FrankenStorm Home Inspection Tips

Your Home May Be At The Centre!

Is Your Home Ready For the FrankenStorm?

Autie Em, Auntie Em, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

Time for you to do a FrankenStorm Home Inspection.

Check your roof.  Make sure it is water tight.

Check your eaves troughs.  Make sure they are firmly attached and sloped in the right direction.

Check your downspouts and extensions.  Make sure they aren't dumping water on your foundation.

Check your attic for water staining.  Some times you can see roof leaks more clearly from underneath.

Check your chimney.  Is it lined?  Does it have a rain cap?  Is the mortar in good repair?

Check the grading on your property.  There should be a good slope all around your foundation with no areas where ponding or pooling could happen.

Check the weather.  They say the Franken Storm is coming to a home near you Monday night.

Get your boat ready.  Remember the life jackets and oars.  Load the animals two by two!

Check out the Maple Trust Inspections Home Inspection Blog to learn more.

Should You Get Your Ducts Sucked?

St. Catharines Home Inspector FAQ - Should You Have Your Ducts Professionally Cleaned?

Imagine The Years Of Dust Building Up In Your Homes Ducts

St. Catharines home inspectors often find dirty ducts, but this in itself is no defect and professional duct cleaning is seldom recommended.  Yes, do remove the children's toys and even use a household vacuum in the cold air returns if that makes you feel better.  But the truth is that it is impossible to find real studies that show that professional duct cleaning improves energy bills, air flow or even indoor air quality (IAQ).  You see most of the dust  in the system stays there.

It is the new sources of dust.  The dust blowing in through windows and cracks.  The dust generated by your skin and your pets.  Those sources of dust that are affecting your IAQ, not the stuff that's been sitting in the duct for years.  In fact, just the proof that it is building up in the duct work shows that it is not being circulated.

St. Catharines Home Inspectors Say You Should Do This

Inspect your homes furnace filter monthly and change it at least every three months.  Especially after a heavy renovation.  This is more to keep dust from accumulation on the A/C coils, blower, fan and heat exchanger.

Having your equipment professionally serviced will lower energy bills, improve air flow and even improve indoor air quality.  Home inspectors recommend annual inspection and service for Air Conditioners and Furnaces. St. Catharines Furnace Service and Repair from the Yellow Pages.

Still want to learn more?

Maple Trust Inspections St. Catharines Home Inspector Duct FAQ has an article by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation on whether you should get your ducts cleaned or not.

St. Catharines Home Maintenance Inspection

If you are buying or selling a home you need a home inspection first.  If you are a home owner you need an annual maintenance inspection to catch problems before they get expensive.  Maple Trust Inspections specializes in home inspections in St. Catharines, Welland, Niagara Falls, Niagara on the Lake, Thorold, Fort Erie, Port Colborne and surrounding area.  Although we have gone much further to help a client.

Book your St. Catharines Home Inspection today.

Home Insulation - Advice from a Pro

This Niagara Home Inspection revealed
inadequate insulation.

Home Inspections in Niagara Really Need to Pay Attention to Home Performance. 

It doesn't matter if it's the middle of July, Maple Trust Inspections will be turning on your furnace.  Your home inspector will be thinking about how your home will perform during cold Niagara Winters.  You may want to learn more about insulation if you answer yes to some of the following questions.

In the Winter:

• Are your exterior walls cold to the touch?
• Are your floors cold? 
• Do you have uneven heating through out your home?
• Are your heating bills too high?

In the Summer:

• Is your house too hot?
• Is your Air Conditioning System ineffective? 
• Are your cooling bills too high?

Your Home Has Two Very Important Areas To Seal and Insulate

Does your home have less than 15 inches of insulation in your attic? 

Because hot air rises, the attic is usually the most cost effective area to add insulation to your home.  A air barrier should prevent warm moist interior air from rising into the attic. This means that all ceiling light fixtures and penetrations should be sealed up tight. On top of that barrier should be 12-16 inches of insulation, depending on the material used.  Attic venting should be adequate and should not be blocked.  Inexpensive soffit baffles should be installed to aid lower soffit ventilation and prevent blockages.

Does Your Home Pull in Cold Air?

When hot air rises, it must be replaced from underneath.  This means that there is a negative pressure area at the soil level of your home.  Air is literally being sucked in, to replace the hot air that is rising up through the attic.  This area, typically where floor joists meet the exterior walls can be sealed and insulated to prevent air infiltration.

Seal Your Homes Draughty Doors and Windows

Weatherstripping, caulking, and shrink wrap are your friends.  I use a removable caulking on some of my older 1930's windows in my own home.  Seal your home and save your money.

This is a foil backed insulation photographed
during a home inspection in Niagara.

Book A Home Maintenance Inspection With Maple Trust Inspections

Book your Niagara Home Inspection Online or call 905 346 1697

Learn more about Niagara home energy saving tips.

Read the CMHC Guide Brought to you buy Maple Trust Inspections on Insulating Your Home.

Niagara Home Inspections Reveal Furnace Saving Tips

Niagara Home Inspections - Maple Trust Inspections Furnace Tips

Niagara Home Inspections Photo
This antique furnace has been well maintained
and is still running well.

Niagara Home Inspections - Furnace Tips from Maple Trust Inspections

Niagara Home Inspections should always include a thorough evaluation of the furnace and heating systems.  Maple Trust Inspections makes this a top priority.

Some things you can do to make your furnace save you money:

• The filter should be replaced, at a minimum, every three months.  Change the filter more frequently if your home is undergoing renovations, has poor ventilation, or if your family is prone to allergies.  As the filter becomes clogged, it becomes less efficient.  This makes the furnace cost more to operate.  You wouldn't believe how many Niagara home inspections reveal furnace filters caked in years of dust.

• Vents and air returns should be kept free and clear of obstructions.  This includes storage, furniture, dust, debris, pet hair and curtains.  Home inspections in Niagara often turn up vents that are under couches and a complete lack of air returns.  Maple Trust Inspections often recommends having a carpenter undercut interior doors by a heavy inch to improve air circulation and cut heating bills.

• Give your furnace room to breath!  Keeping flammables away is a must, but a furnace that does not have a direct vented air intake will operate more efficiently when it has adequate room for air to circulate.  Leave the furnace room door open or install a vent.  Keep storage away.  The same applies for Air Conditioners outside.  Cut back those bushes and Hastas and keep the A/C unit level to save on energy and make the unit last.

• Have your furnace serviced before each heating season begins.  Annual service can pay for itself in energy savings.  It can catch common problems before expensive damage occurs and it can prolong the life of your equipment.

Niagara Home Inspections - Thermostat tips from Maple Trust Inspections

You might be amazed what home inspections in Niagara turn up... like thermostats in garages and bathrooms!

• Your thermostat should be in a temperature neutral location.  To0 close to a drafty door and cool air will cause it to turn on more frequently than needed.  Too close to a heat vent and your thermostat will turn off too early.

• Set your thermostat to 20 C in the day and 17 C at night.  A few degrees really makes a difference in savings over the span of a Winter.

• Install a programmable thermostat.... And set it up properly.  Sleep in on the weekends?  Up early during the week?  Maximize your energy savings by learning to program in your schedule.

Looking For A Niagara Home Inspection?  Or Maintenance Inspection?

Maple Trust Inspections is Niagara's best choice for home and maintenance inspection.  We have video.  We have InfraRed home inspection equipment.  We have portable office technology.  We save you time and money.  Call 905 346 1697 or book your niagara home inspection online now.