That something was off rang like a bell. - 01/31/11 10:28 PM
I once did an inspection that went very well. That something was off rang like a bell.
The urban environment external to a home can affect its desirability. The clients' tolerance of that is what counts. It's the other side of the coin. So what are the 'masked' issues or factors and what is your clients' tolerance level, real or perceived. You can't see them by just looking at the property.
I once did an inspection that went very well. The duplex was in good shape. The potential buyer, my client, kept asking me what could be wrong. There was nothing … (7 comments)

I'm a little teapot...drip drip drip. - 01/21/11 03:18 PM
I’m a little teapot… drip drip drip.
 How do you keep the spout of a teapot from dripping on the table linen or furniture? Some teapot spouts always drip. Some drip sometimes. Some never do drip.
You can't tell at the store. You can't tell till you use it. So what do you do if you have a dripping, dribbling spout?
English butlers had a little trick.
Before serving the tea they wiped a small, nearly invisible dab of butter onto the lower lip edge of the spout. When the first cup of tea is poured the hot water removes any … (3 comments)

Legal Responsibilities. - 01/16/11 10:11 AM

Robert Butler - Aspect Inspection Having a property inspection done by someone knowledgable in building construction and operating systems does one major thing for you.It provides the 'due diligence' on the building. This means that you've had the house looked into to a reasonable degree beyond the features and other aspects of the house that make it attractive to you as you future home.Some people (or some family members) won't look beyond those features that they love or are impressed by. It doesn't matter if it is the fireplace, the attached double garage or the granite counter tops. You just … (0 comments)

Does anybody know what this is? - 01/16/11 09:54 AM

 
Robert Butler - Aspect Inspection
This is installed on the ridge board in the attic of a 50's era built home. We could not trace the wire once it left the attic. The sheathing is braided fabric that is not fraying or heat degraded and the metal of this device is not rusted or damaged. The heating system of this home has been converted to electricity but was originally an oil fired forced air furnace system. This part may date from that time but its' function is unknown.
 
Does anybody recognize or know what this is?
… (8 comments)

For Valerie & friends: It’s cold! What do I do? - 01/11/11 11:02 AM
It’s cold!  What do I do?
 Ok, the house doesn’t have a basement. It has a crawlspace and the floors are cold. There is a dirt floor, which is dry now, but there is efflorescence so it has been wet in the past or maybe seasonally.
Air heating ducts pass through the area. They are incompletely insulated and there is likely plumbing and wiring present as well.
The good news is there are no evident structural problems.  So what can be done?
Quick and dirty: heat the crawl space.
Get an electrician to put electric baseboard heaters around the perimeter about … (4 comments)

What wrong in this picture.? A Halloween Horror? Tread Trickery? - 01/09/11 02:20 PM

Do you think this is an inviting Halloween walkway?
It's actually the morning after Halloween but can you spot the 8 safety concerns here?
No I'm not talking about the absence of handrails or the disrepair and neglected landscaping around the walkway though those improvements would be recommended.
Neither am I talking about the soil that has slumped or eroded away from under the original pair of steps 'hanging' on the house. All the concrete is in good shape. The surfaces are good. There are no cracks. And everything is level.
So can you spot them?........
 
Maybe not…………..
 
… (4 comments)

Preventing Ice Dams From The Exterior - 01/05/11 12:17 PM
 
 
Our climate is similar here in Montreal. Our first big snow dump this year fell with westerly winds so the lee sides of homes developed what I like to call 'Snow Brows'. Theses are big over hangs of snow projecting various distances out form the roof edges.  'Don't slam the door!' scenarios because a sudden jolt can cause them to drop.
Lots of ice dams developed under theses brows. Most people here don't do anything about it. They wait it out, expecting it to get even colder, so everything freezes. They think they are ok till next time. We … (0 comments)

It''s a new house, I don't need an inspection, right? - 01/04/11 01:30 PM
 
As an inspector I’ve often heard "I don't need to get an inspection, it’s a new house."  Big mistake, made by the inexperienced,most often young couples.  New construction is where the biggest problems exist.  The problem is not 'glue verses wood' or any other technological innovations.  Each technology selected is a working durable system and as long as it is fully implemented and integrated into the home construction it's fine.  The knowledge is there.
The problem arises from lack of supervision both in the architectural decision stages and the on site management.  It used to be the norm that a … (28 comments)

 
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Robert Butler, Montreal, Canada Home Inspector

Montreal West Island, QC

More about me…

Aspect Inspection

Address: Montreal - West Island, Serving the greater Montreal region, Pointe-Claire, QC, H9S 4l7

Cell Phone: (514) 914-1249

Email Me

Usually I'm presenting an aspect of home maintenance, value improvement or 'how too' instructions to feature best practice ways to do things around building and property issues. Some times it's building tech history or how thing came to be as they are, the back story on terms, expressions and phrases. I keep track of the strange, the unique, the special and interesting things I get to see, including the dangers. These are filed as OMGs. OMGs always have photos, so I share the file with you from time to time. The rest come out of thin air. More than once I start writing a comment on someone else's blog and end up inking a whole new blog. Am I inspired or am I ranting? You can decide.


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