Good Question! articles

Good Question!

The following articles were written by the staff of Lynch Building Inspection Services Ltd. of Nelson, British Columbia. They originally appeared in The Nelson Express.

Architectural Questions

Ice building up around our house’s wood framed chimney chase
Chalky, white powder along my concrete basement walls
Stains on drywall sloped ceilings
Health issues related to vermiculite insulation
Replacing old single pane sliding windows inexpensively
Rules and permits required for a fence all the way around the property
A new bedroom for our teenage son in a corner of our basement
The life expectancy of tar and gravel roofs
Dark stains and discolouration along the baseboards of our basement walls
Soundproofing a basement suite
Preparing for winter
Peeling paint and mould issues in bathroom
Condensation in the ceiling from high humidity
Building codes, rules and regulations
Several holes in wood siding: wood pecker suspected
Water stains inside house caused by ice build-up in eaves
Rules concerning "in-law" suites (secondary suites)
Cantilevered window bays
Flooding in basement
Selecting a carpenter to build a deck
“For sale by owner” web sites
Leaks around windows that appear inside the wall cavities
Decreasing heat loss around windows.
White mould in insulation
Roof tar hard, starting to crack and flake
Ice building up on single-pane windows
Working with an Energuide Program auditor
Sliding glass doors and heat loss
Installing an additional vapour barrier over existing drywall
Rotting deck
Leaking roof
Vapor barrier and insulation on bare basement walls
Paper-thin stucco getting wet
Adjacent development impacting the stability of property
Radon gas testing
Property lines
Terrazzo concrete finish
Building permits for older homes
Secondary suite in basement: zoning issues
Limiting heat from sunlight in an older house
Sawdust and wood chips used as insulation in old homes
Problems with laminate flooring
Refinishing wood veneers
Leaky, moss-covered roof
House shopping: sequence of some of the major events
Establishing an approximate value for house and property
Controlling noise from highway traffic
Proprietary rool shingles
Rafter lines visible through snow covered roofs
Sound proofing materials
Deck as a roof
Bedroom located above unheated single car garage
Built Green Standards
Chimneys on the exterior walls less functional
House inspection vs. assessment
Mould and mildew in old attics
R value claims of some foil-faced insulation products questionable
“Net zero energy use” housing design
Water coming into basement
Cedar (stink) bugs
Window frames and glazing
Replacing paneling on modular home with gyproc
Chemical free and no off-gas insulation
Changing a building from one type of use to another
Water from tub has soaked through ceramic tiles
Lack of roof venting and poorly installed insulation
Looking for signs of dampness in basement
“Blistering” problem with tar and gravel roofing

Code Change Questions

2006 Building Code changes - Part 1
2006 Building Code changes - Part 2
2006 Building Code changes - Part 3
2006 Building Code changes - Part 4

Electrical Questions

Upgrading old electrical service
Old Knob and Tube wiring
Older electric fuse panels
Two prong outlets
Replacing old single pane sliding windows inexpensively
Figure out approximate age of wiring in house
Higher amperage outlets
Cloth and plastic sheathed aluminum wiring
Bad wiring in electrical panel
“Load miser” and 70-amp service at full capacity
Buzzing sound from electrical panel

Mechanical Questions

Issues with wood heater
Refrigerator maintence
Forced-air heating system causing illness?
Inpecting asbestos wrappings for risks
Inadequate and leaky flashing details
Heat recovery ventilator maintenence tips
Metal roofing in BC limited by pitch
Electric baseboard heat and ventilation
Crawlspace has been excavated into a perennial high water table
Condensation problem
Gas furnace not heating all areas of house
Asbestos insulation in poor and damaged condition
Split coil air conditioner maintenance
Rumford fireplace: utilitarian, efficient design
Sharing a furnace with "in-law" (secondary) suite: a grey area
Metal connectors and nails are all rusting on weep through deck
Disclouration of carpets under doors and around baseboard heaters
Adding humidity to house can exacerbate other problems
Complimentary heat systems
Gas appliances spilling harmful gases?
Old-fashioned style vs. programmable thermostat for gas forced air furnace
Testing and/ or venting for radon gas
Wood heat chimney issues
Ventilate bathroom to prevent peeling paint and mould
Asbestos insulation in poor and damaged condition

Plumbing Questions

Sewer gas smell in basement
Sink gurgles
Frozen water pipes
Sewer pumps
Tankless water heaters

Structural Questions

Anchoring new concrete to old existing foundations
Deck flooring and structure rotting
Metal stringers vs. wooden stairs
Deck flooring and structure rotting
Repairing vs. replacing rotting deck
Dry rot explained
Mobile home foundations
Salvaging an old garage
Rotting floor joists
Affordable, expandable building designs
Roof top garden
Common new home after-purchase problems
Building Code requirements for guardrails
Concrete patio slab design considerations
Sags and dips in roof
Determining the risk tree roots present to foundation
Hardwood floor squeaks
Concrete basement wall with a pony wall on top
Weather resistant design features - Part 1
Weather resistant design features - Part 2
Sloping floors a common problem in additions
Old plastic vapour barrier causing moisture problems
Leaning chimney in the attic
Opening and closing crawlspace vents
Post & beam deck supports with pre-cast footing blocks
Sagging support beams
Some construction components require specific engineered design
Cut an opening in wall for window
Small porch and deck addition on mobile home
Cracks in concrete walls
Finding studs behind drywall
Chalky, white powder on concrete: efflorescence