While today the idea to install hardwood floor is far from lacking in popularity, in the past, they have not always been an instant hit. In medieval times hardwood floors were used for multi-story buildings and usually consisted of two-foot wide planks of elm or oak. Parquet wood flooring became very popular, but its...
Barrie Home Inspector Tips
- Inspection of a Commercial PropertyThe Commercial Property Inspector is a qualified Building Code inspector. He is a Certified Building Code Official with the Ontario Building Officials Association and is fully qualified on Large Buildings and Part 3 of the Ontario Building Code. An unknowing inspector may lead you to believe your property is code compliant when you could in […]
- Aluminum Wiring – Hazards and SolutionsPrimarily in the 1960s and 1970s, many electrical contractors used aluminum wiring instead of copper wiring as a way to save money and lower construction costs. However, a number of electrical fires have been attributed to aluminum wiring. Many building codes have been rewritten to not allow the use of aluminum wire for branch circuit wiring in houses. […]
- Deck Collapse – Is Your Deck Safe?Safety Alert: Study Reveals Sharp Increase in Deck Failures A landmark study reveals that there have been 179 reported deck collapses from January2000 through December 2006, killing 33 and injuring 1,122.By: Michael Morse, Brittney Corwin, Robert Morse and Andrew JohnsonIn September 2006, a particularly violent deck collapse occurred. What made this collapse […]
- Why You Need a Home InspectionWhy You Need A Home Inspection by Roger Frost A home inspection is a limited, non-invasive examination of the condition of a home, often in connection with the sale of that home. Home inspections are usually conducted by a home inspector who has the training and certifications to perform such inspections. The inspector prepares and […]
- Solving Basement Water ProblemsMany “how-to” magazines run articles touting miracle products that stop water from permeating through foundations or basement walls and floors. While some products may be effective at mitigating water migration through cracks or flaws in a wall, blocking groundwater can be as tough as keeping water from leaking through split seams of a wooden boat. […]
Posts Tagged ‘ buildings ’
Home Inspections – Ontario Building Codes
The Ontario Building Codes are a minimum set of standards that all building must meet when constructed. Although the Ontario Building Code is not designed to be used as a requirement to bring existing buildings up to this standard, not having a knowledge of the code would not allow a person to know what...
Large Buildings – Occupancy, Size and Construction Requirements
As buildings grow in size and height the Ontario Building Code has more restrictive life safety requirements in conjunction with higher ratings for fire resistive products and separations to ensure adequate life safety for occupants are being maintained.
The Beginning of Energy Management and Audits
In the Beginning ASHRAE 90-75, released in 1975, was the first ASHRAE Standard 90 and the first real energy standard for commercial buildings. Standard 90-75 led to a short-lived and virtually unknown energy code called the Model Code for Energy Conservation (1977). The requirements in 90-75 showed up in the first Model Energy Code...
Ontario Building Code and Large Buildings
Part 3 building inspections require a whole new skill set and qualifications beyond the scope of these part-time evening courses. These courses are typically only available in larger centers such as OBOA teaching facility in Toronto.
Large Buildings and Fire Protection
The importance of fire protection has been proven over and over again when lives have been lost in large buildings whose fire protection equipment has been either compromised or disabled for various reasons. One large fire in a high rise, which started in café on first floor, which contributed to lost lives, was blamed...
Power Line Clearances
The Canadian Electrical Code Part I gives electrical utilities an exemption from the code for "installations and equipment in its exercise as a utility, located outdoors or in buildings or sections of buildings used for that purpose." The CEC Part I is "a voluntary code for adoption and enforcement by regulatory authorities." When adopted...
Home Inspection News
- Ask a Realtor: Is a Home Inspection Worth it? - Huffington Post Canada (blog)Ask a Realtor: Is a Home Inspection Worth it?Huffington Post Canada (blog)Well, if your house is your biggest investment, I think you want to know how solid that investment is. Four hundred and fifty dollars is the cost for a home inspection on an average three-bedroom house. The price is calculated on the size and price of ... […]
- Town to inspect burnt out home for possible demolition - TowntimesnewsTown to inspect burnt out home for possible demolitionTowntimesnewsBy Jim Taylor WATERTOWN — The town has gained permission to inspect a home located at 6 Taft Avenue, Oakville, that residents have been asking to have torn down for five years. Building Inspector Dino Raddochio and Town Manager Chuck Frigon are ... […]
- Inspection, appraisal, fees -- homebuying costs add up - NewsdayNewsdayInspection, appraisal, fees -- homebuying costs add upNewsdayThere are other outlays: appraisal, inspection, deposit, cash reserves and more. The costs add up. "How much cash you'll need depends a lot on the size of your home purchase and how much you intend to finance," says Tim Ross, president and chief ... […]
- WIN Home Inspection Named 2012 Military Friendly Franchise by G.I. Jobs ... - DigitalJournal.com (press release)WIN Home Inspection Named 2012 Military Friendly Franchise by G.I. Jobs ...DigitalJournal.com (press release)MADISON, Ala., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- WIN Home Inspection announces its achievement of being ranked in the top 10 percent of all franchises nationwide, and being named a 2012 Military Friendly Franchise® by GI Jobs Magazine.and more » […]
- Painting fixer-upper will make it a home - San Francisco ChroniclePainting fixer-upper will make it a homeSan Francisco ChronicleQ: We just bought a house in Alameda. It was built in the 1930s and hasn't been touched since. We got it for a good price and are viewing renovations as a long-term project. We had a termite inspection, a roof inspection and a home inspection. […]