into, so problems often go unnoticed for long periods of time.
We make attic inspections a standard part of our services. Next time you need a home inspected, email directly or give us a call!
Be sure to check out our other videos, and thanks for watching!
Posted: June 6, 2022
Water Damage in Bath & Shower Stalls
Bathtubs and shower stalls get exposed to water on a daily basis, so we often find water entering through damaged grout and caulking, past the tiles, and into the wall assembly and components, during our routine inspection of this area.
Unfortunately, this often goes unnoticed for a long time, and can cause water damage requiring expensive re-tiling.
Thanks for watching. Like, comment and check out our other videos!
Posted: May 27, 2022
