Tartan Home Inspections

NEWSLETTER

January 2017

BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

Winter has taken hold in the region. Furnaces are running at full capacity and the smell of smoke from wood stove and fireplace chimneys fills the air.

Here are a few ideas to help keep you and your clients’ homes comfortable and warm.

  1. Remove and replace old and worn weather stripping on windows and doors.
  2. Ensure all door latches, catches and door sweeps are in working order.
  3. Installation of insulating drapes and blinds will help reduce cold transfer and chills.
  4. Top up insulation in attic.

Did you know that wood fueled stoves are 3 times more efficient than fireplaces and use 2/3 less wood to provide the same amount of heat.

I don’t give an Ice DAM… Actually I do

Phil has owned investment properties in the past and recently decided to get back into the rental game. During a visit of the property a few weeks ago he noted some ice damming at the rear of the cottage.

What causes ice damming?

The attic space above the insulation should not be warmer that the outside temperature. To prevent this from occurring adequate eave, gable end, roof ridge or standard roof vents should be provided. If not, snow that accumulates on the surface of the roof will melt and refreeze casuing ice dams. This can result in water penetration into the home, damage to eavestroughs and structural damage due to the weight of the ice.

Ice dam de-icing cables can be effective but are a red flag to Tartan Home Inspections that ice damming has occurred in the past. Phil will make a mental note of this and examine the underside of the roof structure closely and look for any water damage in the interior of the home.

Some home insuance providers are offering insurance coverage specifically for roof leaks.

BURSTING AT THE SEAMS – FROZEN WATER PIPES

Flooding is one of the worst problems that a home owner can experience. One of the most common causes of flooding is frozen water pipes.

  1. Most freezing pipe issues occur between the beginning of December and end of February.
  2. The main causes of freezing and bursting pipes are as follows:
  3. Quick drops in temperature,
  4. Inadequate insulation
  5. Thermostat set too low
  6. Primary heating source failure.
  7. An 1/8 inch crack in a water pipe will result in 250 gallons of water entering the home each day.
  8. Average costs for water damage repair are $2000 - $100,000.
  9. For some recommended measures to prevent pipe freezing please visit the following link:

QUESTIONS

Phil is available at any time to answer questions from agents or their clients regarding homes they are wishing to sell or purchase. If he doesn’t know the answer he will find out. Email, Phone or Text.

CLIENT REVIEWS

Customerservice, professionalism and reporting thoroughness are driving

the successof the Tartan Home Inspections business and resulting client

satisfaction.

soCIAL MEDIA

CONTACT US : Tartan Home Inspections, 133 Waterloo Street, Kincardine, Ontario, N2Z 0C7

Office: 519-396-5411

Cell: 519-615-0047 (text or call)

Tartan Home Inspections motto…

“Professional Analysis of Your Home’s Performance”