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PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:45 pm 
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As posted on Buildinghomes.ca on July 17 2015 by TommyBoy2014

http://www.buildinghomes.ca/community/forums/showthread.php?t=23260

Quote:
We recently hired Andy Shaw owner of Halton Home Inspection Service for our 30 day inspection and I highly recommend him for anyone who needs an inspector.

Andy spent over 4 hours inspecting our home and his attention to detail was impeccable. One example of this was at the beginning of the inspection he was looking at my roof from across the street using his binoculars. There was one part of the roof he couldn’t see so he actually drove to the street on the other side of the ravine behind my house to get a better look.

Other things that impressed me about Andy:

1) Andy not only inspects your home he actually takes time to teach you about your home. Our home as an HRV unit which we know nothing about. All the builder did was leave us a manual. Andy took the time to tell me how and when to use it and also demonstrated how to thoroughly clean it. Again, over and above just inspecting your home.

2) Two situations occurred where the builder’s work was a little sloppy. Andy being the perfectionist that he is, actually fixed the builder’s work right on the spot. Again, not something I expected him to do.

3) Andy gave me tips on small items that he said I should do rather that wait for the builder.

4) Andy arms you with the tools and lingo on how to approach the builder to get all the items addressed. If the time comes and the builder tries to dismiss the items on my list, I know that with Andy as a resource to call upon I can ensure these items will get done.

Hiring an inspector like Andy can be one of the best investments you make in your new home as items he points out or tips he gives you will save you thousands down the road.

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:06 am 
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Emailed Dec 2015.

Quote:
Hi Andy,

Thanks for sending the report. The photos will be very helpful for us to show the builder, especially with the problems on the roof that we can not easily see. When Max referred you to us he said you were thorough. He was right. We were very impressed with how much time you spent with us to go over the house and the equipment in the basement. We feel for the first time that we understand our home and how to look after it.

Thanks again - Kareen and Ivan

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 11:42 am 
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Hanging by a thread,,,,,,, a screw thread. :shock:

Expansion tanks that help with water pressure issues are common in new homes.

These steel tanks have a rubber membrane in them that accommodates the fluctuations in the volume of the homes hot water as it expands. These tanks are heavy. They are made of steel and are half full of water. As a result these tanks need to be secured well so that they could never fall to the floor. If this tank was to fall then it's very likely that at least one pipe connection would break resulting in water spraying in the basement. In new homes I have seen, a number of these tanks do not appear to be secured properly but this one below takes the cake. It might be a good idea to check yours.

Talk about hanging from a thread,,,,,,,,,,

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Close-up image. One wood screw was used to secure this tank. Not likely a permanent installation in this one year old home.

Image

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Last edited by Halton Home Inspector on Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 12, 2016 12:20 pm 
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Well no wonder,,,,,,,,,

Thermostats are simply thermometers with controls in them for the furnace and AC systems.


There are rules with regards to locating thermostats so that they can function properly. For example - they should not be installed on exterior walls that can get cold or warm and effect the thermostat. They should not be installed in areas where the sun shines on them so that they do not shut off prematurely in the winter. They should not be installed close to exterior doors where drafts could effect them OR, OBVIOUSLY, they should not be installed directly above an HVAC register that blows the air from the furnace or AC on them thus shutting down the systems well before the home is either fully heated or cooled.

So, it's no wonder that the heating and cooling in this one year old home was not keeping the home comfortable in any condition. In the winter the hot air from the register was blowing on the thermostat telling the thermostat to shut off the furnace well before the rest of the house was warm and in the summer cool air was blowing on the thermostat thus telling the thermostat to shut of the AC before the rest of the house was cool.

This is just another example of the problems with new home construction where builders, PDI reps, workers and others whose job it is to build a proper home for buyers fails. This poorly located thermostat is an obvious problem that should have been easy to identify by everybody involved including and for-crying-out loud the guy who stood there and installed the thermostat in the first place.

:arrow: The good news is that this WAS identified for one of my clients during a one year warranty inspection and the thermostat was re-located to an appropriate location.

For those that do not know :arrow: HVAC = Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.

Image

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761


Last edited by Halton Home Inspector on Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:12 pm 
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Oh,,, you are not supposed to use that door !!! was this builders initial response when my customer called his builders warranty trailer to tell them there was no deck below one of his doors :shock:

,,, and that's the problem with many builders when confronted with legitimate warranty issues. Their first response is often just some ridiculous statement of denial, a reflection of a culture of denial entrenched in warranty offices with some builders. This pitiful initial response will just go down in the history books with thousands of other ridiculous excuses made by some builders warranty people who are often not knowledgeable or experienced enough to look after issues other than the odd nail-pop or floor squeak. Regardless, my customer also dismissed their lame denial and will push ahead and have the builder fix this obvious mistake and have a proper deck built so he can safely enter or exit both of these exterior doors.

Why did this happen ?? - Most new homes come with sliding glass doors where only one side of the double glass door opens. In that case then a small deck below the door that opens would be the minimum requirement BUT when there is a double door where both doors open then a larger deck is obviously required. The bottom line is that the builders supervisors and the municipality missed this and the deck builders should have known that you can not have a double door with nothing below one of the doors.

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:arrow: UPDATE

:arrow: Finally !! After months of fussing and making excuses - like telling the home owner that the second operable door is supposed to stay closed, Mattamy built the proper deck below this rear door of this Oakville home.

Image

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761


Last edited by Halton Home Inspector on Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:47 am, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2016 10:55 am 
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This is a story about - an obvious problem, blinders, and my good deed for the day :wink:

The obvious problem

I am often in "The Preserve" development in Oakville doing 30 day and One Year warranty inspections for the sensible clients that phone me. :wink: While there I have been observing a 2 year old Mattamy built home that appeared to have a moisture problem that over many months was getting worse and worse. The moisture was on the homes stone wall even on dry days. "Efflorescence" ( white mineral powder ) on the wall was a clue that the moisture was migrating from inside the home to the exterior of the home. Efflorescence is white mineral residue that is left on masonry or concrete surfaces when moisture evaporates. In a basement for example - if there is efflorescence on a foundation wall then that would indicate that moisture is leaking or migrating through the foundation wall to the interior of the home.

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The Blinders

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Blinders are put on horses. They help the horse concentrate on the current task by blocking it's vision to anything that would distract it. This may be fine for horses but I have to wonder if this builders workers / managers wear blinders preventing them from seeing this chronic moisture problem that to someone in the home building business should have set off alarm bells. Why after all, have I driven by this home a few dozen times and watched this problem get worse and worse while this builders white pick-up trucks have likely driven by this home a thousand times or more and not one time did one of this builders workers knock on the door of this home and further evaluate this very serious problem that as I suspected was easy to diagnose ??? :?

My good deed for the day :wink:

So, a week ago, after an inspection in The Preserve, I passed by this house again but this time I decided that I would knock on the front door and tell the home owner about this problem. I pointed out the moisture on the wall and explained the cause of "efflorescence". I suggested that they turn ON their laundry dryer because that was the likely suspect. The flaps on the vent did not budge. I got out my ladder, removed the illegal screen from the vent, and discovered that there was a piece of wood covered with black house wrap completely blocking the vent duct that was only 3 inches long and I could hear the dryer swooshing it's warm moist air behind the wood.

Even though this issue is beyond warranty for this home it's my opinion that the builder will have no choice but to fix it, BUT without this being repaired it would not take long before the structure behind this stone wall from being rotted away and filled with mould.

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761


Last edited by Halton Home Inspector on Mon Jul 10, 2017 12:54 pm, edited 9 times in total.

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 9:55 am 
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Email from Oakville client Feb 9th 2016

Quote:
Thank you so much with the inspection report. I read it today and it is very informative.

Remington came today to fix our roof after I emailed them the pictures from your report. Once they saw the report they were prompt to respond.

We would have never found things that you put on your report. Thank you. I recommended you already to my friends in Oakville.

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761


Last edited by Halton Home Inspector on Fri Jan 26, 2018 10:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 12:39 pm 
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Anyone have a vacuum ??

:shock: Yes, this is a bathroom fan exhaust vent in an 8 year old home where I guess dust was an issue, likely from their completely clogged furnace filter. :? Apparently no one thought it might be a good idea to vacuum the cover of this bathroom fan cover before they put the house on the resale market. :arrow: Sometimes it astounds me how little effort people make when selling their homes.

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761


Last edited by Halton Home Inspector on Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:52 am, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 10:28 am 
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:!: It's not the first time this has happened,,,, :!:

Image

:arrow: BELOW - HRV Intake.

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:arrow: BELOW - Laundry dryer exhaust.

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:arrow: I wonder if the venting and exhaust systems in all of the other new Mattamy Oakville town homes on this block are just as bad as this 30 day old home. In this case, and likely at the other homes, it looks like some unskilled worker simply glued / caulked the white vents over holes without making any attempt to ensure that the venting systems will actually ever work properly. Oh well, fortunately for MY customer these issues and others were identified during a 30 day warranty inspection and now that he understands the problems, he has every right to insist that the builder fix them properly. As well, my client can also reference the detailed online PDF inspection report that I sent to him with additional photos and code references.

1 - the dryer duct is not connected to the white vent and it appears that about 15 feet down the duct that it is disconnected.
2 - the laundry room exhaust fan duct is behind the vent but not connected to the vent.
3 - the HRV exhaust duct is not connected to the vent so it is simply venting into the structure.
4 - the first floor bathroom fan exhaust duct is missing the required screen, blocked with some house wrap, and the duct is not connected to the vent.
5 - the HRV Intake vent has the wrong flaps making it impossible for the HRV to suck in fresh air, it's missing the required screen, and the intake duct is behind the vent but not even close to being connected to the vent.

In other words. This homes venting systems are a complete fake and it is impossible that the person who installed the white vents did not know that none of these systems would work properly. My conclusion is that they did not care.

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761


Last edited by Halton Home Inspector on Mon Jul 10, 2017 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 11:28 am 
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Quote:
Hi Andy,

Thank you very much for the home inspection report. My husband and I are very pleased with the professional manner it is presented in and it will be forwarded to Tarion for the 1 Year Warranty purpose.

Thank you for the excellent service you provide.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Best regards,

Dita V.

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:09 pm 
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Quote:
Hello Andy,

Thank you for your time this morning inspecting our new home. I learned a lot the whole time you were here.

Thank you for the report you have provided as well. It is very detailed and neatly done.

I hope the builder will act upon the major issues in a timely manner.

Thanks again and i will let you know how my meeting with the builder goes on March 31.

Mark R.



Quote:
Thanks Andy.

I appreciate the time and level of detail you went through the house. I'm glad I contacted you as many of the issues we found, I would not have found it myself.

Syed Q.

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761


Last edited by Halton Home Inspector on Tue Apr 05, 2016 6:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 7:30 pm 
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:arrow: The "SPHERICAL OBJECT" building code rule !!

Image

:arrow: This second floor guard rail on this one year old Milton home breaks the health safety "sphere" rule that is intended to protect our most vulnerable.

Ontario Building Code Rule 9.8.8.5. Openings in Guardrails.
(1) Openings through any guardrail shall be of a size that will prevent the passage of a spherical object having a diameter of 4 inches or 100 mm.


Whether the opening in a rail is between the rails or under the rail, the opening must not be more than 4 inches. The "spherical object" code is referring to the size of a typical babies head. In other words, guardrails are required to protect all of us including babies who in this home could easily fall through the large opening at the bottom of the guardrail and drop one floor down to a asphalt driveway below. :shock:

This issue was noted as a one year warranty issue during a resent inspection and the builder will need to remove the rail and re-install it lower on the wall so that the opening at the bottom of the rail is less than 4 inches / 100 mm.

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Last edited by Halton Home Inspector on Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 10:26 am 
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:arrow: Electrical panel grounding plates MUST be buried, :shock: not sitting on the ground at the side of an "occupied" home !!

:arrow: When there is an electrical problem in a home - the electricity needs to take the path of least resistance. That can be your body or be through the homes properly installed electrical panel grounding system.

While walking along the side of a 30 day old home with the home owner I noticed that the white ground wire was much longer than it should be and pulled on it. Under a small amount of debris was the homes main electrical panel grounding plate. Obviously overlooked this ground plate should have been buried at least 2 feet deep in the ground. It's hard to say what would have happened with this ground plate if it had not been noted on my 30 day warranty report for the client but I suspect that it would have just been covered with a bit of dirt and gravel that is placed between homes. As a result, the electrical ground for this home would never have been as effective as it is supposed to be.


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NO, you do not just dig a hole and throw the ground plate into that hole. You need to make sure that the earth has intimate contact with the plate. The plate should lay flat, be at least 2 feet deep, and the soil around the plate needs to be tamped and compressed around it. :arrow:

Image

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Last edited by Halton Home Inspector on Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 6:52 am 
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Posted October 2016.

HRV season is on the way,,,,

:idea: ,,, and for those of you with HRV's, you may want to get a small hand held mirror and use it to get a good look at the screen in the intake vent and see if it is clogged with debris like the one in the photo. If you don't want to bother with a mirror then feel free to get on the ground and look up into the vent.

:arrow: Your HRV will not be able to pull fresh exterior air into your home if the vent is clogged.

:idea: The best way to resolve this issue may be to use a vacuum attachment that will fit between the fixed flaps and suck the debris off the screen.

:arrow: There are three brands of intake vents that have been used over the years. They have 3 of 4 or 5 flaps. The 3 flap vents have larger holes in the screens so they are less likely to get blocked. Most of the 4 flap vents and all of the 5 flap vents have the finer metal screen with smaller holes and these are more likely to get clogged.

:arrow: The photo below is from a one year old home. Keep in mind that how much these vents will clog will depend on how often the HRV is used. This one was used a lot.

Image

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761


Last edited by Halton Home Inspector on Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2016 5:16 pm 
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A few random thoughts & online customer comments.

:arrow:
Quote:
Hire Andy Shaw to do your 30 days inspection. Worth every penny. Good luck.


:arrow:
Quote:
Just did the home inspection with Andy Shaw of Halton Home Inspection Service. Highly recommend him.


:idea:
Quote:
I think I will contact Andy Shaw to do mine - he seems to be very competent in what he does.


:arrow:
Quote:
We hired Andy Shaw and he noticed a lot of things we otherwise would not have.

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