Do you need a one-year warranty home inspection? Yes, yes you do. Not only can it save you thousands of dollars in future repairs, but it lets you know the state of your home and any necessary repairs that need completed by the builder before your warranty is over. It will also provide you with a comprehensive report that outlines the deficiencies and gives you home maintenance tips.

Attic rain is a phenomenon that occurs when water leaks from the attic of a building. It is due to frost build up on the sheathing or other areas of the attic. Most attics in our climate will experience some frost in the attic during very cold temperatures, a well ventilated attic should naturally get rid of the frost build up as the temperature gradually gets warmer. Unfortunately our climate experiences drastic changes in temperature where it can fluctuate from -30 to above 0 in 24 hours. When that happens the attic ventilation doesn’t have time to get rid of the frost buildup and it will melt and can cause water damage to your home.

This video describes what really matters in a home inspection. When you hire a top rated, certified, home inspector in Calgary they will always accomplish what matters in a home inspection.

AFCIs function by monitoring the electrical waveform and promptly opening (interrupting) the circuit they serve if they detect changes in the wave pattern that are characteristic of a dangerous arc. They also must be capable of distinguishing safe, normal arcs, such as those created when a switch is turned on or a plug is pulled from a receptacle, from arcs that can cause fires. An AFCI can detect, recognize, and respond to very small changes in wave pattern.

Between approximately 1965 and 1973, single-strand (solid) aluminum wiring was sometimes substituted for copper branch-circuit wiring in residential electrical systems due to the sudden escalating price of copper. After a decade of use by homeowners and electricians, inherent weaknesses were discovered in the metal that lead to its disuse as a branch wiring material. Aluminum will become defective faster than copper due to certain qualities inherent in the metal.

Thermostatic mixing valve, Anti-scald valves, also known as tempering valves. Also known as “whats that thing under my sink”. It is there to help protect you from burning yourself. As a Calgary Home Inspector I think its best not to burn yourself…

Proper ventilation of bathroom fans is very important to remove moist air form bathroom and prevent frost accumulation, moisture issues and mold in attic.

Thermography, Infared or Thermal Imaging, has been around for many years now. I personally think this should be a must when you are doing a home inspection as it provides so much value to my clients which is why I include it Free with every inspection.  It a great way to narrow down issues during a home inspection, and lets face it, its pretty cool as well. 

No fire extinguisher can be safely and effectively used for every type of fire. Some contain chemicals that are ineffective in certain situations and can even cause harm to the operator if misapplied. To prevent confusion, extinguishers are classified by the type of chemical agents they contain. A few of the most common extinguisher types are listed below:

Here at House to Home Inspections we have compiled a list of 10 Things Buyers Should Know About Home Inspections. Give it a read before we head out to your inspection and hopefully this will alleviate some of your jitters and give you the ability to go into your purchase feeling a bit more educated and informed.

Ice damming occurs when the temperature is below freezing but snow located over a warmer area of the roof of the house melts and runs down the roof line into a colder area, often out over the eaves or an unheated porch, and then refreezes. As this process continues through several freeze/thaw cycles, the area of refreezing becomes a raised ridge, similar to a dam in a river holding back a lake. The melt water pools behind the ridge of ice, and often backs up under the shingles causing a leak and water damage to the roof sheathing, structure and the interior of the home.

House to Home Inspections considers safety of you and your family to be a top priority. This post explains the important aspects of carbon monoxide safety and what you should do and not do.

If a home inspector financially benefits from finding any defects, this can impact the accuracy of the report (whether intentional or not). The best home inspector you hire abides by a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

Money is great. At House to Home Inspections we will try to save you as much money as possible. Whether it is through helpful tips like this, or through finding deficiencies during home inspections that will save you money over time.