New Technology and Home Inspections. As technology advances new tools are being adapted to the home inspection industry. The Barrie Home Inspector is a leader in bringing this new technology to Simcoe County. First to introduce his Fair Pricing Policy , First to introduce Thermal Imaging , First to introduce a 30 day Money-Back guarantee with No Questions asked and the only Home Inspector in Simcoe County to include $50.00 Wett inspections with all our regular priced inspections.
To meet the need for specialized building inspections, which include, roofs, attics, leaking basements, foundations, and other building system issues, we have created our $129.00 inspection . We will look at a specific items for you or perform a Thermal Scan of your home for only $129.00. No report is given for this special priced inspection and you pick what service you require. We have created this inspection due to the sheer volume of requests for re-inspections, problem solving and moisture and leak detection. This particular inspection would be of great value to individuals who are selling their home and don’t want any expensive surprises after they have negotiated a price.
The Barrie Home inspector has been providing Free Thermal Imaging scans with all regular priced home inspections for the past year. This amazing technology can aid in the detection of heat loss, moisture, water leaks, over-heating conditions and even mould detection. We also perform moisture checks with our up-graded digital moisture detector which allows us to detect moisture up to an inch behind most building products.
We carry 3 ladders to access even the most difficult roofs, no looking from the road with our company . The Barrie Home Inspector carries 12 ft, 24 ft and 30 ft ladders and a multitude of tools to aid in our inspections. Our latest tool is a flexible video camera with built in LED lighting for inspecting hard or nearly impossible locations without damaging your home. A more complete inspection of furnaces, duct work, plumbing and penetrations of your walls are now fully visible to our trained professionals.
Commercial building inspections are an area where our training and experience enable us to provide the best possible inspection available. All inspectors are Building Code Qualified and I am personally Ontario Building Code Certified. We believe if you don’t know how it was supposed to be built, how can you inspect it? With over 28 years of combined building and inspection experience knowledge does make a difference.
When Only The Best Will Do !
Need advice or just some information pertaining to your house? Please call us and get our opinion at no charge . We are here to help and provide our expertise when ever possible. Call Roger at 705-795-8255 or Toll Free at 1-888-818-8608
Winterize Your House This Autumn. Everyone has heard about spring cleaning, but hardly any people know what it means to winterize your home. When fall arrives you need to inspect your home’s readiness for the upcoming winter.
Autumn means winter season is around the corner, and you should use the opportunity to make sure that your house is ready for it. At this particular time of year, with the leaves dying out, examining the house is easier, so you can tell if any shrubs are hanging onto the house. Siding is easily damaged by roots and vines that cling to the surface area – even bricks aren’t immune – and they should be cleaned off.
Once you are done with watering for the year, you must drain all of the hose, and roll them up to be stored away. The water to your exterior faucets should be turned off, in order that they can drain and get dry. Get the outdoor furniture cleaned up and stored in a place dry, once you are done using it till the following year.
You should protect any young trees you have with mulch, particularly in their first year of growth. To help protect against your yard from starting to be sodden if heavy rains occur, make sure that any drainage ditches are clear.
Winter naturally leads one’s thoughts to fireplaces. Almost everyone calls for a chimney sweep at the same time when a frigid spell shows up, so call early to beat the rush. If you use firewood, do not delay in finding someone and getting a good supply built up. When traveling around rural areas, you will discover local people who sell fire wood, without lots of advertising.
No matter if you use a fireplace in winter, you should check all of your smoke alarms to make sure they are working. If you leave your Christmas lights set up for the whole year, check that the cords remain flexible. If you are using storm windows, they should be set up. You must check if the weather-stripping has become dried out from the summer’s heat and should be replaced.
The windows are usually hardly ever opened in winter, therefore it is necessary to check the condition of the filters in the range hood.
Water leaks can’t be kept from happening forever, so check the places where leaks most commonly occur, these being the roofing, the guttering, the downpipes and the interior plumbing.
You should search for leaks, the most at risk places being the roof, gutters, down-pipes and inside plumbing. If you locate some leaks, you should obviously get them repaired. You need to cover the air-conditioning machines to prevent drafts, while, particularly with older homes, it is worth cladding the exterior pipes. It’s a wise decision to shampoo the carpets and rugs, since dust is more noticeable in the winter. While you’re at it, you might also thoroughly clean the windows.
Check your homes chimney if you have one. Look for cracks in mortar and brick which should be sealed with caulking or similar material prior to winter. If you have just bought your home you may require a WETT inspection by your insurance company. We recommend using Barrie WETT Inspection Services
Your Homes Plumbing System. Bathtubs and lavatories can have overflows installed. These two fixtures are often used without close observation. A person preparing to take a bath will typically turn on the water and leave while the tub is filling up. If left for a long time, the tub water may rise to a height where the overflow will take the excess water to the drain, preventing flooding of the area. Many tubs are capable of supplying water at rates greater than the flow rate of the overflow. With such fixtures, overflowing and flooding may not be prevented.
The bidet is a small bathing fixture used by both sexes. It is not designed for the elimination of human waste, but for cleaning the perineal area, and other body parts, including feet. It is typically equipped with a water spray that directs water upward in a jet towards a body part.
Most bidets present back-siphonage problems because the spray nozzle is located below the flood-level rim of the fixture. The water supply to a bidet should have protection against backflow. The temperature of the discharging water from a bidet should be limited to a maximum temperature of 110 F (43 C) by a water temperature-limiting device. This temperature device is required because of the potential for scalding sensitive parts of the body.
Where a lavatory does have an overflow installed, the cross-sectional area of the overflow should have a minimum of 1-1/8 inches (726 mm). This minimum prevents the overflow from being too small, which could promote bacterial and micro-organism growth. The overflow should be able to prevent overflowing of the sink for a minimum of five minutes when tested from the onset of water flowing into the overflow’s opening.
Bathtubs are made from many different types of materials, including enameled cast-iron, porcelain-enameled steel, and plastic. Plastic tubs are made from materials such as ABS, PVC, fiberglass, fiberglass-reinforced plastic, acrylic, and cultured-marble acrylic. Bathtubs that are equipped with shower fixtures should be manufactured with slip-resistant surfaces. Bathtubs should have a drainage outlet (tailpiece) with a minimum diameter of 1-1/2 inches (38 mm). Every tub should be equipped with a stopper. The bathtub should have an overflow outlet installed. The overflow prevents flooding if the tub is being filled while unattended, and prevents overflow of the water when a person enters a tub that is full.
Many injuries in a dwelling are related to accidents in the bathtub or shower. The minimum opening requirements for access and egress allows an adult enough room to safely step into and exit the shower area without having to twist or turn through a narrow opening. The shower opening (or access and egress opening) should be at least 22 inches (559 mm) of clear and unobstructed finish-width. The 22-inch width is based on the approximate shoulder width of an average-sized adult. This minimum opening dimension also provides comfortable access to service the valves, showerheads and drain. It allows for emergency response and rescue access, and emergency egress.
The Barrie Home Inspector is trained to inspect your homes complete plumbing system. He will inspect your supply lines to waste drains and check all your plumbing fixtures. Protect your next real estate purchase by having a professional home inspection.
One of the biggest causes of ice dams are the lack of soffit baffles. What are soffit baffles most people ask? They are also be known as Mor-vents and Sur-vents, usually made of Styrofoam and designed to promote air flow and ventilation of your attic.
With today’s higher insulation requirements, soffit baffles are required by the National and Ontario Building Code. Some builders prefer to install plywood baffles which are nailed to the trusses or rafters allowing air to freely move from soffits past insulation into the attic. What ever the method your attic is required to have a square foot of ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic space. The building code requires a minimum of 25 percent of ventilation from the bottom and a minimum of 25 percent from the top area of the roof. The remaining 50 percent can be installed at any other locations of the roof. Most builders in the Orillia and Barrie area just install ventilation on the top and bottom of the roofs. Some complicated roofs with multiple levels have roof vents installed at all locations where there is a variation of heights.
Turbines have become a popular addition to many new homes. The visible spinning seems to assure people that their ventilation performance has been improved. Personally, although turbines do draw out more air than the standard passive roof vent, there are some problems most people are un-aware of. On the majority of inspections performed in Barrie, Alliston and Orillia, I have found that turbines allow moisture and snow to accumulate on the insulation in the attic space. Although I have never come across enough snow or moisture to worry about, usually the air movement dries up all moisture before it can become an issue, I personally would not install turbines on my roof for this reason. One cure is to lay insulation batts underneath your turbines which will then collect the water and snow and the air movement in attic will then disapate it. If you have blown insulation the moisture from turbines can compact insulation which will reduce its R-value and eventually leak into ceiling area.
A word of caution, when having your insulation up-graded, always ensure two items.
1. Your insulation installer did not blow insulation into your soffit baffles, causing blockage of air flow.
2. Your insulation installer moved into the different areas of your attic to prevent insulation from blowing over any protruding supports and creating voids or pockets of lower insulation.
Personal choice of blown in insulation is cellulose. Because cellulose is comprised of recycled paper treated with a fire retardant chemical, mice choose not to nest in cellulose. Over 95% of brick homes with fiberglass insulation have rodent holes from nesting.
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
Gutter Materials and Construction. Gutters are part of the drainage system which consists of troughs and pipes which control rain water directing it away from a structure or building. Basically there are three main materials used when it comes to gutters. The most common is the cast iron, PVC and the aluminum. Each of these gutter materials does have their own strengths and weaknesses. PVC or the polyvinyl is cheaper compared to the other types of gutter materials and unlike the two mentioned materials will not rust or corrode. But on the other hand it is usually aesthetically unappealing especially when not properly installed.
Aluminium like other metals is made with the combination of other metals to improve its quality and strength. The aerospace industry is the main entity using the aluminum in the making of rockets with the combination of magnesium to make resistant of fire.
Aluminum is extracted from Bauxite ore. Like the gold, aluminum can never be called pure. Despite this notion a company in UK claims to prepare gold bars made up of 99.9% gold and very meager quantity of impurities left is impossible to be removed.
Aluminum gutters are normally more long lasting than the gutters made up of cast iron or other metallic materials. Cost reduction is not a good idea at the final stages in construction of a building. Main theme of constructing a building has been the same since decades. The use of slate, brick, mortar and wood has been the same.
For the steeper types of roof, one should opt for the beaded deep flow gutters. This type has extra depth and capacity which integrates a protruding bead through the front and rear edge of the gutter. This bead is able to clip on fascia brackets. Though there is only one common size, homeowners may opt for the modern version which is the beaded half round aluminum gutter which equals to half of the standards round system.
The style and material of external fittings and fixtures has been changing with passage of time. At the time of selling a house the gutters made of aluminum and PVC are not removed. In English countries it goies like this according to law but in Eastern Mediterranean countries people normally take their fittings and fixtures e.g. air-conditioners and other components with them despite the house being claimed as furnished.
At Gorilla Gutters, we do whatever it takes to ensure that your gutters are clean, flowing and free of all unwanted debris.Debris that can cause a whole lot of problems down the road, which is why we recommend having your gutters cleaned on a regular basis.So protect your home by Gutter Cleaning today.
Uni-stone Pavers and Polymeric Sand. Polymeric sand is what professional uni-stone installers use to ensure a filler that is not bothered by the erosion of seasonal weather.
Wnen you open up a bag of polymeric sand and you find it looks like ordinary, free-flowing sand, but it is how it behaves when you put it down. But unlike regular sand, the polymeric product firms up in reaction with water and forms a barrier unlike using normal sand.
Installing polymeric sand is not that complicated and if you follow the instructions below will be fairly simple.
When you are installing polymeric sand in a new paving brick installation? There’s nothing different you need to do while putting the bricks down. If you’ve got an existing pathway that had ordinary sand applied originally, then you need to clean out all the gaps of old sand with a pressure washer. You must create a brand new installation, minus the laying of pavers of course. The main thing to understand about polymeric sand is that it must be installed on a dry surface.
Polymeric sand is activated by water, and it turns quite liquid even with a little moisture. You need dry conditions, with no chance of rain for a day. Check with weather man before starting project.
Spreading polymeric sand begins the same as with normal paver installation. Pour a thin layer as smoothly as possible over the whole pathway surface, then use a stiff-bristled push broom to spread the sand around and begin working it into the gaps.
The trick is to use a a gas-powered vibrator afterwards. This vibrates the sand deep down into the gaps, an essential part of any long-lasting installation.
The broom alone might seem to do a good job, but don’t be fooled. It actually leaves behind hidden gaps that lead to sand collapse later. Don’t skip the compactor.
With all brick gaps fully filled with sand, you’re about to face the most important part of the job: pre-activation cleaning. Since poly sand turns goopy when wet, you must have the surface of the bricks completely and absolutely clean before applying water.
Any sand remaining on the surface will mar the appearance of the brick, so be diligent. Use a soft-bristled broom to move all remaining surface sand into the gaps, going over the surface at least twice, just to make sure.
Now it’s time to activate the sand, and success here requires finesse. You need to gently apply a fine spray of water to moisten the sand, but not so much that it moves any sand up and out of the brick gaps.
It’s a balancing act, so be careful. After an initial misting, let the sand begin to firm up for 15 or 20 minutes, then add more water while watching carefully. Before you’re done, you need to apply enough water to wet the entire depth of sand you’ve added. This could take three or four or five wettings, just be careful.
The danger is that you apply water too fast, causing surface sand to be washed out of the gaps and onto the bricks. When you think you’ve wet the surface enough, take a framing nail or three-inch deck screw and burrow down into a joint gap just to be sure. If it’s not wet all the way, keep up the misting and pausing cycle.
Polymeric sand isn’t foolproof, and it doesn’t eliminate all the problems encountered with regular sand, but it’s still more than worthwhile. Use it to get the most from your paving brick installation and you’ll spend more time enjoying the look, without fretting that ordinary sand washes away so easily.
Inspecting Commercial Buildings and Their Power Supply
In electrical engineering, single-phase electric power refers to the distribution of alternating current electric power using a system in which all the voltages of the supply vary in unison. Single-phase distribution is used when loads are mostly lighting and heating, with few large electric motors. A single-phase supply connected to an alternating current electric motor does not produce a revolving magnetic field; single-phase motors need additional circuits for starting, and such motors are uncommon above 10 or 20 kW in rating.
In contrast, in a three-phase system, the currents in each conductor reach their peak instantaneous values sequentially, not simultaneously; in each cycle of the power frequency, first one, then the second, then the third current reaches its maximum value. The waveforms of the three supply conductors are offset from one another in time (delayed in phase) by one-third of their period.
Defining the Terms
Amps vs. Volts:
Think of electricity as water flowing through a pipe. The amperage is analogous to the amount of water flowing through the pipe. Amperage is also called current. Larger diameter wires can handle more current, just as larger pipes can handle more flow.
Voltage is analogous to pressure, the force which moves the water through the pipe. A small pump (low voltage) would produce less pressure than a big pump (high voltage).
In most buildings the voltage will either be 208 volt (low voltage) or 600 volt (high voltage). The critical question is how much voltage and amperage the system is rated at, or in other words, how much equipment can I use in the building?
208 Volt vs. 600 Volt:
Most modern buildings are equipped with 600 volt services. Equipment such as air conditioning units (over 5 tons), larger exhaust fans, electric heaters, and some lighting will utilize 600 volts. However, standard outlets and most lighting operate at 208 volts.
In North America, individual residences and small commercial buildings with services up to about 100 kV·A (417 amperes at 240 volts) will usually have three-wire single-phase distribution, often with only one customer per distribution transformer. In exceptional cases larger single-phase three-wire services can be provided, usually only in remote areas where poly-phase distribution is not available. In rural areas farmers who wish to use three-phase motors may install a phase converter if only a single-phase supply is available. Larger consumers such as large buildings, shopping centers, factories, office blocks, and multiple-unit apartment blocks will have three-phase service. In densely populated areas of cities, network power distribution is used with many customers and many supply transformers connected to provide hundreds or thousands of kV·A, a load concentrated over a few hundred square meters.
Buildings equipped with 600 volt services will always have a transformer to reduce the 600 volts to 208 volts for the main building panels. These transformers are generally located near the main electrical service entrance.
When comparing the amount of power available for different voltages, a 200 amp, 600 volt service has nearly three times the power of a 200 amp, 208 volt service.
This is of less importance. All 208 volt and 600 volt services are three phase. This means there are three power wires coming into the building.
Single phase services may be found in older, smaller buildings and are found exclusively in houses.
In some older buildings you can find a single phase and a three phase service. This is usually identifiable, on the outside, by two separate services leading to the building.
Determining Amperage of Service
When you are inspecting the electrical room, the two items of information you are looking for; the are amperage and voltage. The presence of a transformer in the electrical room is usually indicative that it is 600 volts. They do make transformers that can used to step up a 208 volt service to 600 volts, for a specific piece of equipment.
What you should typically see is a small conduit (high voltage, low current) going into the transformer and a larger conduit (low voltage, high current) coming out and leading to a breaker panel or a splitter panel.
The ratings on the switches and splitter panel are not to be relied on; they only tell you the maximum amount of current or voltage the equipment can handle. Do not rely on the rating of the hydro meter(s), for the same reason.
The best way to verify the amperage is to open the door of the main power switch and read the rating of the main fuses. This is sometimes impossible to do without turning the power off, but is always dangerous, unless you know what you are doing. Even with the power off, half the box is live. You can end your real estate career, right there in somebody’s electrical room.
Reading the gauge (size) of the main power wires (in the meter cabinet or main splitter panel) can also help to determine the amperage of the service. The gauge number is typically printed on the wire sheathing. Common wire gauge sizes, for copper conductors and the allowable amperages are as follows:
Smoke Detectors Required in RV’s and Trailers in Ontario. An excerpt from the Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office identifies the requirement for Smoke Detectors to be installed in RV’s and Trailers in Ontario. This would also apply to tourists that are visiting the Province.
During the past two weeks, two men have died in separate trailer fires in Ontario. It has been confirmed by Office of the Fire Marshal investigators that no working smoke alarms were recovered from either trailer. Fires in these types of seasonal homes can spread incredibly fast.
As a result of these tragic fatal fires, the Fire Marshal of Ontario is reminding everyone that it is the law to have a working smoke alarm in their trailer home, motor home and other recreational vehicle. In addition to smoke alarms, these homes, vehicles or boats used for sleeping should be equipped with a carbon monoxide alarm.
While many new trailer and RV models may already meet a construction standard requiring working smoke alarms, older models may not be equipped with any or they may not have been properly maintained. Smoke alarms should be tested before sleeping in any of these seasonal homes, then monthly and after any absence of more than a few days. Replace any smoke alarms that may be more than 10 years old.
Failure to comply with the applicable Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in a ticket for $235 or a fine of up to $100,000.
QUOTES
“The Ontario Fire Code requires every ‘dwelling unit’ in Ontario to have working smoke alarms on every storey and outside all sleeping areas,” explained Ted Wieclawek, Fire Marshal of Ontario. “What many people may not know is that the term ‘dwelling unit’ includes seasonal homes such as park model trailers, cabins and cottages and may include trailer homes, motor homes and other recreational vehicles”.
“Smoke alarms can alert you and give you and your family the precious time needed to safely escape a fire,” said Wieclawek. “Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in any structure where people may be sleeping or living.”
There’s no question that working smoke detectors save lives. Statistics from the Ontario Fire Marshall’s office indicate that in about 50% of fatal home fires, the victims had no smoke alarm
warning.
Effective March 1, 2006 every home in Ontario must have working smoke detectors on every storey of their home and outside of sleeping areas. This new law applies to single family homes, semi-detached homes and town homes that are either owner occupied or rented. Additionally, all smoke detectors must be replaced every ten years.
Fines for non-compliance by individuals range from $235.00 up to $50,000.00 and tenants can be fined for intentionally disabling smoke detector units.
The cost of a smoke detector combined with a carbon monoxide detector is about $60.00. At this price, and when you consider your own life and those of your family, it’s money well spent.
For more information about the new smoke detector law in Ontario visit the Ontario Fire Marshall’s website at http://www.ofm.gov.on.ca/.
I am amazed at the amount of homes in Barrie ON that have no smoke detectors or defective smoke detectors. Although there was a big “push” to ensure every home, and every level, has a working smoke detector during the initial implementation of the new law, there is no enforcement or education being conducted at the present time and the results are clearly visible with the amount of homes not having any or adequate protection.
Landlords in particular should ensure their rental units are complying with the smoke detector requirements to protect themselves and their tenants.
Smoke alarms are critical safety devices that have been in existence for at least 30 years, however, Ontarians still continue to die in homes without working smoke alarms. This is why the provincial campaign Working Smoke Alarms: Its the Law was developed. Ensuring homeowners, landlords and tenants of residential occupancies are aware of their responsibilities and comply with the smoke alarm requirements will significantly increase public safety in Ontario.
Ontario Court Sets Out Home Inspector Responsibilities. An Ontario court has found a real estate agent partially liable in damages for failing to review a home inspector’s report carefully with his purchaser client. The court found that the agent’s duty did not end with the recommendation that the purchaser obtain a home inspection.
Back in 2006, Glenda Halliwell was interested in buying a home on Dufferin St. in Toronto. She retained Joel Lazarus, a long-time friend and agent with Coldwell Banker Terrequity to represent her.
On the recommendation of Lazarus, Halliwell hired Brian Edwards, an experienced home inspector who operates Westbrook Building Inspections.
Except for the furnace, which was replaced by the seller, no other serious problems with the house were noted during the inspection. There was no evidence of water penetration through the foundations of the house prior to closing.
The purchaser waived the inspection condition in the offer and the transaction closed in May, 2006.
But just two months after closing and four months after the home inspection, there were clear indications of moisture, mould, mildew, rot, rust, drywall deterioration and efflorescence in the house.
Halliwell sued the seller, her agent, broker and the home inspector, and several of the defendants wound up suing each other. A 13-day trial was held before Justice Margaret Eberhard in Barrie last November and December.
Evidence at the trial showed that the vendor and his family used the basement, were not aware of any moisture penetration, and did not undertake any cleaning activities that suggested he was concealing a moisture problem. There was no seller disclosure form.
The judge found that Halliwell told the home inspector and her real estate agent that she was particularly concerned about mould because of her allergies, and that she relied on them to protect her from her own lack of knowledge of property issues. This, the judge concluded, they did not do.
Eberhard wrote that the inspection suggested that Edwards did what he always does “without ever ascertaining what (Halliwell) wanted done.” Based on the statements of the home inspector and her real estate agent during the inspection, “Halliwell had a reasonable expectation . . . that the home inspection had determined there were no concerns about moisture penetration, the source of potential mould.”
Unfortunately, the inspector failed to include in his summary of major defects that there was visible damage to the parging on the exterior wall at the driveway, and the driveway surface was missing an 18-inch swath of asphalt along the exterior wall of the house. These two factors indicated what may have been happening in the foundation wall below grade, and were highly relevant to the potential for moisture penetration.
The court’s ruling found that the inspector demonstrated competence and insight, but “failed to communicate adequately the concern for moisture penetration even though no visible signs of penetration were observed.”
Eberhard found that Lazarus, the real estate agent, took a “hands-off approach” with respect to the home inspection. “Had he read the report he . . . might well have concluded that the parging and driveway issue raised concerns.”
The agent induced the purchaser to rely on the home inspection and then “washed his hands of all responsibility to his client as to what use should be made of the inspector’s report. . . . He failed to advise the purchaser of the use to be made of the report . . . (and) fell below the standard of care by failing to review the report with his client before waiving the home inspection condition.”
The court found the inspector 50 per cent liable for the damages, and the agent 25 per cent liable. The buyer was also 25 per cent at fault because she did not read the report. The seller was not responsible at all.
Huntsville lawyer David Morin, who represented Halliwell, wrote to me last week to say that both the buyer and the real estate agent have filed appeals of the decision. If the trial ruling is upheld, real estate agents in future will have to become more involved in explaining home inspections to buyers.
