CANADA DAY JULY 1 LA FETE DU CANADA - 06/29/11 10:19 AM

 
For anyone in the Montreal area this weekend, especially the West island, this is one of those you'll regret missing.
For those who don't know, the Pointe-Claire village is the original area of the pioneering French farming village that developed this end of the island. Around this the modern city of Pointe-Claire has grown, but the character, many of the structures, lots of the 'families' have remained.
This is a real village. It has charm, identity and lots of interesting shops, stores and businesses. (No chain stores here).
Boutique Lois Butler, where the sale is, is just one of … (8 comments)

PLEASE DO NOT MOVE DRYER CLOSER TO REAR WALL.(Part 3) Dryer Vent Safety - 06/28/11 08:14 PM
 
PLEASE DO NOT MOVE DRYER CLOSER TO REAR WALL. (Part 3) Dryer Vent Safety
In this series I have included this article (which is reproduced with permission) from my professional association; InterNACHI.  I'm reprinting it with a view to providing some of the reference data for the earlier articles that home owners and renovators can use to understand and plan laundry room and exhaust vent installations.
It will also give people a perspective on why inspectors will be talking about this problem whereas it was not only a few years ago.

 
Dryer Vent Safety    by Nick Gromicko, Rob London and … (2 comments)

PLEASE DO NOT MOVE DRYER CLOSER TO REAR WALL. (Part 1) - 06/27/11 10:35 PM
PLEASE DO NOT MOVE DRYER CLOSER TO REAR WALL. (Part 1)

I believe that says it all.  But you must ask, why. Well. a quick glimpse behind the dryer reveals all (photo below).
There you can see the plastic flexible duct that will crush if the dryer is pushed any further.
It looks like the home owner has used pipe strapping to hold the flex duct up off the floors so it wont be folded over itself or squished side ways like a 'slinky' toy could be.
This ducting is little more than a 'slinky' type coil that has been … (31 comments)

Up Up And Away! ...Scuttle Hatches........Part 3: Insulation as Air Filter - 06/25/11 04:41 PM

Up Up And Away! ...Scuttle Hatches........Part 3: Insulation as Air Filter
This is something that I see quite regularly. Most people forget that the modern attic is not a storage area of the home. It is a structural service area and is a cold zone. It is outside the thermal envelope of the home. For all intents and purposes it IS outside the home (It's just rain sheltered.)
So what does this mean to home owners. Unfortunately, from the evidence I've seen, to a great many, it doesn't mean a thing.
Why do I say that?  What evidence an I … (9 comments)

Electrical Boxes Without Covers are a Routine Find for the Atlanta Home Inspector - 06/25/11 02:18 PM
 
Even though this article is written by an Atlanta area inspector this a very important and serious problem. These conditions are found everwhere including here in the Montreal area.
These are easily fixable situations, that once done, will eliminate significant fire risk. If you are wondering about the value of a home inspection, this is something to remember.
This is a re-blog so please click through and leave your comments with the writer.
 
 
 
Via Atlanta's Home Inspector for all your Atlanta Home Inspections -David & Bonnie (IHI Home Inspections 404-788-2581):
Electrical junction boxes are required to have a cover. These … (3 comments)

It's Atomic! It Might Nuke The Sale, But The House Is OK. - 06/24/11 02:26 PM

It's Atomic!   It Might Nuke The Sale, But The House Is OK.

 

 
I just got back from a consult. I was called in for a second opinion for an issue to do with a garage floor. In this case I was working for the sellers. The buyers were asking for a price reduction because their inspector had identified the garage floor as being defective and in a substandard state.
I did not get to see that inspectors report, but the garage floor is cracked and heaved upward in much of its area. These are large cracks … (6 comments)

He Got Away. I Didn't Catch Him ...But I Know Where He Lives ! - 06/22/11 11:19 PM
He Got Away. I Didn't Catch Him ...But I Know Where He Lives !

Who do you think has moved in here, Some furry, nut-gathering denizen of the surrounding boreal forest?  No doubt you can picture some cute little anthropomorphized creature that could be friends of Thumper and company.
You may, even realistically, see an enterprising squirrel moving to that sweet (suite) little condo, but no, that’s not the miscreant here.
No this architectural folly detail is being squatted by a much bigger brute. This guy saw me coming and lit out for the hills. He knows I don’t care for him … (15 comments)

A Milestone and a New Benchmark For Me..............Thanks To Active Rain. - 06/12/11 04:49 PM
A Milestone and a New Benchmark For Me..............Thanks To Active Rain.
Today I reached a new milestone in my Active Rain participation.
I've crossed the 75,000 points mark !
That's a big deal for me. Even though I'd been a member since 2008, I had not been active until this past 6 months.
I had 3 blogs prior to this past December. Now I have over 100 that I've written myself. (Others are AR re-blogs).
I've learned to blog with the help of many friends and great examples here on AR. Thank you Active Rain.
When I started I could not conceive … (17 comments)

The Free Pool - A True Story And A Cautionary Tale. - 06/10/11 08:19 PM

The Free Pool - A True Story And A Cautionary Tale.
This true tale was brought to mind by a photo I saw in Charles Buell's recent blog: Summer time---time to jump in the Pool!
His pool shot (photo) reminded me of a local incident.
Married friends of mine had kids and bought a house in a near by commuter city. The price was right, etc, etc.
Come spring they discovered a 15' deflated pool in the tall grass of the back yard. My friend , a fairly handy guy took weeks of spare time checking it out, reassembling it and making … (11 comments)

Shaking it up- Chelan, Wenatchee and Leavenworth Home Inspections - 06/10/11 09:37 AM
Here's an article on wood shingled roofs from a colleague on the west coast. We don't see this type in the Montreal area very often. Here this roofing would be used for visual detail rather than construction economy.
Please link through to the original article when you leave comments.
Via Donald Hester NCW Home Inspections, LLC (NCW Home Inspections, LLC):
Shaking it up- Chelan, Wenatchee and Leavenworth Home Inspections
Wood roofs- Is it a Shingle or Shake? This at times is very difficult to really know because the modern milling techniques for shingles can mimic shakes, but generally shingles are sawn (smooth) and … (3 comments)

Summertime Checklist! - 06/09/11 03:43 PM
This is a re posted article from an inspector in another part of North America, but the message and good advice is pertinent to us all.
Via Brian and Heather Halliday - Temecula Home Inspector (Halliday Home Inspections):
Just like spring time is the time for spring cleaning, Summertime is a great time to take care of all those odds and ends in your home. Especially the exterior ones before the rain comes again. 
I recently went on a Home inspection in Temecula where I pointed out that that there were some cracked tiles and what appeared to be, at best, sub parr flashing on the … (1 comments)

The Feet Know What The Eyes Can't See - 06/07/11 12:01 AM
This article by my associate James Quarello shows a problem that carpenters are trained to prevent. Some don't understand this and the results are like what we have here. I wrote a similar article this past January.
Via James Quarello - Connecticut Home Inspector (JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC):
You're walking down the side walk along your street, gazing about, taking in the sights and boomp! You stumble. You look around to see what caused this interruption of stride. You see that your toe caught a rise in the walk that your eyes never saw. Your feet have detected what your eyes were … (3 comments)

"When Changing A Light Bulb JustIsn't Enough" An "Off The Shelf" Review - 06/06/11 12:04 PM
"When Changing A Light Bulb Just Isn't Enough"                      An "Off The Shelf" Review
 

The Bulb - There is more to home maintenance than changing light bulbs.
So the secondary title for this book is "150 WAYS TO SLASH YOUR HOUSEHOLD BILLS & SAVE ENERGY, TOO"
This is for those who are able bodied and wish to do more things themselves to improve the living conditions around their home and take measures to save money and energy. Many of these little things make small or insignificant immediate changes that add … (10 comments)

Carried And Through: ......Bolts Out Of The Blue - 06/05/11 12:59 PM
Carried And Through: ......Bolts Out Of The Blue
Jay Markanich's recent blog raised a debate about the use of carriage bolts in outdoor wood structures. Some appear to claim that they are an inferior fastening technology. I say consider the source.
Some facts: Carriage bolts were designed to be drawn into the wood to lock the head in place and allow tightening of the nut. That system works fine as long as the bolt holes were not too big in the first place and as long as the heads don't slip when torque is applied.
This is 'the carriage bolt school technology' … (8 comments)

Wenatchee Home Inspections- Taking a Stand - 06/04/11 12:33 PM
 
This Washington state area inspector wrote this article about the stand pipes for laundry machines. This is important information for home owners and apartment dwellers to be aware of when setting up their washing machines. An error could literally land them in hot water. Dirty soapy hat water at that.
 
Via Donald Hester NCW Home Inspections, LLC (NCW Home Inspections, LLC):
Wenatchee Home Inspections- Taking a Stand
As a home inspector it seems you get a run on certain items that keep showing up. Recently for me it was the washing machine standpipes.
   
I have been doing several … (5 comments)

Don't Trim Those Toe Nails! - 06/04/11 10:53 AM
This is a serious problem that is prevalent because of amateur or uniformed workmanship. The only railing systems that can be attached onto the deck surface are solid metal types designed to be surface mounted. All wood systems have to pass through the decking and be through bolted into the framing.
This article is written by an experienced Virginia inspector. His tone is a bit sarcastic but he illustrates the point very well.
Via Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC):
Toe nailing is a valid carpentry technique.  But for the most part it is a temporary tacking of one thing to … (2 comments)

The Twisted Fix To Real Victorian Smokers………………………Answer To Mimi’s Question. - 06/03/11 11:21 PM
The Twisted Fix To Real Victorian Smokers………………………Answer To Mimi’s Question.
 
Victorian homes had multi-faceted high steep pitched roofs.
The Problem: This created downdraft problems for many of the chimneys. They would release smoke into the house and make house keeping cleaning a real chore.
One solution for this was to extend the height of the chimneys and this meant tall thin, usually freestanding, chimneys from the roof up to heights near to, if not exceeding the ridge of the roof.
This worked mostly, but the right (or wrong) weather conditions would cool these chimneys and cause thermal inversions and … (9 comments)

E D , Erectile Dysfunction.................................An OMG File. - 06/03/11 12:07 AM
E D , Erectile Dysfunction.................................An OMG File.

Not what you were expecting?  Well neither was I.
I was inspecting the roof with the black shingles, sighting down the soffit for gutter slope when I did a double take on this chimney. O.M. G. indeed.
It took a few moments to realize how this got to be that way. It's obvious that maintenance repointing has been done.
And it's equally obvious that it was a DIY mason, likely the home owner. And this erectile dysfunction came about as the homeowner DIY mason has a well developed respect for heights (read fear … (18 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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