Barrie Home Inspector

Home Maintenance and Tips for Home Owners

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Infrared Cameras and Home Inspections

Home Inspection

Infrared Cameras and Home Inspections.  Thermal imaging is the use of light rays that are invisible to the naked eye. There is an infinite range of light that is invisible to the naked eye. The wave lengths of light that are invisible to the naked eye are actually quite small. All light is identified by its wave length, frequency and energy.

Humans can only see light in the 400 to 750 nanometer range. Some animals can see light in the infrared spectrum and you can buy infrared film for you regular camera. An example of low-energy light rays is radio waves which are typically described by their frequency.

A prism placed into a ray of sunshine in a dark room reflects the colours of the rainbow using a property known as dispersion. This is the method Sir William Herschel utilized in the 1800’s in conjunction with thermometers to discern the presence of invisible light rays. He called his discovery the thermometric spectrum later to be known as infrared.

Using a infrared camera is a quick and easy method of determining the presence of air leaks in the exterior walls and ceilings of homes, also known as the building envelope. Although un-able to measure scope of leak it identifies where leaks are present. Infrared cameras are also an excellent means of finding moisture in walls and ceilings and are a valuable tool for professional home inspectors.

The benefits of employing infrared thermography in buildings are; Air leakage pathways present within a completed construction can be identified and rectified prior to subjecting the building to air permeability tests, reducing the risk of repeat testing being required; Depending upon the nature of the construction, even a building that meets or exceeds the building regulations may still be at risk of premature deterioration due to air leakage and subsequent condensation, therefore identifying where air leakage is occurring can be critical; Air leakage pathways can often indicate rainwater ingress pathways further adding to the potential benefits of an infrared survey; and Thermography is commonly used to identify air change rates with the help of the so-called ‘blower-door’ process, which creates under-pressure in buildings. Because the air pressure outside is higher than the pressure inside, the air will try to enter through unsealed areas. Using an infrared camera, this airflow can easily be seen, clearly revealing any unsealed areas, which can then be attended to before coverings and fittings make correcting this potential fault both expensive and time-consuming.

The Barrie Home Inspector was the first company to use Thermal Imaging technology in Simcoe County and now offers the service Free on request for any home inspection package. As a Certified Building Code Official with the Ontario Building Officials Association and with the experience of over 4,000 home inspections your Peace of Mind is 100% Guaranteed.

Want to find out more about Simcoe County Home Inspector, then visit Barrie Home Inspector’s site on how to choose the best Best Qualified Home Inspector for your real estate needs.

Barrie Home Inspector and Thermal Imaging

Home Inspection

Barrie Home Inspector and Thermal Imaging. Combine Infrared Scanning & Home Inspection for your next Barrie Home Inspection.  Free Thermal Imaging scans of your Exterior walls and Main electrical panel included with your home inspection package.

Heat Loss at brickThermal imaging cameras detect radiation in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (roughly 9,000-14,000 nanometers or 9-14 m) and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms. Since infrared radiation is emitted by all objects above absolute zero according to the black body radiation law, thermography makes it possible to see one’s environment with or without visible illumination.

The discovery of infrared started with a prism being placed into a ray of sunshine in a dark room which then reflected the colours of the rainbow using a property known as dispersion. This is the method Sir William Herschel utilized in the 1800′s in conjunction with thermometers to discern the presence of invisible light rays. He called his discovery the thermometric spectrum later to be known as infrared.

Thermal Imaging can be used for detection of potential equipment failure by measuring abnormal temperature signatures of electrical distribution system components. By evaluating the operating condition of these components, potential failure can be located and problem severity determined as part of a structured ongoing maintenance program.

Missing Insulation in Corner

When using a thermal imaging camera a special lens focuses the infrared light emitted by all of the objects in view. The focused light is scanned by a phased array of infrared-detector elements. The detector elements create a very detailed temperature pattern called a thermogram. It only takes about one-thirtieth of a second for the detector array to obtain the temperature information to make the thermogram. This information is obtained from several thousand points in the field of view of the detector array.

Light is often said to have a colour temperature. What this means is that the colour of the light is the colour of light radiated by a so-called black body which is at that temperature. Colour temperature is measured in Kelvins and the higher the colour temperature the bluer the light. Zero Kelvin is Absolute Zero and the freezing point of water is 273 Kelvins: a Kelvin degree is the same as a Celsius or Centigrade degree. In practice the actual temperature is not the same as the colour temperature.

Thermal Imaging has evolved into one of the most valuable diagnostic tools used for Predictive Maintenance (PM). Also known as Thermography, Thermal Imaging is the production of non-contact infrared, or “heat” pictures from which temperature measurements can be made. By detecting anomalies often invisible to the naked eye, thermography allows corrective action before costly system failures occur. Portable infrared (IR) imaging systems scan electrical systems, then constantly convert the thermal images to visible pictures for quantitive temperature analysis.

The Barrie Home Inspector was the first company in Simcoe County to offer Thermal Imaging as part of a Home Inspection.  Our training, experience and knowledge make us the Premier Home Inspection company for residential or commercial property investment.

Home inspection by Barrie Home Inspector

Home Inspection

Home inspection by Barrie Home Inspector. A home inspection is a limited, non-invasive examination of the condition of a home, often in connection with the sale of that home. The inspector prepares and delivers to the client a written report of findings. The client then uses the knowledge and information contained in his home inspection report, to make informed decisions about the home they are purchasing. The home inspector describes the condition of the home at the time of inspection but does not guarantee future condition, efficiency, or life expectancy of systems or components.

A home inspection consists of a visual inspection of your homes major components and fixtures.  The home inspector will operate fixtures and make a note of any deficiencies.  This will all be included in a report detailing all problems found.

Your home inspection report, prepared by the Barrie Home Inspector will include a review of your heating system, electrical system, air conditioner, interior plumbing, roof, attic visible insulation, basement, foundation and any visible structure.  The inspection will also include Free Thermal Imaging scan of home.

When scheduling the home inspection it is recommended you attend the whole home inspection when possible.  This is a good opportunity to learn where all the shut offs are for furnace, hot water tank, main water shut off, electrical shut, fireplace shut off, and the main water shut  off for the home.  You can take this opportunity to ask questions and you will be shown any deficiencies at the time the inspector finds them, giving you a great opportunity to learn fully about the cause and effect of the deficiency.

A picture is worth a thousand words.  This is why we go over your report in a slide show at the end of the inspection.  We also put your report online in a fully descriptive format which gives you a picture of every defect and a brief description of problem and a recommendation on how to fix or deal with the deficiency.

Barrie Home Inspections offers a 100% Money Back Guarantee on every residential and commercial building inspection.  They also offer Free Thermal Imaging scans with every inspection.  As a Certified Building Code Official and a former Registered Builder with Hudac his experience far exceeds that of the competition.  With over 4,000 building inspections the Barrie Home inspector should be your first choice when wanting to protect your investment.

Buying Older or Century Homes

Home Inspection

Buying Older or Century Homes.  When buying an older home you are usually buying a home with built in character which has withstood the test of time and is still in habitable condition.  There are some inherent problems that you might encounter when purchasing an older home.  I have listed a few basic ones just for consideration.

Rock and Cement FoundationYour older homes foundation is probably constructed of cement and stone.  There would have been no waterproofing done to the exterior of the foundation and there will be no weeping tile draining into sump.  This inspection area is one of the most important and expensive to repair if faulty.

Knob and tube wiring was usually installed in all older homes and there is usually still porcelain insulators present even if it was all removed.  You have to have a home inspector or electrician check to ensure all the knob and tube wiring was replaced.  The knob and tube was usually replaced with older two wire which has no ground and unless a total rehab was done on building you will still find two wire at outlets on upper floors and other hard to access areas.

Asbestos and vermiculite can be found in many older homes.  Some older homes had hot water boilers with cast iron radiators.  This systems were typically insulated with asbestos insulation.  Vermiculite insulation may contain asbestos and was frequently added to attics in older homes.  Asbestos requires professional removal which is very expensive.

Lead plumbing pipes and galvanized plumbing lines can be very expensive to replace and were used on most older homes.  Most insurance companies in Ontario will not insure a home with galvanized plumbing pipes.  Galvanized pipes tend to corrode from the inside out so that there is no warning that a pipe is about to burst.

Older homes may have many layers of lead paint which has built up over the years.  Lead-based paint is a major source of lead poisoning for children and can also affect adults. In children, lead poisoning can cause irreversible brain damage and can impair mental functioning. It can retard mental and physical development and reduce attention span. It can also retard fetal development even at extremely low levels of lead.  Thus, young children, fetuses, infants, and adults with high blood pressure are the most vulnerable to the effects of lead.

Cast Iron RadiatorsYour house is old and gorgeous, as are those wonderfully ornate cast-iron radiators, but these days, energy prices are anything but old-fashioned. Older homes have radiators sized for a time when open-window ventilation was popular and insulation was uncommon. If you’ve insulated and updated your windows, your radiators are most likely larger than they need to be.  You should have your home assessed by a heating expert to evaluate the expense and available options if required to upgrade your heating system.  Many people are using GEOthermal heat pump systems when they are in the country and have no real alternative fuel source.  Oil and propane are available for people who have no access to natural gas but can be very expensive,  especially in older homes that may be lacking in  insulation and thermal protection.

Many older homes with boilers also had asbestos insulation on both the boiler and the piping.  Even boilers which may have fiberglass insulation on pipes may still have asbestos on elbow joints.  Ensure your potential home is asbestos free prior to purchasing.  Depending on the amount of asbestos in the home the cost of removal can be disastrous to your renovation budget.

 

The Barrie Home Inspector has many years of experience in inspecting Century Homes and is also a Certified Building Code Official with the Ontario Building Officials Association.  Commercial Building inspections also entail the same problems as residential and buyers have to be aware of the risks and hazards involved in purchasing older properties.  Visit the Barrie Home Inspector’s site a www.barriehomeinspector.com to obtain more information and advice when dealing with older homes.

Concrete – Supporting Your Home

Basements, Exterior

Concrete – Supporting Your Home. The word concrete comes from the Latin word “concretus” (meaning compact or condensed), the perfect passive participle of “concrescere”, from “con-” (together) and “crescere” (to grow).  Most information available about concrete is written for contractors, for those who design concrete mixes, and for those who perform invasive testing.

In evaluating concrete problems, one of the important decisions home inspectors must make is determining whether a problem is the result of conditions that have stabilized with a low chance of continuing future problems, or whether the conditions that caused the problem are such that there is a high probability that problems will continue or worsen.

Different factors can affect concrete and the problems that inspectors will see.  How concrete hardens, strengthens and the qualities of its surface depend on a number of things, including the properties of its constituent materials.  Although Portland cement is the most commonly used binder, pozzolans may be substituted. Pozzolans are materials that, in addition to undergoing primary hydration, undergo a secondary hydration, producing a gel that fills tiny voids between cement particles, making concrete less porous and less likely to absorb moisture or chemical solutions that can damage concrete or steel reinforcement.

The constituent materials which are included in the mix, their proportions, the order in which they are combined, the length of time and method by which they are mixed, and the length of time between mixing to placing all affect the quality of concrete. With each decision and operation, there is a chance that mistakes will be made. The environmental conditions that exist during placing, finishing and curing concrete will have an effect on how it develops. The ground and air temperatures, wind speed, cloud cover, and the absorbent qualities of the substrate will affect newly placed concrete.

When initially mixed together, Portland cement and water rapidly form a gel, formed of tangled chains of interlocking crystals. These continue to react over time, with the initially fluid gel often aiding in placement by improving workability. As the concrete sets, the chains of crystals join and form a rigid structure, gluing the aggregate particles in place. During curing, more of the cement reacts with the residual water (hydration).  This curing process develops physical and chemical properties. Among these qualities are mechanical strength, low moisture permeability and chemical and volumetric stability.

Cracks that appear before the concrete has hardened are called plastic cracks.  Plastic cracks are typically due to poor mix design, placement practices or curing methods, and may also be caused by settlement, construction movement, and excessively high rates of evaporation. Cracks that appear after concrete has hardened can have a variety of causes, and sometimes have more than one cause.

Plastic shrinkage is shrinkage caused by the loss of water to the atmosphere. Autogenous shrinkage is shrinkage that takes place with no loss of water to the atmosphere.  Autogenous shrinkage is caused by internal drying, with water being absorbed by the constituent materials in the concrete.  As the long-term chemical hydration process continues – and it can continue for many years — water in the pores within the cement paste is absorbed, and the pores are filled, to some degree, by materials produced during hydration. This process leads to decreased permeability and increased strength and durability of the cement paste. Absorption of water from the pores also causes shrinkage.

When purchasing a new property it is important to have the building inspected by a qualified residential or commercial inspector.  Trust the Barrie Home Inspector for your Residential or Commercial Inspections.  Visit www.guaranteedresidentialinspections.com for more information. As a Certified Building Code Official with over 4,000 inspections your investment will be in good hands.  Experience and knowledge can help protect your investment.

Buying Older Home – Typical Problems

Basements, Exterior

Buying Older Home – Typical Problems.  When buying an older home you are usually buying a home with built in character which has withstood the test of time and is still in habitable condition.  There are some inherent problems that you might encounter when purchasing an older home.  I have listed a few basic ones just for consideration.

Your older homes foundation is probably constructed of cement and stone.  There would have been no waterproofing done to the exterior of the foundation and there will be no weeping tile draining into sump.  This inspection area is one of the most important and expensive to repair if faulty.

Knob and tube wiring was usually installed in all older homes and there is usually still porcelain insulators present even if it was all removed.  You have to have a home inspector or electrician check to ensure all the knob and tube wiring was replaced.  The knob and tube was usually replaced with older two wire which has no ground and unless a total rehab was done on building you will still find two wire at outlets on upper floors and other hard to access areas.

Asbestos and vermiculite can be found in many older homes.  Some older homes had hot water boilers with cast iron radiators.  This systems were typically insulated with asbestos insulation.  Vermiculite insulation may contain asbestos and was frequently added to attics in older homes.  Asbestos requires professional removal which is very expensive.

Lead plumbing pipes and galvanized plumbing lines can be very expensive to replace and were used on most older homes.  Most insurance companies in Ontario will not insure a home with galvanized plumbing pipes.  Galvanized pipes tend to corrode from the inside out so that there is no warning that a pipe is about to burst.

Older homes may have many layers of lead paint which has built up over the years.  Lead-based paint is a major source of lead poisoning for children and can also affect adults. In children, lead poisoning can cause irreversible brain damage and can impair mental functioning. It can retard mental and physical development and reduce attention span. It can also retard fetal development even at extremely low levels of lead.  Thus, young children, fetuses, infants, and adults with high blood pressure are the most vulnerable to the effects of lead.

Your house is old and gorgeous, as are those wonderfully ornate cast-iron radiators, but these days, energy prices are anything but old-fashioned. Older homes have radiators sized for a time when open-window ventilation was popular and insulation was uncommon. If you’ve insulated and updated your windows, your radiators are most likely larger than they need to be.  You should have your home assessed by a heating expert to evaluate the expense and available options if required to upgrade your heating system.

The Barrie Home Inspector has many years of experience in inspecting Century Homes and is also a Certified Building Code Official with the Ontario Building Officials Association.  Commercial Building inspections also entail the same problems as residential and buyers have to be aware of the risks and hazards involved in purchasing older properties.  Visit the Barrie Home Inspector’s site at www.barriehomeinspector.com to obtain more information and advice when dealing with older homes.

Communication in the 20th Century

Personal Interest, Real Estate

Communication in the 20th Century.  Communication begins for all of us when we are too young to speak but convey our messages by facial expressions.  This method is known as pre-verbal communication.

Language it the vehicle which allows people to communicated their thoughts and ideas to other people and through print to save those ideas and not only share them with their contemporaries but to pass them down to the generations to come.

In the early 1800’s the electric telegraph made long distance communication possible.  In the 1870’s the telephone was also developed making communication in local areas possible which then spread to connect larger area and eventually the world.

Fewer than five years after its introduction, over 47,000 telephones were being used in the United States. The growth of these communications media accelerated the pace of social interaction, migration, commerce, and government activities.

In the 20th century the radio was invented and this allow an increased mobility for communications, such as ship to ship and police department broadcasts.  When the vacuum tube was invented radio then became capable of international communications.

Use of electronic surveillance for legitimate purposes such as intelligence and law enforcement investigation, as well as for illegitimate purposes, spurred enactment of a number of laws intended to comprehensively address such activities. Congress enacted the first federal wiretap statute as a temporary measure to prevent disclosure of domestic telephone or telegraph communications during the First World War.

Satellite communication became a reality in 1962 with the launch of the first communications satellite into space.  It was the first satellite to receive, amplify, and simultaneously re-transmit signals from earth. The development of satellite communications allowed greater volumes of communications worldwide.

The Internet is a globally distributed network comprising many voluntarily interconnected autonomous networks. It operates without a central governing body. However, to maintain interoperability, all technical and policy aspects of the underlying core infrastructure and the principal name spaces are administered by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), headquartered in Marina del Rey, California. ICANN is the authority that coordinates the assignment of unique identifiers for use on the Internet, including domain names, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, application port numbers in the transport protocols, and many other parameters

Masonry Block – Building Tips

Basements, Exterior

Masonry Block – Building Tips. Every block wall-regardless of height or length-should be placed on a secure footing of poured concrete. A block barbecue grill or outdoor fireplace requires a large concrete pad as a footing. The footing must extend down beyond the frost line to prevent heaving in the winter.

For a footing poured in an area where drainage is a problem, lay a drain line along the outer edge of the form. Allow for a drop of about 1″ for each 20′ of drain line. Backfill over the drain line with about 12″ of crushed stone or gravel. In Ontario this is mandatory and must be installed for any building of 100 square feet in size.

Building exact corners is the most important construction of a masonry wall as corners will guide the building of the rest of the wall. A corner pole will make the job easier. A corner pole is any type of post which can be braced into a true vertical position and which will hold a taut mason’s line without bending. Two such poles are set up, one on each corner, with the mason’s line stretched between them. Corner poles for block walls should be marked every 4 to 8 inches, depending on how high the material is with which you are building the wall. Such marks must be absolutely level when the mason’s line is stretched between them.

Set the corner block first. Be sure you are using the correct block. Check the starting corner block, both horizontally and vertically, and take time to get it positioned correctly. All other blocks will align with this starter block, so it’s very important to set it exactly. Follow this same procedure as you reach the other corners, laying the first course out about two or three blocks in each direction. Tie a line between two bricks and stretch it between the two corner blocks on the first course.

Corners and lead blocks are generally built 4-6 rows high, with each course being stepped back one block from the course below, creating a pyramid effect. The wall alignment, plumb and level should be checked on these corners before completing the wall. If everything checks out fine, it is now time to fill in each course between the corners.

Because they can be adjusted in size slightly, mortar joints provide some layout flexibility. While the ideal mortar joint is 3⁄8 inch wide, masons routinely shrink joints to as small as 1⁄4 inch or stretch them to as large as1⁄2 inch. Joints that fall out- side this range are unsightly and, with a few small exceptions, prohibited by most building codes.

The Barrie Home Inspector uses his training to ensure every building inspected meets or exceeds the required building code practices. As a Certified Building Code Official he is one of the few Barrie Home Inspector’s with Ontario Building Code training in both Part 9 and Part 3 of the Building Code.

Hardwood Flooring Tips

Real Estate

Hardwood Flooring Tips. Installing a hardwood floor is a great way to enhance a room and increase the value of your home. Wood flooring is also one of the easiest types of floors to install, and you can install it with tools you’re familiar with: drills, saws, and hammers.

Many different species of wood are fabricated into wood flooring in two primary forms: plank and parquet. Hardwoods are typically much more durable than softwoods.

Solid wood products, on average, have a substantially, or slightly, thicker ‘sandable surface’, and can be installed using nails. Lastly, solid wood tends to be less expensive than engineered wood, but this, as with the thickness of the ‘sandable surface,’ depends on the quality of the engineered wood (most inexpensive engineered wood products are ‘veneer’ wood floors, and not ‘engineered’).

It is difficult to compare in generalities solid wood floor to engineered wood floors, as there is a wide range of engineered wood floor qualities. Engineered floors typically are pre-finished more often than solid wood floors, and usually are supplied with beveled edges, affecting the appearance.

Engineered wood flooring has several benefits over solid wood, beyond dimensional stability and universal use. Patented installation systems (such as “unilin” or “fiboloc”) allow for faster installation and easy replacement of boards. Engineered wood also allows a
‘floating’ installation (where the planks are not fastened to the floor below or to each other), further increasing ease of repair and reducing installation time.

Cork Flooring is a flooring material manufactured from the by-product of the cork oak tree. Cork floors are considered to be eco-friendly since the cork oak tree bark is stripped every nine to ten years and doesn’t damage the tree. Cork flooring comes in both tiles and planks, and can have glue or glues-less installation.

Pick the longest, most visible wall to start your installation. Start by laying down a chalk line 1/2″ from the wall and extent it the full length. This is where your first row of flooring will go.  Remember for maximum performance strip flooring must be nailed down at opposite directions to the floor joists. The Barrie Home inspector uses his knowledge on flooring types and systems to provide you with a comprehensive report detailing your new homes information in a clear and concise manner.  Whether buying or selling a home in the Barrie, Alliston or Orillia area, ensure your Peace of Mind by contacting the Barrie Home Inspector.

Your Home’s Structure

Exterior

Your Home’s Structure.  In North America, modern house-construction techniques include light-frame construction (in areas with access to supplies of wood) and adobe or sometimes rammed-earth construction (in arid regions with scarce wood-resources). Some areas use brick almost exclusively, and quarried stone has long provided walling. To some extent, aluminum and steel have displaced some traditional building materials. Increasingly popular alternative construction materials include insulating concrete forms (foam forms filled with concrete), structural insulated panels (foam panels faced with oriented strand board or fiber cement), and light-gauge steel framing and heavy-gauge steel framing.

Houses may be supported by a crawl space, full or partial basement or a floating slab on grade. Basements can be constructed of wood, poured concrete or masonry blocks. Poured concrete is becoming the norm for most housing and is far superior for cost and strength.

Most common wall framing is either balloon or platform type framing. In platform framing, the joists comprise any number of individual floors or platforms that wall framing components are constructed on top of–hence, the term platform framing. Platform framing is the most common method of frame construction. The floor, or platform, is made up of joists that sit on supporting walls, beams or girders and covered with a plywood or OSB sub-floor. In the past, 1x planks set at 45 to the joists were used for the sub-floor. Balloon framing is not permitted anymore due to lack of fire-stopping between floors.

Foundation made of concrete typically will have some cracks that are visible. Most cracks are the result of settling or shrinkage of the concrete during its curing stage. Diagonal cracks that grow in width, especially ones that are wider at the bottom than at the top, indicate settlement. Diagonal cracks over windows indicate a weak header. Diagonal cracks in a poured concrete foundation that are fairly uniform in width or are hairline-type are caused by shrinkage and, though they may allow water entry, do not constitute a structural defect. Some home inspectors think that if the crack follows the mortar joint, rather than going through the brick or block, the crack isn’t a problem. This is false. Walls crack at their weakest point. If the mortar is stronger than the brick, the wall will crack through the brick

The structural support of a roof is typically provided by either stick built rafters or engineered trusses. Collar tie is a colloquial phrase that you usually won’t find in construction or engineering documentation even though the words are commonly used among builders, architects and homeowners. The correct phrase as used in textbooks and when specified is collar beam. Collar beams are usually installed in the upper third of the roof between opposing rafters.

Having your home inspected prior to purchasing is one of the most important items of the transaction. You want to protect yourself from shoddy workmanship or major problems with your homes systems. A house is comprised of many different products installed by various tradesmen and sometimes do-it-yourself type renovators. To ensure Peace of Mind in your next Real Estate transaction use the Barrie Home Inspector for your protection and Peace of Mind. If you have a wood burning appliance then contact www.wett-inspection.com for your insurance companies required WETT Certification.

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