A Niagara-based industry expert answers your questions, including how to find the best home inspector

Having questions about home inspections is only natural since it’s not a process many of us will go through very often. Eric van Riesen RHI, a certified home inspector and owner of Elementary Property Inspections gives us the scoop on what every homeowner should know.

Elementary Property Inspections wishes you and your family a wonderful Holiday Season and a happy, healthy, and peaceful New Year 2023!

Got a wet basement? Basement moisture is not an uncommon problem. In fact, basements are notoriously dark and damp places. Yet however common it may be, moisture in your basement can be bad news. Unfortunately for homeowners, a little bit of moisture can turn into a big problem. From structural damage to toxic mold that is hazardous to your health, basement moisture can cause major issues for your home. So, what exactly are the causes of basement moisture? And more importantly, what can you do to fix it?

Let’s start at the beginning. First, how do you know if you have moisture in your basement? It is important to be able to identify the warning signs and symptoms. The signs of basement moisture may not be as obvious as a puddle of water on the floor. In fact, there are numerous ways in which moisture can present itself in your basement. Here’s a quick list of a few things to look for:

The pandemic may not be over, but the pandemic-era housing market boom certainly is. Since the Bank of Canada began hiking its policy rate in March, home resales have fallen 31% and (benchmark) prices almost 6% nationwide, in July. Most of Ontario have seen even greater drops. And the bottom is likely many months away still as our central bank has more work to do—we expect a further 100 basis-point rate increase to 3.5% by the fall. With the balance of power having dramatically shifted in their favour, buyers will be able to continue extracting price concessions from sellers for some time to come.

The trick for sellers is how can you effectively market your home to ensure a quicker sale, with less negotiations and full market price following a home inspection?

At Elementary Property Inspections, as we perform home inspections throughout the Niagara Region, we often identify older homes with cast iron waste piping. They often look to be in good condition. Should the buyer be concerned?

Cast iron plumbing systems originated in France during the seventeenth century, installing the first large-scale cast iron pipes, contributing as the forerunners to Europe’s sewer history. They believed it was the most robust material to transport water and sewage to a certain distance.

If you live in a home that was built before 1970, chances are high that your waste plumbing system consists of cast iron pipes. Cast iron pipes can corrode over time compromising their structural integrity. Installing this material was a highly labor-intensive job that only the wealthy could afford. Up to this day, it’s an expensive method of choice; and for that reason, PVC became the most common choice for building flexible and durable lines in more modern homes.

You need more than just a home inspection; you need the professionals you can trust on even after the job is done. That’s why we are proud to highlight our 90-day limited warranty program. Unlike many of our competitors who do not offer any warranty services, at Elementary Property Inspections, we include our 90-day limited warranty with every full inspection we perform at no additional cost.

Old knob and tube wiring can be a fire hazard. The wiring’s rubber-based insulation, in many cases, has not held up well over time. Exposure to heat and air causes the rubber to become brittle and crack flake, or char. As a result, the damaged insulation can no longer protect the wire inside, making your home a fire risk.

No Ground Wiring

What would we do without electricity? Most of us would experience a crisis if we had to adjust to life without electricity at home or work, especially since nearly every activity in our day-to-day lives depends on electricity, whether directly or indirectly.

Fortunately, electricity in homes and businesses is much safer today than it was in years past. Many of the older homes that we inspect lack the safety features that are standard in new homes. Fault circuit interrupters are one way that electricity has been made much safer. Perhaps the most widely known interrupter is the ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), though another type of interrupter – the arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) – is also commonly found in homes and businesses.

When inspecting homes in the Niagara Region and beyond, we often come across one or more outlets that have reverse polarity, especially in older homes. When we inspect houses where an amateur has been doing electrical work, there’s a good chance we’ll find outlets with reversed polarity. This happens when the hot and neutral wires get flipped around at an outlet, or upstream from an outlet. Reversed polarity creates a potential shock hazard, but it’s usually an easy repair.

For several years, Elementary Property Inspections has excelled in home and commercial inspections in the Niagara Region. Our well-trained and certified experts have met and exceeded the expectations of many customers and have been recognized for the same. The aim behind our flawless services isn’t to make a quick buck or deem sellers in bad people. Through our services, we want to educate our clients about prospective properties so they can make smart decisions.

It’s no secret that buying a home is a huge financial and emotional commitment. Most of us purchase a home just a few times in our lifetime, and it’s crucial to make a well-informed decision since there’s a lot of money at stake. Home buying involves many steps and getting your future home inspected is an indispensable step in the run-up to the purchase. A home inspection is your opportunity to get a knowledgeable assessment of the home you are going to buy, which is why hiring the right home inspector is a must.

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