Fluorescents Lights and Mercury Scare? The poster-child for the anti-fluorescent bulbers is Brandy Bridges, a mother in Maine who broke a bulb in her daughter’s bedroom a couple years back.
Bridges, aware the bulbs contained mercury, called state officials, who came over, did tests, and told her to have the room cleaned by a hazardous waste crew – to the tune of over $2,000. Maine officials eventually came to her house and cut out the carpet.
This story has been widely circulated on the Internet, and sharp criticism of the government mandate continues today from email chain letters to rants on Capitol Hill.
When it comes to safety, they say the amount of mercury in a fluorescent bulb is so small it should not present a health risk. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average fluorescent light bulb contains about 4 milligrams of mercury, over 100 times less than found in an old mercury thermometer.
Consumer Reports just did extensive testing of the bulbs and found that many contain even less mercury – some had just 1 milligram.
“It’s not something to panic about,” said Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, deputy home editor at Consumer Reports. “Tube fluorescents like we all have in our offices and schools have mercury too, and it’s not like they evacuate a school every time a bulb breaks.”
Still, the bulbs should be handled with care if broken. EPA recommends several steps including cleaning up the glass with cardboard or another item that can be disposed of after, opening the window, and putting the remnants in an outside garbage can.
If your town collects other household hazardous waste like batteries, paint or cleaning supplies, then you should dispose of the bulbs in the same manner. Home Depot and Ikea will recycle any old fluorescent bulbs, no mater where they were purchased.
Also, if the light is close to small children or pets that may easily knock it over, it’s probably best to use another type of bulb. Efficient, mercury-free incandescents like halogen lights, as well as LED lights will still be available after the new efficiency standards kick in.
The benefits of using fluorescent bulbs, experts say, far outweighs any mercury risk.
When it comes to mercury content, a fluorescent bulb ends up putting far less mercury into the environment compared to all the extra electricity required to run an inefficient bulb – four times less mercury, according to Noah Horowitz of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
If the whole country switched to fluorescents, says Horowitz, it would eliminate the need to build 30 new coal power plants and save as much electricity as used by all the homes in Texas.
Then there’s the cost savings. Consumer reports estimates that each incandescent replaced with a $1.50 fluorescent will save an individual $56 in electricity costs over the life of the bulb.
“You’d be hard pressed to find a better deal for your wallet or the environment,” said Horowitz.
Still, some people remain unconvinced.
For starters, many say if fluorescent bulbs were really better, people would buy them on their own.
For her part Bridges, contacted at her home in Maine, says she’ll never go back to fluorescent bulbs and has little faith in experts telling her what’s safe.
“Remember, at some point lead paint wasn’t a big deal either,” she said.\
For more home owner tips and advice, visit the Barrie Home Inspectors blog on Home Owners Tips and Maintenance.
Large Buildings and Fire Protection
Firestopping is installed mainly in large building but may be found in small residential multi-family units etc. Firestopping is installed in strategic locations to resist the passage of fire from one area to another. One use of firestopping is to maintain the integrity of fires separations such as penetrations by pipes, wires or other building services. The second purpose is to limit the size of concealed spaces as found in stud walls, attics, crawl spaces, and spaces in between the superstructure and exterior building envelope.
Firestop systems are rated based on tests in accordance with CAN4-S115-M, “Standard Method of Fire Tests of Firestop Systems. Four ratings ( F, FT, FH and FTH) are assigned based on test results.
Firewalls are a special type of masonry or concrete fire separation that subdivide a building into two or more entities with a fire-resistance rating from between 2 to 4 hours. Firewalls are usually used by designers to limit size of individual areas to allow for cheaper construction costs by eliminating need for expensive fire-protection equipment such as sprinklers etc. This procedure does not apply to fire alarm or detection system however as this is based on entire buildings “gross area.”
Flame Spread and Interior Finishes is the measurement of the surface characteristics of materials used in finishing buildings. Buildings are broken down into three categories which are combustible construction, non-combustible construction and high rise buildings. This is broken down into a further sub-category of whether building is sprinklered or not. The Ontario Building Code provides tables which provides the rules that govern finishes on walls, ceilings, surface – rating applies to surface only and cut test – which applies to any surface that can be exposed by cutting.
The importance of fire protection has been proven over and over again when lives have been lost in large buildings whose fire protection equipment has been either compromised or disabled for various reasons. One large fire in a high rise, which started in café on first floor, which contributed to lost lives, was blamed on missing fire-stopping. Such a small failure can have disastrous consequences.
This is our second article on large buildings based on requirements of the Ontario Building Code. We will be endeavouring to provide basic information which we use on inspecting large buildings. Municipal inspectors are not permitted to inspect buildings that they do not hold qualifications for but there is no such restriction in place for commercial building inspectors. Caveat Emptor – Buyer Beware
Pre-Delivery Inspections Barrie New Homes. Many of the pre-delivery inspections that I do are usually delayed because the builder tries to deny access to the buyer when he has a home inspector with him. Sadly, this is not the way things are supposed to work. I always ensure the buyer notifies the builder in writing as required by the Tarion rules.
HOME INSPECTORS ARE PERMITTED TO ATTEND PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTIONS.
Builder Bulletin #42 from the Tarion Warranty Program issued August 2003 states that all new home owners whose homes have a possession date after Oct. 1, 2003 are entitled to bring a home inspector with them to their pre-delivery inspection with the builder. In the past many builders have flatly refused to allow home inspectors to attend this very crucial inspection with their clients. Builders can no longer say this, they must allow a Home Inspector to attend if the client wishes.
Some builders have stated that they will not permit inspectors or that either the client or the inspector may attend but not both – This is not the case and this very important Builder Bulletin clearly states on page 5:
“Builder Responsibilities… 2. Make an appointment with the purchaser well in advance to conduct a PDI at a time that is mutually convenient. Purchasers may attend in person, send a designate to conduct the PDI on their behalf or attend with their designate.”
It is an owners right to have a professional home inspector act as a designate in order to protect their investment. If your builder still insists it is not allowed, we suggest that you quote Builder Bulletin # 42 dated August 15, 2003 and effective Oct. 1, 2003. Should your builder still refuse to allow your inspector to attend, you may want to contact the Tarion Warranty Office and your lawyer in this regard.
Read this important Builder Bulletin#42 completely (but especially pages 4-5) prior to closing in order that you fully understand your homeowner rights under the Tarion Warranty Program and that you fully comply with all their requirements and deadlines. Experience tells us that those homeowners who don’t fully understand the Tarion process have often found their pleas for help falling on deaf ears. You must comply with all Tarion requirements if you want the system to work for you. We strongly recommend that you visit www.tarion.com to ensure that you fully comprehend your obligations under this program. Just one example of this is the need to continually repeat all outstanding issues pertaining to your new home, each and every time you submit forms to Tarion- otherwise they may assume that all previous defects have been remedied (it’s in the fine print, so make certain that you read it all!).
If you waive your right to having home inspection representation, you may encounter difficulties in trying to prove that any deficiencies existed in your home unless reported as such to the Tarion Warranty Program at the opportunities that they permit – the Pre-delivery Inspection (PDI), 30 days after delivery and at 11 months just prior to your one year anniversary date.
If you are thinking of buying, or have already bought a new home, we strongly suggest that you visit the Canadians For Properly Built Homes website to understand some of the problems that may arise out of new home ownership. This consumer group occasionally offers outstanding seminars for new home buyers that should not be missed!
Just one of the common problems I often encounter is lack of insulation in the attic. Whether from blow back from soffits being open during insulation installation or just poor installation, this is not something you want to ignore when buying a new home. As the Barrie Home Inspector I recently inspected a new home and found only 7 inches of insulation in a lot of low areas in the attic; the certificate indicated 10.4 inches of insulation. Even settling could not account for over 3 inches of missing insulation.
Your local building department does not have the staff to visually inspect every home throughout its construction. Your builder hires sub-contractors to do most of the work. This very process invites poor construction and shoddy workmanship. It is left up to the home owner to identify and have the builder correct all these areas that may or may not have been overlooked or missed.
Once you have signed your PDI form, you basically accept the home except for those defects you have identified. This is why it is so important to have a trained professional identify these items and place the responsibility on the builder to have them rectified.
“Caveat Emptor” — Buyer Beware and remember this also goes for your home inspector – ensure he has the qualifications and experience to represent you. Always verify his experience and references….
An excerpt from Tarion’s site concerning the builders responsibilities for the Pre-delivery inspection…
PART B: THE PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION (PDI)
On or before the date of possession, the builder is required to conduct a PDI of the home with (at the
purchaser’s option): (i) the purchaser; or (ii) the purchaser’s designate; or (iii) both the purchaser and
his/her designate, and to complete the CCP (and Warranty Certificate) and the PDI Form with the
purchaser, or with the purchaser’s designate if the purchaser is not attending the PDI.
The PDI Form is designed to capture deficiencies in the home at the time of possession, including items inside and outside the home that are incomplete, damaged, missing, or not operational, or items that cannot be assessed because they are obscured from view or are inaccessible.
Builders may use their own PDI form, instead of Tarion’s standard PDI Form, provided that it contains, at minimum, all of the information that is contained in Tarion’s standard PDI Form. The PDI itself should be as thorough as reasonably possible. The builder should take this opportunity to explain how the home and its systems work, which may prevent some customer service calls in the
future.
Most of the builders representatives do their best to mis-lead buyers about the importance of the PDI inspection and try and relegate most items to the 30 day list. Then the home is in possession of the buyer and they can not be held as liable as when the home is in their possession. They cannot dispute claims when they have possession on the home.
