Interior
Please note that there is often difficulty in determining thermal seal failure in windows and doors. Varying temperatures, lighting conditions and even the weather can influence the available evidence on any given day.
Note: All stair/handrail defects are potential hazards and must be repaired immediately.
Security bars at basement windows can make escape at the moment of disaster, difficult if not impossible. Be certain they can be removed instantly if necessary. If you’re concerned about security – alarm systems are a better idea.
Squeaks in floors are not uncommon. The level of repair required can seldom be determined during a visual inspection.
Water infiltration into below grade areas can be difficult to detect without the benefit of historical clues. (Stains, mold, efflorescence and so on). Often basements and/or crawl spaces will only leak under specific circumstances and unless those conditions are re-created at the time of the inspection, future problems may be impossible to predict.
We make no comment about interior layout or design, except where there is a perceived safety issue.
Uncertified wood stoves (not C.S.A. approved) can be a significant fire hazard and should not be used unless there is a clearance all round of at least four feet from anything combustible. You may find your insurance company will refuse cover if you have this type of stove.
A Wood Energy Technical Training (WETT) technician must be used to examine and clean all solid fuel burning appliances (fireplaces, wood stoves etc.) and their flue pipes. He should issue a compliance certificate before you use the device.
Moving to your new home in Winter may make attention to eaves-troughs, downspouts, grading and so on difficult, if not impossible, to achieve until Spring.
This does not reduce the potential for leakage. Consider these items a priority as soon as the weather permits.
Interior
Handrails and stairs
Handrail (railing) requirements vary depending on your geographical location.
As a general rule, railings are required:
On landings, decks or balconies more than 24 inches above grade or any
adjacent level. (30 inches in U.S.)
On the open side of stairs where the total rise is more than 6 steps. (30 inches
in U.S.)
On both sides of any stairs where width is 43 inches or more.
Handrail heights to be between 31 and 36 inches. (34 and 38 inches in U.S.)
No breaks in railing that prevent a continuous hand hold.
Spindles close enough together to prevent a 4 inch sphere passing between them.
The rules are many and varied. Consult your local building official for any specific code requirements.
Stairs must have a uniform rise/run ratio. This means you cant have a series of steps that are all 7 inches high and then have the eighth one 10 inches (or 6 inches).
In many older homes the railings do not comply with today’s rules and must be upgraded.
Stair and handrail deficiencies are a significant safety hazard and repairs or upgrades must be treated as a priority.
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
Install new smoke detectors to your home. There are two types available:
Photo-electric and ionizing.
Photo-electric detectors work when smoke deflects a light beam inside the unit onto a detector.
Ionizing units work by having a tiny radioactive plate inside that uses smoke particles to create an imbalance in a small electric circuit, thus tripping the alarm.
Units powered by the main electrical supply do not need battery changes but may not work in the event of a fire in the electrical system. New models are often powered by the main electrical power supply and are also equipped with a battery back-up.
Battery powered units always work but you have to renew the batteries. (Annual battery replacement is recommended).
So it makes sense to have both sorts or buy ones with battery backup. But remember that you still have to change the battery annually.
Carbon monoxide detectors are recommended in all homes that burn fossil fuels – gas, propane, oil, wood and so on. Most commentators recommend that they are installed at knee height near the sleeping area. Remember to install one in the basement (at knee height) if you have bedrooms there or kids sleeping over in the lower level.
Replace all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that are more than about five years old.
Basement windows
Installing bars at basement windows as a security measure is a good idea as long as they can be opened quickly in the event of a fire or other emergency.
In a smoke filled room, you will only have seconds to escape and you are unlikely to be able to find a padlock key, insert it and open the bars in the available time.
To see how difficult it is – stand in front of the bars, take one breath, close your eyes and see how far you get before you have to breathe again!
If you are really worried about security – install a monitored alarm system.
Walls and ceilings
Typically there will be minor areas of damage, especially in garages. The inspection will identify any major visible faults and any that need immediate attention however it will not include a comprehensive list of all drywall defects, such as nail pips and seasonal movement cracks.
Basement or crawl space leakage
Most basements, crawl spaces and other below grade areas will leak at some time during their lives. Often regular attention to eavestrough, downspouts, grading and other exterior drainage issues will keep moisture entry to a minimum. Occasionally, leakage will only occur at specific times of the year or under certain circumstances. Inspectors will always take great care to visually check all accessible below grade areas for signs of dampness or leakage and exterior drainage and grading systems for inadequacy. In the absence of specific evidence however, future leakage may be impossible to predict.
Fireplaces and wood stoves
All fireplaces and wood or other solid fuel burning devices must be examined and cleaned annually by a certified professional. This includes flue pipes and chimneys.
Please note that the cleaning of flue pipes and chimneys is not a job for a homeowner. In the event of a fire, unless you can produce some evidence of professional involvement, your insurance company is likely to be less than impressed!
We recommend that all such work be carried out by Wood Energy Technology Trained (W.E.T.T.) personnel or equivalent.
Most insurance companies will require W.E.T.T. certification of all wood stoves and many fireplaces to grant you the full cover from your policy.
The issue of combustible clearances – the distance between the wood burning device and any combustible material – is seldom a matter of visual interpretation, although that’s part of it. Inspectors will be able to make a reasonable determination of the issue only if the manufacturers data plate for the device is accessible and readable, (many aren’t) and the construction of the adjacent walls is obvious. (The poured concrete of a foundation wall clearly would be non-combustible).
Its a common misconception that drywall is non combustible. Certainly some types of drywall will allow a certain fire resistance however with wood burning devices, that’s only part of the equation.
A wood stove will transfer heat across the drywall depth and into the wood studs behind. A device that is too close to a wall and is run all winter or even for a few days continuously, will allow a build up of heat in the wood studs (behind the drywall) that may reach the point of spontaneous combustion.
This problem is exacerbated when the common “zero clearance” or insert fireplaces are used on a continuous basis. These units were never designed to be used in this way. They are for occasional use, typically for a few hours at a time.
Buckled heat shields, cracked fire bricks, poor combustible clearances and other deficiencies are fire hazards and the devices must not be used until all faults are professionally repaired.
Most fireplaces will create a net heat LOSS when in use. They draw heated air from the building to burn and then throw 75% of the heat they generate, up the chimney. Clearly you will feel warmer near the fire and the furnace will make up the difference but don’t ever believe that using an open fireplace will make a contribution to your heat, because probably – it wont!
Moisture Damage
The kitchen and bathrooms are the two most used rooms in a home. These areas also share other building systems including plumbing, electrical and heating along with built-in features.
Moisture damage is commonly found in a bathroom or kitchen space. Both areas are prone to many types of activities that increase moisture creation in a home, such as cooking, washing, bathing etc.
Both of these areas also require adequate ventilation to reduce and control moisture build up.
Gas and electric Ranges
The use of gas and electric ranges requires that adjacent framing and finishes and cabinetry be protected. a vertical clearance of 30 inches or greater must be provided between the elements of the burner of the range and materials which are located directly above. This may be reduced to 24 inches where the cabinets above are non-combustible and protected with sheet metal or protected by a range hood.
All wood or solid fuel burning devices are potential fire hazards unless properly maintained. W.E.T.T. certified contractor to test, inspect, clean and certify safe all wood burning devices and flue pipes before use. Adequate combustible clearances not visible or confirmed.
Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Install new smoke detectors to your home. There are two types available:
Photo-electric and Ionizing.
Photo-electric detectors work when smoke deflects a light beam inside the unit onto a detector.
Ionizing units work by having a tiny radioactive plate inside that uses smoke particles to create an imbalance in a small electric circuit, thus tripping the alarm.
Units powered by the main electrical supply do not need battery changes but may not work in the event of a fire in the electrical system. New models are often powered by the main electrical power supply and are also equipped with a battery back-up.
Battery powered units always work but you have to renew the batteries. (Annual battery replacement is recommended).
So it makes sense to have both sorts or buy ones with battery backup. But remember that you still have to change the battery annually.
Carbon monoxide detectors are recommended in all homes that burn fossil fuels – gas, propane, oil, wood and so on. Most commentators recommend that they are installed at knee height near the sleeping area. Remember to install one in the basement (at knee height) if you have bedrooms there or kids sleeping over in the lower level.
Replace all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that are more than about five years old.
Basement or Crawl Space Water Penetration
Typically there will be minor areas of damage, especially in garages. The inspection will identify any major visible faults and any that need immediate attention however it will not include a comprehensive list of all drywall defects, such as nail pops and seasonal movement cracks.
Basement or crawl space leakage
Most basements, crawl spaces and other below grade areas will leak at some time during their lives. Often regular attention to eavestrough, downspouts, grading and other exterior drainage issues will keep moisture entry to a minimum. Occasionally, leakage will only occur at specific times of the year or under certain circumstances. Inspectors will always take great care to visually check all accessible below grade areas for signs of dampness or leakage and exterior drainage and grading systems for inadequacy. In the absence of specific evidence however, future leakage may be impossible to predict.
