Mike's Home Inspector Blog
Helpful articles from an experienced Home Inspector based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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In case there’s any doubt, let me say this clearly: I love Christmas. I have countless happy memories from over the years, especially the ones centered around my grandparents’ house in Newfoundland. Even after we moved to Halifax, we flew back every Christmas break for 12 days. Those trips were sacred. The whole extended family gathered, and Christmas morning felt larger than life. Gifts were stacked almost to the ceiling, and all 17 of us (10 adults and 7 kids) crammed into the basement to open presents, laugh, and celebrate. It even felt like an unspoken competition each year to see how big the gift pile could get. My grandparents lived in an early-1980s duplex, built at a time when basements were just starting to be used as living space. Back then, no one thought much about it. The basement was where the fun happened.  This is a silly exaggeration but not far from what it looked like! The Year Everything Moved Upstairs Around 1994, a decision was made to move Christmas celebrations upstairs to the living room. To adolescent me, this made absolutely no sense. The living room was noticeably smaller so why would we abandon a perfectly good basement? Now, as a home inspector, the answer is painfully obvious. Like many homes I inspect today that are more than 40 years old, that basement was never truly designed for people to live in. It was almost entirely underground, had no ventilation, and most importantly no windows or exterior doors. The only way out was the stairway leading up… directly past the kitchen. That same kitchen was home to a massive Christmas dinner in progress, with the stove running only a few feet from the basement door. From a fire safety perspective, it was a nightmare scenario. If a kitchen fire had started, the results could have been catastrophic.  This is the actual house and yes, it has a full basement with 8ft ceilings. A Close Call We Didn’t See at the Time
My grandparents are no longer with us, but I can safely assume that a house fire just a few doors down on December 22nd of that year caused them to stop and think "what if that happened here?" In the event of a kitchen fire, all the smoke detectors in the world would not have mattered. Deadly smoke would have reached the basement stairwell long before alarms sounded, leaving little to no chance for escape. At the time, we didn’t see it. We were kids, surrounded by gifts and excitement. But looking back now, it’s clear how much danger we simply weren’t aware of. We often view the past through rose-colored glasses. While my grandparents didn’t smoke, many relatives did, as was common in the 1980s and early 1990s (and that's another blog post!). In addition to the obvious second hand smoke, unattended cigarettes have long been one of the most common causes of house fires, another risk that barely registered with us back then. Lessons That Stick With Me I want to be clear: I’m not a municipal code inspector, and I would never tell someone to never use their basement. But I do always point out that older homes often lack adequate basement escape routes, and building codes have evolved dramatically over the last 40 to 50 years for very good reasons. Those Christmas mornings remain some of my happiest memories. They weren’t diminished by what we didn’t know, but revisiting them now through the lens of experience, reminds me how much safer our homes have become, and how important it is to understand the risks we live with every day. The magic of Christmas was real. So were the hazards and sometimes, growing up means learning how both can exist at the same time.
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Nine Ladies Dancing Around Carbon Monoxide Detectors Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a silent killer as it binds to hemoglobin in the blood, cutting off the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. This byproduct of incomplete combustion is undetectable by our senses—it's odorless, tasteless, and invisible. Every home that utilizes a combustion system faces the risk of CO leaking into living areas. However, merely installing a CO detector isn't enough. These detectors lose their accuracy over time and typically function effectively for only 5 to 7 years. Sadly, many CO (and smoke) detectors I encounter are near the end of their lifespan. Therefore, it's imperative to check and replace them before it's too late. Ten Lords-a-Leaping to Window and Door Checks When it comes to home energy efficiency, windows play a crucial role. Upgrading them can indeed save energy and money, but the substantial cost of new windows might not always be cost-effective in the long run. During inspections, we pay attention to signs like difficult-to-open windows and uneven doors. While these issues can signal structural concerns, more often, they result from normal settling and can be rectified by re-shimming. Foggy windows are another common issue, signaling failed seals that require prompt attention. Remember that window issues aren't restricted to older installations: this one was approximately 5 years old!  This is an example of a failed seal. Eleven Pipers Piping Pest Prevention
Pest problems are common in many homes, with mice and rats being frequent issues in our city and province. Preventing their entry is key. By sealing holes, managing nearby vegetation, and removing potential food sources, homeowners can significantly reduce the likelihood of infestations. Twelve Drummers Drumming Up Home Safety
And, of course, never underestimate the value of a professional home inspector! On behalf of the entire Inside Edge family, we wish you the very best this holiday season. Have a safe and Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you in 2024! A home inspector looks at all major aspects of the home, including windows which are a significant part of the building envelope. Residential windows are usually constructed of two basic materials: vinyl and wood. Generally, most homes use vinyl windows, with wood windows being far less common as they are more expensive and require regular maintenance. Therefore, most wood windows an inspector sees are usually nearing the end of their lifespan. There are countless different styles, including: Single/Double Hung (Slides straight up from the bottom/straight down from the top) Casement (Entire window usually pivots outside) Horizontal Slider Awning/Hopper (Segment that opens in or out respectively) Fixed (Doesn’t open) Jalousie (Look like mini-blinds and are very rare in Nova Scotia as they are not suitable for our colder climate) The two most common types I see are single hung and casement. There are pros and cons to all types of windows although I personally prefer single hung. Windows can also be single, double, or triple glazed. This refers to the number of panes of glass in a window, which are usually sealed and filled with argon gas to improve efficiency. Most modern windows are either double or triple glazed, with double glazed being the overwhelming choice. Single glazed windows are usually only seen in older homes. So, Should I Replace Old Windows? I will give the typical politician’s answer and say, “it depends”. If an older wooden window has rotted, it is usually a good idea to invest in new windows. However, if a single glazed window regardless of age or type is in good shape, the savings in energy efficiency by replacing it with a modern double glazed window will likely be far less than the cost of replacing the entire window. A qualified contractor can give you a clearer (no pun intended) idea as to the best option for your situation. One of the requirements of an InterNACHI Certified Inspection Company such as Inside Edge is to follow the standards of practice, including section 3.10.III.C., which states we must report any window that was obviously fogged or displayed other evidence of broken seals. A broken seal means that the argon gas used for insulation has escaped. A few options can be utilized to repair this issue: the most obvious one is to replace the window, which while improving both efficiency and aesthetics can be quite costly. Other options include fixing the seal and having a defogging agent applied. These won’t fix the lost insulating value but will get rid of the ugly fogging. New and shiny windows are always nice but are they worth the investment? Hopefully this blog post and a home inspector such as yours truly can point you in the right direction when making that decision.
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