Some of the most common problems a building inspector might find are the result of amateur renovations. When buying a property that has been renovated the first thing to determine is whether the renovations were done professionally or by an amateur.  If the work was done with permits the vendor will likely provide proof by presenting the building permit or certificate of completion. City Hall also keeps records of all renovation or building permits and copies of these can be obtained. Are all non-permitted renovations problematic? Very often home renovations have been done by the home owner or an amateur contractor without a building permit. Non-permitted renovations mean that no municipal building code inspectors checked the work and some potential, and possibly significant, problems may exist. On the other hand, not all non-permitted renovations are sub-standard. Very often it is the same builders doing permitted and non-permitted work. As home inspectors we find that jobs ...

Homeowners renovate to update, add value or prepare their homes for sale. But no one wants to invest in a renovation only to see it cost more money later in revisions or repairs.  A CIBC poll done in 2016 suggested that 37% of Canadian homeowners planned to renovate or improve their home.  If you are considering a renovation to your house, a home inspection can help you prioritize your requirements and actually save you money in the long run. DO YOUR RESEARCH A home renovation can be fun and exciting, but it’s also a time when clear planning and forward thinking are most important. Going over budget, unforeseen mishaps or delays, disputes with builders and contractors – these aren’t what you envisioned as part of your dream renovation process. Careful research, investigation and planning are required in the decision making process. The Canadian Homebuilders Association (CHBA) and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) are excellent resources. According t...

Inspect it All uses Thermal Imaging with every inspection that we do for our customers.  Many innovative technologies developed for security, military and space exploration applications later find their way into industry applications that benefit us every day. That is certainly the case with thermal imaging. Breakthroughs in the late 1990s enabled manufacturers of thermal imaging cameras to marry an uncooled detector to earlier TI cameras, so that lower costs of what is technically known as a microbolometer could be brought to market. One of the major advantages of the microbolometer is that it has no moving parts and is therefore less susceptible to breakdowns. It is also less expensive to produce which allowed thermal imaging camera manufacturers to bring the price of their products down considerably.  Since that time, thermal imaging technology has allowed Inspect it All technicians to check for water intrusion without cutting through drywall or tearing up carpet....