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theBCInspector.ca is launched
Dear Future Subscriber,
We, here at The BC Inspector, are thrilled at the launching of our new
website theBCInspector.ca
This site will provide the latest news and items of interest to the Home
and Property Inspection industry in BC, will help automate the
subscription services to our newsletter, and most importantly will
provide a seamless integration with the CPD calendar (subscribers will no
longer need to set up a Goggle account to view the calendar).
Many thanks to the team at Honeycomb Creative for the wonderful
site they have provided and sponsored. If you are looking for an Internet
presence, this is the company to check out. The mixture of graphic designers,
programmers and writers provide a truly amazing result.
Please pass this email on to friends/colleagues in the business you think
would be interested and ask them to subscribe.
Login
on to the site using your email address and selecting the submit
button to have your default user name & password emailed to this
address. You will be then be able to logon and update your user
name and password (recommended). You will need to be logged in to
view the CPD calendar.
Drop us a line and let us know how you like the new site!
When Strata's
Hire Contractors Directly
You have invested so much in your
property. Don’t lose that investment because a worker or contractor
is cutting corners.
When a Strata corporation hires workers directly (not through a property
management company) to carry out maintenance on the property, even on a
casual or part-time basis, it assumes the role of employer and may be
legally required to register with the WorkSafeBC.
By registering with WorkSafeBC, your Strata
corporation will actually save money. If it doesn’t register, and a
worker is injured, the Strata corporation puts itself at a substantial
financial risk. These include paying for premiums owing related to the
work, including backdated premiums, medical and compensation costs to the
injured worker, fines and penalties.
In addition, contractors and workers without WorkSafeBC
are generally not aware of health and safety. Their quotes may seem
cheaper, but by hiring them, you run the risk of having workers on your
property who are poorly trained in handling chemicals (such as pesticides
or cleaning products), or equipment (such as ladders or power tools).
They endanger themselves, each other and your property.
Some contractors will have their own coverage, but many don’t. When
hiring contractors, it is easy to check whether they have coverage by
obtaining their WorkSafeBC account number and
requesting clearance letter or by
calling 604-244-6180 directly. Tip: Check before the work starts and
again before final payment is made.
Finally, as a Strata corporation, it is important to know your
responsibilities when hiring workers. The Strata corporation is
responsible for providing a safe workplace, safety equipment and personal
protective equipment and ensuring that it is good condition.
Some additional tips:
1. Obtain your own WorkSafeBC account or have a
policy of hiring only workers & contractors who have their own WorkSafeBC insurance.
2. Orient the workers to your health & safety policies before they
start work.
3. Spot check the workers to see if they are following safe work habits.
4. Establish policies and procedures to manage and control risks.
5. Document your meetings with workers and record all discussions about
health and safety.
Submitted by Leanne C. Reynolds, Principal - Reynolds & Associates
Workplace Safety Solutions. Leanne has over 15 years in real estate
and property management with a focus on health and safety.
Important Information
regarding Mortgages and Leaky Condominiums
Most well established lenders will
not lend on properties which are suspected to be 'leaky condos', or that
are only partially fixed if previously identified.
In order for most lenders to advance funds on a unit in a building
determined as a 'leaker'; they want to see a
full remediation plan laid out and approved by the Strata.
They further want to see that the repairs will be covered or are covered
by a 3rd party warranty.
Most lenders will request the following documents, prior to lending on a
building identified by the home inspection as a 'leaky condo':
1)Strata Form B documents
2)Last 2 years AGM minutes
3)Building Envelope Engineer's report identifying scope and budget for
fix
4)Minutes of Special General meeting where at least 75% of the strata
voted in favour of the special assessment, or other funding formula,
needed to finance the complete restoration of the building, per the
engineer's recommendations.
5)Three contractor quotations
6)If work is already complete - Completion Certificate/Inspection Report
from Building Envelope Engineer
It is important that we, as home inspector's, correctly identify the risk
on multi-family condominium style dwellings and that our clients are made
aware of the difficulty in obtaining a mortgage on these units if plans
are not already in place to repair.
theBCInspector.ca is grateful to Alan Brown -
Mortgage Professional www.mypowermortgage.com/alan for providing the body
of this information.
Ask an inspector
We here at theBCInspector.ca are
going to take a different approach to this column on the issues that we
have not received any direct question from the subscribers. As this
publication is all about increasing the knowledge base and skills of home
inspectors in BC, we though that sponsoring a discussion regarding how to
report on a certain deficiency or style of deficiency is warranted.
We will post a photo and ask for the subscribers to provide their best
version of how they would interpret and describe the deficiency in their
reports. We will then publish the answers (anonymously of course) that
have been sent in and also post an answer from an authority in the field
(Professional Contractor, Engineer, BC Safety Authority, Municipal Inspector,
etc.)
Through this discussion process, we will ALL be able to learn from each
other, and from those in the industry that specialize in one component of
a dwelling, on what language to use and how to correctly identify and
interpret a defect.
The first question surrounds elastomeric stucco
or stucco painted with an enamel based (non breathable) paint, in the
effort to ‘face seal’ the wall on a single family dwelling
and how we, as home inspectors, would typically report on these wall
types, given the visual condition of the wall and the inability to
perform destructive testing.
Please submit your responses to theBCInspector.ca and let us know if there is a
particular topic you would like us to cover.
For a high resolution of this image click here
Inspector Photo
Gallery
Do those steps have an even rise and run?
(Photo submitted by BCIPI inspector: John Kostelnik)
I have heard about saving on materials - but sheez!
(Photo by: Dennis Robitaille of Able Home
Inspection, Inc.)
Have a picture you think others would like to see? Submit to theBCInspector.ca
CPD Corner
The CPD calendar is now
conveniently available through a free subscription to this newsletter whicon-lineudes the online resources at theBCInspector.ca
The CPD Calendar contains seminars and events that will benefit and
advance the skills of home and property inspectors in BC. The Agenda view
is the best way to view the information contained in the calendar as the
description then also includes the hosting city
To subscribe to both the resources click
here
Moisture Mysteries
We will highlight a series of articles written by Roger Hankeyon-linevailable online at the ASHI Reporter.
Mystery II: Small leaks lead to a BIG mess
ASHI Reporter's, The
Word discuses the meaning of Vapour Barriers
Should you always perform Air Tests?
TypicalPractises& Bad Practices
Calendar
In a previous edition of The BC
Inspector, a new inspector and subscriber asked the 'old-timers' to
help out by providing a list of hazards, poor materials or poopractisesction practices found by year of
construction.
To date we have had a poor response to this request. A call goes out to
all you more experienced inspectors to provide your short list and if
possible a source for your information. Based on the information provided
to date, theBCInspector.ca has tabulated these items of caution.
Email
in your additions to what will be an excellent resource for our
subscribers.
Grow-Op Resources
Policies listed by City/Municipality
Suspect a Grow-Op?
At the Spring 2010 CAHPI BC meeting, the membership discussed the issue
of identifying a grow-op on the inspector’s reports. The executive
recommended the following wording:
Possible Grow-Op: The following items were observed during the
inspection;
List items
It is impossible for ‘Insert your company name’ to verify
why, how, or when these items came into existence, but they have been
known to be associated with marijuana grow operations. You should seek
further advice from your Realtor, the vendors, municipal and/or police
records, and if you decide necessary, contractors and/or engineers to
confirm if these items are associated with former marijuana grow
operations on the premises.
Other Useful Links:
CMHC Discussion Paper re Indoor Air Quality in relation
to Grow Ops
BC Hydro talks about electricity theft
UBC Data on Grow-Ops and Penalties
White Rock advise on how to spot a Grow-Op
Industry News
The latest industry news will be
moved from this newsletter to the home page of theBCInspector.ca
This will ensure you have access to the latest breaking news at any given
time. Check back often for updates.
Have a news storey of interest. Let us know
Recalls and
Safety Alerts
Health
and Safety Information for common household products
CSA Product Recalls & Alerts
Ontario Safety Issues, Product Recalls and Warnings
Fluke Recalls Volt Meters
Maytag Dishwasher Recall
Calling All
Expert Witnesses
Have you been an expert witness
against or in support of another home or property inspectors? In most
cases, the judge’s decisions are publicly posted and provide the
rationale for making a decision one way or the other. These cases make
excellent learning opportunities for a house or property inspector and
your editor asks for copies of any decisions you come across to
facilitate future posting in this newsletter.
Inspector Fun
Home Inspection Nightmares VII (published by This Old
House)
Find the defects V
Computer Tip:
Have you ever typed a sentence into your computer only to look up to see
that your caps lock was left on. The following tip allows you to toggle
any selected text between ALL CAPS, all lower, and Proper Case.
For Microsoft Outlook or Word (sorry, it does not work in Outlook
Express):
Step 1: Use your mouse to highlight all the text you accidentally wrote
in uppercase.
Step 2: Hold down the Shift key and tap F3 to cycle through the three
options.
Like the changes
at The BC Inspector? Got a Suggestion?
theBCInspector.ca
wants to be the best learning resource in BC for Home and Property
Inspectors. Let us know what we are doing right and what we can improve
by taking this quick survey
About Us
At theBCinspector.ca, you will find
the latest house and property information, educational
opportunities and industry news that will help raise your professionalism
and that of the house and property inspection industry as a whole. Sean
Wiens of SENWI House Inspections is the editor and publisher and has been
involved in the home and property inspection field since September of
2006.
Note: The Views expressed herein represent the opinions of the editor and
SENWI Services Inc. only and do not form any opinion, position, or policy
of any organization outside of SENWI Services Inc.
Copyright (c) SENWI Services Inc.
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