Home inspection in Montreal

A home inspection is a limited, non-invasive examination of the condition of a home, often in connection with the sale of that home.

This is usually conducted by a home inspector who has the training and certifications to perform such inspections. The inspector prepares a written report, often using home inspection software, and delivers it to a client, typically the home buyer.

The client then uses the knowledge gained to make informed decisions about their pending real estate purchase. The home inspector describes the condition of the home at the time of inspection but does not guarantee future condition, efficiency, or life expectancy of systems or components.

An inspector will check the roof, basement, heating system, water heater, air-conditioning system, structure, plumbing, electrical, and many other aspects of buildings looking for improper building practices, those items that require extensive repairs, items that are general maintenance issues, as well as some fire and safety issues.

However, it should also be noted that a home inspection is not technically exhaustive and does not imply that every defect will be discovered.

A general list of exclusions include but are not limited to: code or zoning violations, permit research, property measurements or surveys, boundaries, easements or right of way, conditions of title, proximity to environmental hazards, noise interference, soil or geological conditions, well water systems or water quality, underground sewer lines and/or waste disposal systems, buried piping, cisterns, underground water tanks and sprinkler systems to name a few.

A home inspector is sometimes confused with a real estate appraiser. A home inspector determines the condition of a structure, whereas an appraiser determines the value of a property.

A home cannot “fail” an inspection, as there is no score or passing grade given. A professional home inspection is an examination of the current condition of a house. It is not an appraisal. It is not a municipal inspection, which verifies local building code compliance.

A home inspector, therefore, will not pass or fail a house, but rather describe its physical condition and indicate what components and systems may need a major or minor repair or replacement.

Thank you for your hard and detailed work. It is very much appreciated!” Pierre Tremblay, Montreal

Ice Dam on a poorly Ventilated roof

The ideal method is for roof ventilation to pull air through the soffit vents and exhaust it through an individual roof or continuous ridge vent.

We recommend a clear space of least 2 inches above your ceiling insulation to allow the moisture that moves through your attic insulation to exhaust through roof ridge vents.

Heat travels by convection, conduction, and radiation. Because energy costs a lot of money it’s important to prevent the warm air from escaping through walls, ceilings, and roof. Insulation and vapor barriers trap the heat, or slow its flow.

During winter months we heat our homes. Our interior heat rises and permeates through the ceiling vapor barrier and attic insulation and causes ice and snow to melt resulting in possible water leakage. Water from the melting is trapped creating an “ice dam” on the roof, gutters and downspouts.

Removing this ice and snow you may cause damage to the roof and is dangerous. An alternative emergency method to avoid damage if the interior heat problem can’t be corrected is to create water runoffs through the ice and snow. Doing this allows the water to flow off the roof.

Our roofs take quite a beating during their lifetime. Because they are fully exposed, roofs catch the brunt of weather’s worst.

A roof system is composed of several elements that work together to provide three basic, essential functions for your home – shelter, drainage, and ventilation.

The roof covering and the flashing are designed to shed water, directing it into gutters and downspouts that channel it away from the foundation. Air intake and exhaust vents keep fresh air circulating below the roof sheathing, preventing moisture build-up as well as heat build-up.

When it is very cold out it is not unusual to see some condensation on the windows. This is not necessarily a bad thing. To be comfortable humidity should be maintained between 30% and 40% RH, out side of that range you get mould if it is too high or it will be too dry if low and dust allergies may be a problem. Even at 30% RH there will be some condensation on the windows. Removing the screens will ease the situation and reduce ice build up at the bottom of the window. Ice on the window can cause the sealed window unit to fail.

Window condensation can be a problem in electrically heated houses built in the 80’s or an older house that has upgraded windows and heating system. Humidity can build up from normal living, cooking, showers, etc. Old houses leak enough to provide for some air exchange with the dryer outside air. Newer or upgraded houses should have a heat recovery ventilator installed to control the humidity. If humidity is building up and you don’t have a heat recovery ventilator then open a window for a few minutes a day and let in some fresh air. It is a good idea to purchase a humidity indicator so you know what you humidity is. Humidity indicators are available from most electronic stores. Humidity is a difficult parameter to measure accurately so when you purchase an indicator choose one that reads the same as several others that are next to it on the shelf.