Barrie’s Premier Home Inspector. The Barrie Home Inspector has been in business for 7 years and has performed over 4,000 inspections. As a Certified Building Code Official with the Ontario Building Officials Assc he has mastered the Ontario Building Code by completing all the Part 9 (small buildings) and Part 3 (large buildings over 600 m2) which enables him to use this experience when inspecting your residential or commercial real estate investment.
Roger Frost also was a registered builder with HUDAC, which has since been replaced with TARION. He also spent 7 years in charge of Project Reviews for Federal Government which entailed reviewing plans, inspecting job sites and assessing the completion of buildings from 10,000 dollars to over 13,000,000 dollars. This not required a comprehensive knowledge of the Ontario Buildng Code but an eye for detail to ensure contractors performed according to scope of the project. The Barrie Home Inspector’s is the only Home Inspector north of Toronto who holds this designation.
The Barrie Home Inspector has been WETT Certified for over 6 years and has inspected many fireplaces, wood stoves, inserts and pellet stoves. He covers an area from Aurora, Newmarket, Bradford, Alliston, Beeton, Tottenham, New Lowell, Collingwood, Creemore, Midland, Penetang, Tiny Beaches, Rama, Brechin, Lagoon City, GTA, Toronto, Innisfil, Thornton, Ivy, Cookstown, Alcona Beach, Angus, Baxter, Everett and all of Simcoe County.
Thermal Imaging was introducted to Simcoe County by the Barrie Home Inspector who not only was the first Home Inspector to offer these services but to also offer them Free of Charge as part of the Barrie Home Inspector’s package. Thermal Imaging can help find hidden moisture or hot spots in your home. Although not x-ray vision thermal imaging cameras will let the skilled technician detect subtle temperature changes that the human eye would fail to see. In conjunction with a moisture meter the Barrie Home Inspector is able to ensure your walls and ceilings do not have undetected moisture.
The Barrie Home Inspector’s Fair Pricing Policy ensures you only pay for services received. Many Home Inspectors have a one price fits all mentality which is unfair to the consumer. Why would you pay the same fee to have a one bedroom townhouse inspected as someone who has a 3,000 square foot estate home? Well you don’t have to, we put our prices right on our web site, no sucker bait tactics to lure into paying for an over priced home inspection. We charge $199.00 for a single bathroom home and add $50.00 per bathroom or for extra kitchens. With the Barrie Home Inspector you know exactly what your paying right up front. Why would we price according to bathrooms many people ask. It is based on concept that the bigger the home the more bathrooms it will have. A simple rule of thumb that occasionally does not benefit the home inspector as some older homes are quite large but only have one bathroom.
The Barrie Home Inspector is also the only Home Inspector in Simcoe County to offer a un-conditional Money Back Guarantee which is good for 30 days AFTER you move into your new home. This simply means if you are unhappy for any reason, you get your Money Back, no questions asked.
For Peace of Mind during your next Real Estate transaction call the Barrie Home Inspector
Asphalt Shingles Types and Use. Two types of asphalt shingles are used: organic and fiberglass or glass fiber. Organic shingles are generally paper (waste paper) saturated with asphalt to make it waterproof, then a top coating of adhesive asphalt is applied and ceramic granules are then embedded. In the case of algae-resistant shingles, a portion of the granules contain leachable copper ceramically coated, designed to protect against discoloration from algae on the roof. This does not protect from moss growth but does slow the growth. Moss feeds on algae and any other debris on the roof. Most manufactures offer a 5- to 10-year warranty against algae growth.
Shingles are judged by warranty and ASTM test standards. Organic shingles contain around 40% more asphalt per square (100 sq ft.) than fiberglass shingles. But this extra needed asphalt makes them less environmentally friendly. The paper-based nature of “organic” shingles leaves them more prone to fire damage, and their highest FM rating for fire is class “B”. Shingle durability is ranked by warranted life, ranging from 20 years to 50 years; in some cases lifetime warranties are available.
Fiberglass shingles have a base layer of glass fiber reinforcing mat. The mat is made from wet, random-laid fiberglass bonded with urea-formaldehyde resin. The mat is then coated with asphalt which contains mineral fillers and makes the fiberglass shingle waterproof. Fiberglass shingles typically obtain a class “A” fire rating as the fiberglass mat resists fire better than organic/paper mats. Fiberglass reinforcement was devised as the replacement for asbestos paper reinforcement of roofing shingles and typically ranges from 1.8 to 2.3 pounds/square foot.
The older organic (wood and paper pulp product) versions were very durable and hard to tear, an important property when considering wind uplift of shingles in heavy storms. Fiberglass is slowly replacing felt reinforcement in Canada and has replaced mostly all in the United States. Widespread hurricane damage in Florida during the 1990s prompted the industry to adhere to a 1700-gram tear value on finished asphalt shingles.
A newer design of fiberglass asphalt shingle, called laminated or architectural, uses two distinct layers which are bonded together with asphalt sealant. Laminate shingles are heavier, more expensive, and more durable than traditional 3-tab shingle designs. Laminated shingles also give a more varied, contoured visual effect to a roof surface.
Traditionally, asphalt — also called composition — shingles were made by saturating a heavy layer of building felt (made from organic fibers) with asphalt. These asphalt-felt shingles have largely been supplanted by fiberglass-based shingles. Instead of building felt, they have a fiberglass base impregnated with the asphalt. These shingles are more durable and will last twice as long as the felt-based shingles. In addition to the asphalt coating, the shingles also have a layer of ceramic and hard mineral granules. This layer adds color to the roofing material, but its main function is to protect the asphalt base from the intense ultraviolet radiation of the sun. The asphalt-saturated base is relatively impervious to rain and snow, but without the mineral coating it would quickly break down when exposed to the sun.
People assume that most roof damage comes from the wind, rain and snow. Indeed, these elements eventually erode the granular coating from the shingles, but it is the intense heat of the sun that does the real damage. Thus the longevity of the roof covering is often determined by the amount of sunlight it is exposed to. On many houses the shingles on the northern side of the roof last longer than those on the southern side, because they receive less sunlight. For the same reason, houses in the Southern states usually need roof replacement before those in the Northern states.
Other than planting shade trees near the house, there is little you can do to shield your roof from the sun. You can, however, make sure that the attic remains cool so that heat cannot rise through the sheathing to attack the shingles. The best way to do this is by installing vents in the attic. Adding soffit and ridge vents, for example, will allow cool air to enter under the eaves, flow along the underside of the roof and exit at the peak. This circulating air can lower roof temperatures by up to 20 degrees.
The protective nature of asphalt shingles primarily comes from the long-chain hydrocarbons impregnating the paper. Over time in the hot sun, the hydrocarbons soften and when rain falls the hydrocarbons are gradually washed out of the shingles and down onto the ground. Along eaves and complex roof lines more water is channeled so in these areas the loss occurs more quickly. Eventually the loss of the heavy oils causes the fibers to shrink, exposing the nail heads under the shingle flaps. The shrinkage also breaks up the surface coating of sand adhered to the surface of the paper, and eventually causes the paper to begin to tear itself apart. Once the nail heads are exposed, water running down the roof can seep into the building around the nail shank, resulting in rotting of roof building materials and causing moisture damage to ceilings and paint inside.
Carpenter ants are one of the most valuable insects we have on earth. They chew up tons of wood and turn it into fine sawdust that rots and provides compost for new growth. Because they enter man made structures they are considered the most destructive common insect pest we have in Canada.
IDENTIFICATION AND LIFE CYCLE
Two common species of carpenter ants found in Canada: (There are others)
1. Modoc : all black. (Legs may have a rusty red color) One queen in parent nest.
2. Vicinus : black head, rusty red thorax (mid section) and black abdomen
(tail section.) Multiple queens in parent nest.
Most carpenter ant species have other similar characteristics.
Five Sizes : Carpenter ants can be as small as one quarter inch or as large as three quarters of an inch. All sizes can be found in one nest. (See illustration above)
Most Carpenter Ant species establish their initial nest in decayed wood, but, once established, the ants extend their tunneling into sound wood and can do considerable damage to a structure.
These species commonly nest in standing trees (living or dead), in stumps, or in logs on the forest floor. Since many houses are being built in forested areas, well established, vigorous colonies are readily available in the immediate vicinity to attack these dwellings. This is especially true when the homeowner insists that the home be built with a minimal removal of trees.
Carpenter Ants typically have a parent colony in outside nesting areas, such as live or dead trees, stumps, logs or decorative landscape wood. When the colony grows larger and needs room to expand satellite colonies are established. These satellite colonies often develop in nearby structures presumably because they offer warm protection.
Only the parent colony contains the queen(s), young larvae and workers, while the satellite contains the mature larvae, pupae, workers, and/or winged reproductives. Ants move back and forth from parent nest to satellite nest but just a few (less than 10 %) will be visible foraging for food.
Sometimes they can be seen moving mature larvae (white and grub-like) or pupae (papery cocoons).
Ants are generally active along ant trails from April to mid-October. These trails follow natural contours and lines of least resistance and also frequently cut across lawns. Traffic on these trails may be noticeable during the day, but peak traffic occurs after sunset and continues throughout the night.
The parent colony is often located in a tree, stump, stacked wood within 100 meters of the house or wood and stumps buried in the yard when the house was constructed. Decorative wood landscape ties brought in to enhance the beauty of a yard or driveway may also be the source of a parent colony. The colony does not produce reproductives (winged males and queens) until it is from 3 to 6 years old and contains about 2,000 workers. The natural food for these ants consists of insects and other arthropods and sweet exudates from aphids and insects. They are also attracted to other sweet material such as decaying fruits.
Reproductive carpenter ants (winged males and females) leave the nest as early as January if the nest is in a heated structure. Those living outside in logs and stumps will not swarm until about early May. The fertilized queens must then find wet wood to establish a new nest, and the cycle starts over again. The new queen could live 15 years or more and lay 70,000 fertilized eggs.
Getting Rid of Carpenter Ants
First a word of caution.
Many pest control professionals consider Carpenter ants the most difficult pest there is to deal with in the industry. With all the training and experience they have, there are some homes that take considerable time and a number of treatments to completely eradicate these destructive insects. Many homeowners will call in a professional after they have failed to solve the problem themselves. This situation is usually more difficult to deal with because the homeowner randomly sprayed pesticides killing the obvious evidence and scattering the satellite nests. Of course this increases the cost. If you are not prepared to spend hours in your attic and crawl space wearing a respirator, rubber gloves, coveralls and a hat, then you may be wise to call a professional to do the job properly.
You can read the advice from a Canadian Government web site if you are determined to deal with carpenter ants yourself.
The process:
1. Find all of the Satellite nests in the home.
2. Try to locate the “mother” nests and the queens.
3. Eliminate conditions that made the home a suitable habitat for the ants.
4. Treat the satellite nests with a suitable pest control method or product.
Don’t:
1. Don’t spray pesticides on ants outside the nests. Use a vacuum cleaner inside your home.
2. Don’t use “ant drops, ant poisons, ant traps”. Save your money for something worthwhile.
3. Don’t squash foraging ants. Follow them.
4. Don’t rip apart walls or ceilings to find the nests.
How to find the satellite nests:
At the bottom of this page are links to educational institute web sites, each of them displaying some very interesting guidelines and theories about finding carpenter ant nests. Some of the suggestions are excellent. Some may not seem practical to ant experienced pest control professional. If you want to strictly follow the advice of the academic community, we suggest you read the information presented by Dr. Lauren Hansen, Ph.D. of Spokane Falls Community College. Dr. Hansen is probably the most highly respected source of knowledge about carpenter ants among entomologists and pest control professionals around the world. She has made a habit of putting on the coveralls, respirator and rubber gloves to go down into dirty crawl spaces and apply her knowledge about dealing with these pests. Dr. Hansen has hands on experience, not just theories.
Finding carpenter ant nests requires a lot of time and patience. With years of experience, a professional will know where these nests are likely to be and will look for evidence of frass, the junk thrown out of nests. This is often caught up in spider webs in attics, crawl spaces, basements under decks and around the exterior perimeter under the soffits and below the siding. Sometimes sawdust excavated by the ants from the structure will be noticeable, but not always.
Following ants outside the nest is the best indication of it’s location, but ants will often follow channels hidden from the hot sun, rain and your vision. Less than 10 % of the population will ever leave the nests so at times there are very few to follow. Knowing whether the ant you are following is heading for food, or has already eaten and is heading back to the nest is an indicator that some very experienced professionals are capable of seeing.
Listen for them. If your hearing is good and the home is very quiet you may be able to hear the rustling and chewing noise they make. A medical stethoscope is useful but the sound of a refrigerator or even a clock can confuse the inexperienced ear.
How to find the main nests (and the queens):
In some locations it would be impossible to find all the main nests among the trees, logs, stumps, buried wood and roots. Even if these nests are found, removing them can be a monumental task. All satellite nests remain in contact with the main nest. Workers can be seen carrying mature larvae from the overcrowded queen’s home to new or established satellites of the colony. If you find the main nest, try to remove it physically. If you put toxic products into it, they may leach into the ground water and contaminate water supplies or fish habitat some distance away.
If you can not remove the nest, try to eliminate any favorable conditions that encourage them to move toward the home. Tree branches, fences, garden hoses, structural wood touching the soil, landscape ties and utility wires all provide an easy route to follow. A very fine dusting of diatomaceous earth around the perimeter base of the home will discourage all insects from crossing it to gain entry. This is short term and should be repeated frequently in the spring, summer and fall.
Pesticides, Poisons and Secret Formulas.
Toxic Sprays: Most pesticides available to the public will kill any insect that they come in contact with while still wet. Once dry, the residual effect is minimal and has very little effect on insects.
Ant Dusts: Diatomaceous earth is sold in a variety of containers with convincing trade names. The basic product can also be purchased in much less expensive plain plastic bags at most garden stores.
Toxic chlorpyrifos: is now off the market and illegal to use in Canada and U.S.A.
Boric Acid dust: It is very difficult to inject into a nesting cavity without proper equipment. Do not put it in exposed areas.
Ant Poisons sold over the counter at most hardware stores have little if any effect on carpenter ants
Ant Traps are actually not traps. The little tin cans with holes in the side contain borax. They have no effect on carpenter ants.
Secret Formulas: If you find one that works, patent it immediately. Scientists around the world have been searching for years for ingredients that will attract and kill or repel carpenter ants. Some things that homeowners have tried include cinnamon, cayenne pepper, moth balls, boric acid and icing sugar.
None of them have been proven effective.
Is your Home Inspector trained to discover carpenter ants? If you require an experienced Home Inspector who can and will conduct a complete Home Inspection call Bob Haynes at 705-715-2844
This article is brought to you by Bob Haynes Barrie Home Inspector
This year during my inspections in Barrie I noticed a lot of people were draining their eavestrough into drain lines, some into french drains and some into low areas away from their homes. This winter has been exceptionally different as we have had freezing rain followed by snow and then cold temperatures. The always changing weather has created a lot of problems for drainage.
I visited a home a couple of weeks ago because of water entering the basement. What I found was a rear drain pipe had been installed and the eavestrough pipe fed into the drain pipe. This is a great set up in the summer, spring and fall but is a recipe for disaster in the winter.
This particular drain pipe has frozen up completely blocking any drainage. The water then backed up the drain and overflowed against the foundation of the home. The basement window was located adjacent to the drain and the water seeped through the window well and filled the drain with soil. The water then filled up the window well and leaked through the window and down the basement wall. Lucky there was no furniture and the wall only had insulation and vapour barrier installed, which was easily dried out.
A quick solution for this an other eavestrough freezing problems is this; install an open plumbing T, I used PVC but ABS will do also, at the end of your downspout and before your drain line. This will allow water to drain out the open T when the drain line freezes, thus preventing backup and freezing of downspouts and eventually your whole eavestrough. You can add a short drain to this T if water needs to be directed away from foundations or windows etc., common sense will guide you here. This fix is permanent and need not be removed, just install and forget it.
Aluminum wiring facts. In the late 1960?s and early 1970’s copper prices rose and contractors/electricians switched from copper to lower costing aluminum wiring. Although no longer common for distribution circuits, aluminum wiring is still used today in certain applications. For example, 240 volt circuits for stoves and dryers. It sometimes is used on the main service entrance wire from the road to the house.
Concerns with this type of wiring have arisen, for example, when aluminum wire is connected to devices (eg. receptacles, light fixtures) which were not designed for aluminum, or, when aluminum and copper wires are attached. In these cases a reaction can occur causing the connections to fail, perhaps become disconnected, and/or, potentially overheat, spark and catch fire. Symptoms of this can sometimes be seen in the discoloration of receptacles, flickering lights, or the smell of hot plastic insulation.
The conductivity of aluminum is not as good as copper so a different, thicker, gauge wire must used. For example, today the most common copper wire size is 14 gauge. The comparable aluminum wire size used was 12 gauge.
In their most recent 1997 Safety Notice, Ontario Hydro states:
“Aluminum wiring in residential installations will operate as safely as any other type of wiring if the proper materials are used and it is installed as per the manufacturer’s instructions and the Ontario Hydro Electrical Safety Code.”
Special care must be taken to ensure, for example, that connections are made to receptacles that are suitable for aluminum wiring. Further, where aluminum and copper wires are connected that proper paste/flux, and/or, the appropriate wire connectors, are used.
Regardless of the wiring type used, no circuits should overloaded or over fused.
What do you do if you suspect a problem?
Have a qualified electrician check:
1) Terminations at devices without removing or disturbing them.
2) Cut back any damaged aluminum conductors and join these to a copper tail using a connector approved for use with aluminum. These connectors are coloured either brown or purple, depending on the manufacturer. The copper tail is then terminated at the terminal screws of an ordinary device (which includes approved receptacles, etc.). Or, cut back any damaged aluminum conductors and re-terminate at a new device bearing the appropriate marking. Only devices bearing the mark CO/ALR are currently approved for use with aluminum wiring.
3) Panel board terminations for signs of overheating.
4) Fuses present for heavy loads are temperature sensitive type (D or P).
If a home has aluminum wiring and you suspect problems may exist further professional advice from a qualified electrician, experienced in repairing aluminum wiring concerns, is recommended.
Have you ever just been casually looking around in your basement, typically around your furnace area, and thought: what is this?
Well the “what is this?” is infact a priming line for your floor drain.
Let’s start at the beginning here.According to the Ontario Building Code and the National Plumbing Code, a floor drain must have something called a trap seal, what this means is that there must be water in the trap to prevent sewer gas from coming into the house.
What is a trap? It is a pipe that is either formed or pieced together to form the letter P (this is one of the common traps that we’ll discuss) .They are found in such places like under sinks, under showers, and of course they make up part of the floor drain.But because the traps in the floor drains do not get used as much as traps elsewhere in the house, the trap seal dries up and allows sewer gas and other smells into the house.This is the importance of a priming line.
So what’s a priming line?A priming line is a plastic or metal water line that is attached at one end to something that when in use, supplies water to another location.In most cases the priming lines are connected to the taps on your laundry tub, the taps in the kitchen (under the counter) and attached to the toilet tank (running up the back side of the tank).From their connection point they run through another pipe and eventually end up connected to the floor drain to maintain the trap seal – stops in the intrusion of sewer gas.
What if you don’t have a primer line – what do you do?You can make sure that all traps have water in them simply by running the taps for a few moments.Take a container, pour it down the floor drain, if you have a bathroom in the basement that you hardly use, run the taps in the sink and tub/shower.If there is a laundry tub that is not used to often…again, run the taps, get that trap seal working again.
By doing all of the above, you will maintain the trap seal, you should be minimizing the chances of sewer gas into the house and eliminating any unpleasant odours that make occur.
