Infinity Home Inspection Services

There were some receptacles that were not testing well. Seemed like wiring might be loose. Investigation revealed wiring taped up with hockey tape! With this, I recommend an electrician have a look and correct any issues. Cheap insurance that protects everyone.

Here is something your home inspector will do for you. He will inform you of updates that will make the home function better, safer, more comfortable, or more efficient.
This staircase is from an older home. Hand rails weren't part of the building code at one point in time. Installing a hand rail will make this stair case safer.

Here is an outlet with an open ground. Maybe the wire is just loose. An easy fix, but if you don't know it needs to be fixed, tools can fail or someone can get hurt if a plugged in device shorts out.
One more reason to have a home inspector inspect that home you want to buy; he or she will check the electrical system to ensure it functions as it should.

Here is a very important reason to have your chimney checked once a year. This crown is cracked, allowing water to get into the clean out area in the basement. Creosote soaked water stained the wall and floor. This would be easy to address if caught by doing annual inspection of the chimney at the same time as the roof.

Here we have a bathroom fan venting into the attic space. It needs to vent to the outside. You can see the result of the excess moisture in the next photo. The dark staining on the sheathing is mold growth. Our cold winters kill it, but it will return as soon as it gets nice out. The other issue is the duct is not insulated. This can lead to condensation and damage to the insulation. An extra few dollars and a little effort would avoid a lot of trouble.

This is a roof vent fl**ge (boot). It is supposed to be installed on the outside, with the edges under the shingles, and properly fastened and caulked. Totally wrong installation. Moisture is starting to work its way in, and the vent is not even going through the fl**ge! This is a big problem waiting to happen. Ask your inspector about how he/she inspects the attic space. It could make the difference in how you enjoy your home.

It's important to regularly check the grout/caulk between bathtub tiles. This wall was ignored - moisture has gotten behind the tiles, and now there is an entire section that is soft and flexes when touched. There is a very good chance that mold is growing behind the wall. The entire wall will have to be removed and replaced. A little time and a couple of bucks in materials would save a now costly repair.

Spalling brick can become an issue with older buildings if maintenance is not kept up.

Keep the BBQ far enough away from the siding so you don't melt it like here.

Here is something many people don't think about. Hand rails must be designed to allow a "power grip" This means you can close your hand right around the hand rail should you slip/fall. If a power grip cannot be had, a person may fall and get hurt. While this rail looks nice, it is technically not safe. An easy fix.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) are designed to trip and open a circuit if moisture is introduced (i.e. outdoor faucet) or if an electric device that is plugged in shorts out. This prevents injury (or worse) to the person holding what's plugged in. If you have an older home, there may not be any. Install them everywhere an outlet is within 1 metre of water. If you have them, test them regularly to work the mechanism and ensure they function.