What if we find...

Registered Home Inspectors do not specifically look for contaminants of any kind.

There are a number of possible contaminants in any home of almost any age. Some of these are mould, asbestos, lead, vermiculite, bird/bat droppings, UFFI and radon.

Should any of these problems be discovered and work is required, we recommend getting at least three quotations. Require that your suppliers be licensed, bonded and insured and always check references.

Adjoined Drain Lines

Some older homes have joined drain lines. When failure occurs, all parties are required to pitch in for the repairs. Some insurance companies will not insure such a set-up and may demand that the home owner/purchaser provide independent drainage for every dwelling in the unit. Check with local plumbers and the City for repairs or upgrades.

Aluminum Wiring

Aluminum wiring was used from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s. It is estimated that the risk of fire in a house wired with “old technology” aluminum wiring (manufactured prior to 1972) is 40 to 50 times that of a house wired with copper wire. This is an insurance risk and can be mitigated somewhat through inspection and maintenance by a licensed electrical contractor.

Asbestos

Asbestos was used mainly as an insulator but it can be present in manufactured materials as well. Removal of asbestos is costly and highly hazardous. Homes built or renovated in the 1960s or before may have asbestos on the forced-air heating ducts where they pass through the floors. Hot-water heating systems may have asbestos wrapped around the boiler or pipes. Other areas that may contain asbestos include insulation, vinyl tiles, drywall/plasterboard, lathe and plaster.

Bird/Bat Droppings

Bird and bat droppings can cause histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis, as well as parasite infestation. In larger quantities it is also considered a fire hazard. Whenever birds/bats or any living thing is present in a home it should be removed immediately to reduce potential harm to the occupants and home. If large quantities of bird or bat droppings are present, contact an environmental engineering consultant for advice.

Foundation Cracks

Almost all foundations will crack and most have more than one crack – usually in weak points at the bottom corners of windows or where the internal beams sit in the pocket created in the foundation wall. There are two things we consider when we find foundation cracks. The first: is it creating a structural problem; and the second: is it leaking? If the answer is “no” then nothing needs to be done. If the ground slopes towards the foundation or there are no eavestroughs then there will probably be some evidence of moisture at the base of the foundation wall. Sometimes a leak will show up in the foundation wall. About 90% of these can be repaired with a polyurethane injection from the inside. The rest must be solved with excavation from the exterior of the home. Check with foundation experts for repairs.

Foundations

Some older homes have leaky basements. There are new products to reduce and in some cases eliminate the ingress of water. Older homes’ basements were originally designed to store coal or fuel for the heating system. These limitations need to be kept in mind when considering basement renovations and conversions.

Galvanized Steel Plumbing, (pressure side only)

Galvanized pipes are common in homes built before 1950 and last about 40 to 50 years. They rust or corrode from the inside out, resulting in reduced water pressure and restricted water flow. This presents an increased risk of leaks or ruptures occurring in the pipes and the potential for flood damage. For that reason, galvanized plumbing is generally no longer accepted by most insurance companies. Replacement with new copper or plastic plumbing is the repair. Your insurance company may give you a specified time to replace the plumbing or tell you they are not insuring the home because the risk is too high for them. Check with licensed plumbers for replacement costs.

Heating and Cooling

Some home systems now have a bathroom exhaust fan that can be switched on from a switch located near the furnace thermostat or from a bathroom. This bathroom fan is tied into this three-way switch runs as a higher velocity than the other fans to clear the air in the home more readily. R2000 homes often have heat recovery ventilators (HRV) or air exchangers installed. The HRV, when properly balanced, provides the home with a good volume of fresh air while discharging stale air. Ultraviolet filters may be installed to reduce the pathogens in the heating ducts.

Insul-Brick

This is a brick-like tarpaper that was used as a house wrap for some homes. Insurance companies do not look favorably at Insul-Brick as it is considered a fire hazard. However if it is removed or covered with a different material, then it seems to be acceptable. Check with siding companies for the repairs or upgrades.

Knob and Tube Wiring

This type of wiring was acceptable at one time, but it is now considered outdated by insurance companies. Knob and tube wiring is considered a higher risk than contemporary wiring because there is no ground wire; old wiring is susceptible to wearing and exposure; and unintentional contact of the hot and neutral wires may cause an electrical fire. The cost to replace varies considerably depending your home’s construction. Check with at least three licensed electrical contractors. When the repair is complete get a letter from the contractor as proof of repair and send a copy to your insurance company. Have another copy available when you sell your home.

Lead

Most homes built before 1990 have some lead in the plumbing system joints because solder used to join the pipes used to be 50% lead. Today most solder used in new construction is lead-free. A old lead supply service pipe from the street is the single greatest source of lead.

If your inspector discovers sources of lead, you may wish to install a water filter system to remove it from the water system. Some other sources of lead are old paints and blinds, soil, dust, pottery, pottery supplies, glazed ceramics, glassware and lead crystal. Find out more from the It’s Your Health Fact Sheet on Lead and Human Health at Health Canada. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/environ/lead-plomb_e.html

Mould

Contaminants in the home may be air borne or physically just sitting around or in one of the houses systems. Air borne contaminants, like mould, is always around us. This is probably the most talked about of all the contaminants that will be found in the home. If you are susceptible to mould, then when purchasing an older home care should given to the ever possibility that the existence of mould will be present. You may choose to have an indoor air quality person review the home for levels of mould. CMHC has a list of companies that can perform this task.

This inspection specifically excludes any and all responsibility or liability for any problem or issue relating to fungi, which includes yeast, mould, mildew, rust, smut or mushrooms or any other related fungi. The exclusions include:

• The actual, alleged or threatened inhalation of, ingestion of, contact with, exposure to, existence of, growth or presence of;
• Any costs or expense incurred to prevent, respond to test for, monitor, abate, mitigate, remove, clean up, contain, remediate, treat, detoxify, neutralize, assess or otherwise deal with or dispose of;
• The actual or alleged failure to detect, report, test for monitor, clean up, remove, contain, dispose of, treat, detoxify, neutralize, or in any way respond to, assess the effects of or advise of the existence of or the conditions for the potential growth of;

any fungi or any spores, mycotoxins, odours or any other substances, products or by-products produced by, released by, or arising out of the current or past presence of fungi.

Oil tanks

Oil tanks are constructed out of steel, and steel rusts. Tanks usually rust from the inside out as water accumulates inside. Some tanks fail at 10 years some at 30 years. Most insurance companies say if the tank is 10 to 15 years old, it should be replaced.

Radon

This is a gas associated with radiation. You cannot see it, smell it or taste it but it can cause lung cancer. It is usually located in rocky outcrops. Testing may be done to determine the density of the gas within the air – usually highest in the basement. Canada has recently adopted new limits that are close to the international standard. DoubleCheck Inspections can provide this type of testing if so desired. If radon is found, you should call your local medical officer of Health or the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care at the general inquiry number 1-800-268-1153. CMHC provides information on mitigating radon in the home.

UFFI (Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation)

UFFI was used extensively as an insulator from 1975 to 1978 under the CHIP. It is estimated that over 100,000 homes in Canada were insulated with UFFI. It was banned in December 1980 because of off-gassing of formaldehyde, loss of insulating effectiveness when moisture was present and a tendency to mould. UFFI is still used today in new kitchen countertops, cupboards, flooring, and carpets. It is still used as an insulator in Europe.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is a mineral insulation primarily in the attics or wall cavities. Some homes have vermiculite sprayed onto the inside of the ceilings to create a stippled effect.

Vermiculite was generally used to upgrade existing insulation as part of the federal Canadian Home Insulation Program (CHIP) in the 1960s and 1970s. As an insulator it works quite well. However about 70% of the vermiculite came from a US mine contaminated with asbestos.

As long as vermiculite is confined to the attic and sealed off from the rest of the house, it is generally not a problem. Problems arise when it is disturbed. We suggest testing several samples from different areas of the attic for asbestos. Vermiculate removal should be done by professionals equipped to deal with hazardous materials. The insulation can then be replaced by something more benign.

Inspect first! To book a DCI inspection online click here; email us at info@doublecheckinspections.ca,
or call 1-613-322-3682.

Central Mortgage and Housing Canada (CMHC) www.cmhc.ca has a wealth of information on home ownership, some of which is noted below. CMHC is located at 800 Montreal Road in Ottawa. You may wish to e-mail or contact them by: telephone at 1-800-688-2642, or by fax at 1-800-245-9274

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) also has useful information, some of which is listed following.

• Dwellings: Energy Conservation
• Consumers Guide to Buying Energy-Efficient Windows and Doors
• Dwellings: Insulation
• Insulation: Heat
• Keeping The Heat In