JH Inspections

Can you do a home inspection in an hour? I get this question a lot. The simple answer is... there’s much to cover, in detail, and a home inspection is the best three or four hours a client can spend in a home before they buy it. An inspection isn’t about trying to find reasons why not to buy a home, but quite the opposite. It’s a process that lets you know a lot more about your purchase, and provides a good overall picture of how to maintain this important investment moving forward. Not bad for three or four hours!

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Why a home inspection should always include the attic... During a recent home inspection in Etobicoke, the attic revealed a couple of problems. Many attic spaces are not properly ventilated, which can result in increased humidity levels, and encourage microbial growth (mold). In practical terms, outside air should enter through the soffits, and exit through the upper roof vents to maintain temperature and humidity levels closer to ambient outdoor conditions. Often, homes ...that have upgraded the insulation end up covering the soffits, and essentially block all ventilation. This usually results in a simple fix. Looking underneath the newer insulation (blown in cellulose fibre), revealed vermiculite, a mineral that was used frequently from the late 1970's to the mid 1980's, because of its strong insulation properties, with added benefit of being fire-resistant. The problem with vermiculite is that also contains asbestos, a known cause of several hazardous respiratory illnesses. The new home buyer needs to be aware of the problem, and needs to budget the removal and clean up of the material before finalizing their purchase. JH