As winter approaches, your home is susceptible to more hazardous conditions. This includes pipes freezing, damage from the cold weather, and high heating costs. If the home is not prepared properly, the value of the home can decrease due to wear and tear. Staying up-to-date with winter maintenance activities will keep it as good as new.

Here is a checklist of things to do to keep your home safe and maintained in the cold winter months:

• Check the roof. Watch for damage from ice and remove icicles.

• Avoid frozen pipes. Keep cabinet doors open for the heat to reach pipes, such as below sink areas. A slow dripping faucet can help pipes that are vulnerable to extreme weather, such as pipes that run through an unheated or unprotected space.

• Prevent leaks. Check the basement area for leaks and water, especially during a winter thaw.

• Test the electrical system. Check all ground-fault circuit interrupters to make sure they are working properly and offer shock protection. These outlets can cut off power to an electrical device; they should be tested especially after an electrical storm.

• If you are going out of town, prepare the home. Keep the heat turned on, even if you are leaving for an extended period of time.

• Keep heating costs down. Clean and check or replace furnace air filters every month. Install storm windows or use plastic-film sheets from a hardware store on windows for the winter season.
• Prepare for an emergency. Check the pressure gauge on all fire extinguishers and replace if necessary. Also, make sure to have a 72-hour kit on hand in the case of blackouts or snowstorms.

A home that is ready for winter will remain in good condition, keep costs down, and allow you to enjoy a cozy winter without worry.

Most people don’t know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy, and here at InterNACHI, we want to change that. Drastic reductions in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which homeowners can do themselves. Of course, for homeowners who want to take advantage of the most up-to-date knowledge and systems in home energy efficiency, InterNACHI energy auditors can perform in-depth testing to find the best energy solutions for your particular home.

Why make your home more energy efficient? Here are a few good reasons:

• Federal, state, utility and local jurisdictions’ financial incentives, such as tax breaks, are very advantageous for homeowners in most parts of the U.S.
• It saves money. It costs less to power a home that has been converted to be more energy-efficient.
• It increases the comfort level indoors.
• It reduces our impact on climate change. Many scientists now believe that excessive energy consumption contributes significantly to global warming.
• It reduces pollution. Conventional power production introduces pollutants that find their way into the air, soil and water supplies.

1. Find better ways to heat and cool your house.

Click Read More to continue reading the article….

As much as half of the energy used in homes goes toward heating and cooling. The following are a few ways that energy bills can be reduced through adjustments to the heating and cooling systems:

• Install a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans can be used in place of air conditioners, which require a large amount of energy.
• Periodically replace air filters in air conditioners and heaters.
• Set thermostats to an appropriate temperature. Specifically, they should be turned down at night and when no one is home. In most homes, about 2% of the heating bill will be saved for each degree that the thermostat is lowered for at least eight hours each day. Turning down the thermostat from 75° F to 70° F, for example, saves about 10% on heating costs.
• Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat saves money by allowing heating and cooling appliances to be automatically turned down during times that no one is home and at night. Programmable thermostats contain no mercury and, in some climate zones, can save up to $150 per year in energy costs.
• Install a wood stove or a pellet stove. These are more efficient sources of heat than furnaces.
• At night, curtains drawn over windows will better insulate the room.

2. Install a tankless water heater.

Demand-type water heaters (tankless or instantaneous) provide hot water only as it is needed. They don’t produce the standby energy losses associated with traditional storage water heaters, which will save on energy costs. Tankless water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. A gas burner or an electric element heats the water. As a result, demand water heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water. You don’t need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water.

3. Replace incandescent lights.

The average household dedicates 11% of its energy budget to lighting. Traditional incandescent lights convert approximately only 10% of the energy they consume into light, while the rest becomes heat. The use of new lighting technologies, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), can reduce the energy use required by lighting by 50% to 75%. Advances in lighting controls offer further energy savings by reducing the amount of time that lights are on but not being used. Here are some facts about CFLs and LEDs:

• CFLs use 75% less energy and last about 10 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
• LEDs last even longer than CFLs and consume less energy.
• LEDs have no moving parts and, unlike CFLs, they contain no mercury.

4. Seal and insulate your home.

Sealing and insulating your home is one of the most cost-effective ways to make a home more comfortable and energy-efficient, and you can do it yourself. A tightly sealed home can improve comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility bills. An InterNACHI energy auditor can assess leakage in the building envelope and recommend fixes that will dramatically increase comfort and energy savings.

The following are some common places where leakage may occur:

• electrical receptacles/outlets;
• mail slots;
• around pipes and wires;
• wall- or window-mounted air conditioners;
• attic hatches;
• fireplace dampers;
• inadequate weatherstripping around doors;
• baseboards;
• window frames; and
• switch plates.

Because hot air rises, air leaks are most likely to occur in the attic. Homeowners can perform a variety of repairs and maintenance to their attics that save them money on cooling and heating, such as:

• Plug the large holes. Locations in the attic where leakage is most likely to be the greatest are where walls meet the attic floor, behind and under attic knee walls, and in dropped-ceiling areas.
• Seal the small holes. You can easily do this by looking for areas where the insulation is darkened. Darkened insulation is a result of dusty interior air being filtered by insulation before leaking through small holes in the building envelope. In cold weather, you may see frosty areas in the insulation caused by warm, moist air condensing and then freezing as it hits the cold attic air. In warmer weather, you’ll find water staining in these same areas. Use expanding foam or caulk to seal the openings around plumbing vent pipes and electrical wires. Cover the areas with insulation after the caulk is dry.
• Seal up the attic access panel with weatherstripping. You can cut a piece of fiberglass or rigid foamboard insulation in the same size as the attic hatch and glue it to the back of the attic access panel. If you have pull-down attic stairs or an attic door, these should be sealed in a similar manner.

5. Install efficient showerheads and toilets.

The following systems can be installed to conserve water usage in homes:

• low-flow showerheads. They are available in different flow rates, and some have a pause button which shuts off the water while the bather lathers up;
• low-flow toilets. Toilets consume 30% to 40% of the total water used in homes, making them the biggest water users. Replacing an older 3.5-gallon toilet with a modern, low-flow 1.6-gallon toilet can reduce usage an average of 2 gallons-per-flush (GPF), saving 12,000 gallons of water per year. Low-flow toilets usually have “1.6 GPF” marked on the bowl behind the seat or inside the tank;
• vacuum-assist toilets. This type of toilet has a vacuum chamber that uses a siphon action to suck air from the trap beneath the bowl, allowing it to quickly fill with water to clear waste. Vacuum-assist toilets are relatively quiet; and
• dual-flush toilets. Dual-flush toilets have been used in Europe and Australia for years and are now gaining in popularity in the U.S. Dual-flush toilets let you choose between a 1-gallon (or less) flush for liquid waste, and a 1.6-gallon flush for solid waste. Dual-flush 1.6-GPF toilets reduce water consumption by an additional 30%.

6. Use appliances and electronics responsibly.

Appliances and electronics account for about 20% of household energy bills in a typical U.S. home. The following are tips that will reduce the required energy of electronics and appliances:

• Refrigerators and freezers should not be located near the stove, dishwasher or heat vents, or exposed to direct sunlight. Exposure to warm areas will force them to use more energy to remain cool.
• Computers should be shut off when not in use. If unattended computers must be left on, their monitors should be shut off. According to some studies, computers account for approximately 3% of all energy consumption in the United States.
• Use efficient ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and electronics. These devices, approved by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program, include TVs, home theater systems, DVD players, CD players, receivers, speakers, and more. According to the EPA, if just 10% of homes used energy-efficient appliances, it would reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of 1.7 million acres of trees.
• Chargers, such as those used for laptops and cell phones, consume energy when they are plugged in. When they are not connected to electronics, chargers should be unplugged.
• Laptop computers consume considerably less electricity than desktop computers.

7. Install daylighting as an alternative to electrical lighting.

Daylighting is the practice of using natural light to illuminate the home’s interior. It can be achieved using the following approaches:

• skylights. It’s important that they be double-pane or they may not be cost-effective. Flashing skylights correctly is key to avoiding leaks;
• light shelves. Light shelves are passive devices designed to bounce light deep into a building. They may be interior or exterior. Light shelves can introduce light into a space up to 2½ times the distance from the floor to the top of the window, and advanced light shelves may introduce four times that amount;
• clerestory windows. Clerestory windows are short, wide windows set high on the wall. Protected from the summer sun by the roof overhang, they allow winter sun to shine through for natural lighting and warmth; and
• light tubes. Light tubes use a special lens designed to amplify low-level light and reduce light intensity from the midday sun. Sunlight is channeled through a tube coated with a highly reflective material, and then enters the living space through a diffuser designed to distribute light evenly.

8. Insulate windows and doors.

About one-third of the home’s total heat loss usually occurs through windows and doors. The following are ways to reduce energy lost through windows and doors:

• Seal all window edges and cracks with rope caulk. This is the cheapest and simplest option.
• Windows can be weatherstripped with a special lining that is inserted between the window and the frame. For doors, apply weatherstripping around the whole perimeter to ensure a tight seal when they’re closed. Install quality door sweeps on the bottom of the doors, if they aren’t already in place.
• Install storm windows at windows with only single panes. A removable glass frame can be installed over an existing window.
• If existing windows have rotted or damaged wood, cracked glass, missing putty, poorly fitting sashes, or locks that don’t work, they should be repaired or replaced.

9. Cook smart.

An enormous amount of energy is wasted while cooking. The following recommendations and statistics illustrate less wasteful ways of cooking:

• Convection ovens are more efficient that conventional ovens. They use fans to force hot air to circulate more evenly, thereby allowing food to be cooked at a lower temperature. Convection ovens use approximately 20% less electricity than conventional ovens.
• Microwave ovens consume approximately 80% less energy than conventional ovens.
• Pans should be placed on the matching size heating element or flame.
• Using lids on pots and pans will heat food more quickly than cooking in uncovered pots and pans.
• Pressure cookers reduce cooking time dramatically.
• When using conventional ovens, food should be placed on the top rack. The top rack is hotter and will cook food faster.

10. Change the way you do laundry.

• Do not use the medium setting on your washer. Wait until you have a full load of clothes, as the medium setting saves less than half of the water and energy used for a full load.
• Avoid using high-temperature settings when clothes are not very soiled. Water that is 140° F uses far more energy than 103° F for the warm-water setting, but 140° F isn’t that much more effective for getting clothes clean.
• Clean the lint trap every time before you use the dryer. Not only is excess lint a fire hazard, but it will prolong the amount of time required for your clothes to dry.
• If possible, air-dry your clothes on lines and racks.
• Spin-dry or wring clothes out before putting them into a dryer.

Debris in Gutters

It’s important to keep your home in excellent condition for the entire year. Routine maintenance prevents costly repairs and protects the investment of your home. Doing a few things each season gets you in the habit of upkeep and ensures a healthy and safe place to live.

As fall approaches, this is the time to prepare your home for harsh winter weather. You’ll be spending more time indoors for the next part of the year and everything should be in working order, both inside and out. Here are some tips to follow:

Inside the Home

• Inspect the furnace and have it serviced, if necessary.
• Make sure the plumbing system is working properly, including removing hair and debris from all sinks and showers.
• Test the smoke detectors and replace the batteries if needed.
• Test the breakers in the electrical panel, especially after electrical storms.

Outside the Home

• Clean up debris from gutters, window wells, and storm drains.
• Turn off outdoor faucets, and disconnect and store garden hoses.
• Drain in-ground sprinkler systems.
• Check the weather stripping on windows and doors, and make sure windows are closed tightly.
• Check for holes and cracks on windows and doors.
• Check the caulking where two different materials meet, including where windows and doors meet the siding of the home.
• If the chimney has not been cleaned yet this year, clean and inspect.

Keeping your home in good condition in the fall season prevents it from aging and protects it from the elements. This increases its value, keeps costs down, and makes it easier to maintain your home for the entire year!

Residents in Vaughan and Woodbridge who are buying or selling a home should get a certified home inspection that meets the highest standards. At Ampwood Home Inspections, we have over 25 years of experience in the construction and building maintenance industry. This experience gives us a familiarity with home inspection standards that sets us apart.  

When you get your home inspection in the Ontario locations of Vaughan and Woodbridge, be sure to work with an inspector who is certified and uses a code of ethics. The typical inspection should take 3 to 4 hours. This depends on the size, condition, and age of the home. If a real estate agent tells you that an inspection takes less time and they refer an inspector who does a job quick, DO NOT take the chance. You might end up with an inspection that misses the mark.

You are encouraged to join Ampwood Home Inspections during the inspection to learn about the home. At the end of the process, you’ll receive a detailed onsite report and pictures will be sent to you electronically.

Read our FAQ to understand the complete process.

If you are ready to hire a home inspector for your Vaughan and Woodbridge property, give us a call.

If you need a certified home inspection in Mississauga, Ontario, Ampwood Home Inspections will put your mind at ease. We do inspections on pre-purchase homes, new construction, PDI, and Tarion Warranty Inspections.

The home inspection process is an important one. It is performed to relieve your stress and educate you about the condition of the home. The home inspector focuses on a creating a coherent report—including the condition of all appliances, systems, and the overall scope of the building.

While the inspection does not involve doing repairs, it does identify the exactly what needs to be fixed, or if the home is in prime condition. Remember, many of the repairs on homes are invisible or hard to find without a certified home inspector.

A Mississauga home inspection will ensure you that new construction is complete and that all utilities are turned on. It also serves as a helpful tool for a property management company or Mississauga homebuyers in need of a pre-purchase inspection. Your inspection will give you complete confidence about the state of your property.

Ampwood Home Inspections serves the entire Peel Region, York Region, Halton Region, including the Great Toronto Area.

Give us a call for your Mississauga home inspection today!

If you live in Brampton or surrounding neighborhoods, Ampwood Home Inspections will give you a reliable home inspection and peace of mind. This thorough inspection is done during the purchase of a new home to help inform you of the condition of the home. It will also give you a clearer picture of any updates or hazards that must be addressed.

We inspect over 400 items in the home and provide a detailed report immediately after the home inspection. This takes anywhere from 2.5 to 4 hours, and the time spent could potentially save you both costs and headaches. After the inspection, you are then given a detailed report is an uncomplicated review of the conditions of the home. We explain and review with you the complete inventory of the home, both interior and exterior conditions.

This includes all systems in the house, apartment or condo:

• Electrical, heating, and plumbing
• Condition of appliances
• Roof, attic, and insulation
• Floors walls, ceiling, and foundation
• External conditions and surfaces
• Garage, driveway, and outside areas

We know that purchasing a home and moving to a new location are stressful enough. Avoid the unnecessary worries and uncertainty of items in need of repair, as well as potential hazards. An inspection of your Brampton home by a certified home inspector can make all the difference!

Call us today to book your home inspection in Brampton, Mississauga, Vaughan and surrounding areas!

There are some nightmare scenarios of buyers who skipped the home inspection process and found themselves the owners of a house that is falling apart. If you remember the 1986 movie, “The Money Pit,” a couple falls in love with their dream home, buys it, and then experiences just about every possible problem. One of the most memorable scenes is when Tom Hanks falls through a hole in the floor that is covered by an area rug. This is, of course, an exaggeration of a home that is in severe disarray, but it’s also a symbol of the seriousness of what can happen when you don’t get a home inspection. Let’s look at some of the home inspection nightmares that could be lurking in your dream house.

The website for this old house, provides photos of some home inspection nightmares, many of which are just under the surface. Without a serious examination, some really basic things could be found to be in error. These might include some of the following:

• If the electrical wiring is faulty or was done by an amateur, this could indicate serious fire danger and the need to rewire completely.
• Leaky faucets or pipes that are improperly repaired might pose a problem. Or, worse, the septic system might have a drainage problem and fail. I’m sure you don’t need to know what kind of inconvenience that might mean.
• The heating or cooling system could be inefficient, causing a need to invest in repairs or having higher billing costs as a homeowner.
• You could be buying a home that is a hotspot for moisture and mildew, quickening deterioration of the walls and overall structure. 
• The appliances could be in disarray and need to be completely upgraded.

The home inspection process should not be compromised. It is the best and most convenient way to prevent investing in a property that is problematic from the start. Having an assessment of home inspection nightmares will also help you gauge whether the home is worth buying. Remember, you really can’t just rely on your eyes when it comes to buying a home. A home may appear to be wonderful on the surface, but without a thorough inspection, you just don’t know what you’re buying.

A home that has water damage can bring problems to homeowners that go beyond the cost of repair. Water damage is destructive to homes and buildings, causing a loss of value, higher maintenance costs, and even a liability with a loss of proper indoor air quality. These problems can be prevented by properly inspecting your home for damage and taking the steps to fix problems as soon as they occur. If you detect the presence of moisture in your home, be sure to take action right away.

Places to Inspect for Water Damage

There are a number of places in the home where water damage might occur. Some of these are areas you might not regularly notice, so consider keeping a running list of places to check. Some of these less-often-seen areas include: attics, storage areas, pipes, basements areas, and heating and cooling systems.

You might also notice more obvious things inside the home like damaged ceiling tiles, carpet, and water stains on drywall or plaster. Outside the home, make sure to check any cracks in the foundation or exterior walls, as well as the roof and windows. These are all places where water could leak in and should be are checked regularly.

Make Sure Your Home Is in Good Repair

Keep in mind that not all water damage is totally obvious. Sometimes you have to go looking for it to realize you’ve got an ongoing problem. Keep your home in good repair by sealing any cracks or holes in the exterior walls and foundation, making sure you have good ventilation in moisture-prone areas inside the home, and keeping up with inspection and maintenance of your home.

Finally, if water damage does occur for any reason, act quickly to fix the problem. Be sure to remove all standing water and moisture evidence. Consult with a home repair expert, if needed, to correct any leaks or water damage for good.

There is a little-known cause of home fires that results from a clothes dryer that malfunctions and catches on fire. Now, some people like to make jokes that dryers cause pairs of socks or other garments to disappear forever, but this problem is actually quite serious.

When a dryer operates, it blows hot air while spinning at high rate to evaporate the water from the clothing. This makes the vent of the dryer a very important piece of this appliance, both for operation and for safety. Tiny pieces of material from clothing accumulate as lint and are highly flammable. Because of this home fires due to lack of dryer safety are actually quite common. They most often occur as a result of not cleaning out the lint filter and a mechanical failure that can cause the lint to catch on fire.

Proper maintenance of this vent and dryer safety are very important to prevent fires and keep the appliance operating normally. Here are some tips to make sure the your dryer is in good working order:

1. The dryer and the vent are fully connected. The dryer can operate without this connection, but this will result in a lot of steam filling the room and there is a high risk of fire and mechanical failure. Make sure these parts are fully connected by checking on the back of the dryer or on the wall behind it.
2. 2.    There is no restriction of airflow. The dryer vent is flexible and can easily be crushed or kinked when placed against a wall. Any airflow restrictions are a potential fire hazard, so a clean, unobstructed vent is very important.
3. 3.    The lint from inside the dryer is cleaned out. Cleaning out the lint filter not only helps the dryer work more efficiently, but pieces of lint are highly flammable and if the dryer overheats, this can trigger sparks and cause a serious home fire. Be sure to clean the lint filter after every cycle and put it back into the appliance.
4. 4.    The area is clean behind the dryer. Since dryers are usually pushed into walls and small spaces, lint and dust tends to build up behind the dryer. This area should be kept free of dust, clothing and other objects as it can get very hot.
5. 5.    Only clothing items are placed in the dryer. Putting plastic, metal, rubber, or foam pieces can contribute to a dryer safety issues. In addition, if clothes in the washing machine have had flammable substances spilled on them such as gasoline, they should not be placed in the dryer.

Lately, make sure to have a working smoke detector in the laundry room as a precaution. By following these dryer safety tips you’ll greatly reduce any problems that could occur and also have a more efficient appliance.

For more information read the article Dryer Vent Safety.

Electricity is an important part of any home, but it can also be a significant hazard. While many electrical fires and injuries are due to appliances or electrical systems malfunctioning, a greater portion of problems are from misuse and poor maintenance or appliances, as well as overloaded circuits and extension cords and incorrect wiring.

Here are some of the top electrical safety hazards:

1. Extension cords under carpet: This can pose a big problem if the cord is under the carpet, becomes damaged, and then overheats and catches fire. The damage can be caused from foot traffic, furniture, or general wear and tear, and it won’t be readily visible. This can be especially bad in home where the cord is forgotten about and deteriorates, so extension cords under carpet are a major electrical safety hazard.
2. Electrical appliances: Any appliance you can plug in needs to be treated with care and common sense. Never leave paper or plastic close to a hot appliance or store appliances so they may tip over. Always unplug appliances when not in use and check periodically for corroded wires, cracked insulation, defective parts, and anything else that might not work properly. Also, remember to use caution with space heaters, electric blankets, and be sure to keep plugged in appliances away from water.
3. Electrical outlets and cords: Electrical outlets can be especially unsafe for young children and safety plugs should be inserted in unused outlets, as well as electrical safety emphasized to children. Also, the use of electrical cords should be minimal and there should be enough electrical capacity in outlets. It is recommended that all electrical outlets are three-hole grounded outlets. If an outlet is located in the bathroom or outdoors, it should have a GFI or Ground Fault Interrupter outlet.
4. Electrical wiring: All electrical wiring in your house should be up to wiring safety code. In addition, if you have had small rodents in your home or the walls, the wires will need to be checked to ensure they are not being damaged.
5. Power Lines: Many people aren’t aware of overhead and underground power lines. Unfortunately, there have been electrocutions when people accidently put an object in the way of a power line, such as ladders, antennas, kites, and poles. Tress and bushes can also be a hazard, as well as animals who get caught in trees near power lines. Power lines are dangerous to touch, whether they are standing straight up or fallen down.

Keep electrical safety hazardous in check and be sure to also check out the article for Electrical Safety more information.