Nalliah Thayabharan's (expertinspector) Blog

I did apply for the national certification because I wanted to participate in a national strategy guiding the future of the Canadian Home Inspection profession. I believe national certification authority works in the best interests of the home inspection profession throughout Canada, accommodatin...

HEATING TIPS:Use bath and kitchen vents sparingly when moisture and odors are not a problem.Lock your windows so they will seal tighter.Try to use doors that are protected from the wind.Be sure thermostat is located away from heat sources and cold drafts.Close drapes at night and on cloudy days.O...

Seal the band joist and sill with caulk or foam sealant.Caulk around basement windows.Seal any holes in the foundation wall with caulk or foam sealant.Seal the hole where the bath tub drain comes down and any other plumbing or electrical penetrations into the basement ceiling with caulk or foam s...

Weatherstrip attic access door.Insulate attic access door by attaching foam insulation or fiberglass batt to the back.Caulk electrical wire penetrations at the top of the interior walls and wires into ceiling fixtures.Seal around the plumbing stack(s).Seal around the chimney using a high temperat...

Off road Diesel #2 and Home Heating Oil # 2 apparently differ only in the tax applied at the time of sale. Both are dyed red. They differ from standard Road Diesel #2 in that road tax has been applied, no red dye has been added, and there is a specification regarding sulphur content. In extremely...

DISHWASHER:Operating Tips:Scrape the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher so you can use the shortest cycle possible to clean the dishes.Clean the filter screen over the drain regularly.Don't use the rinse and hold cycle.Run only full loads.If you don't have a booster heater on your dishw...

Nalliah Thayabharan, Registered Home Inspector, Member of CAHPI-Ontario and Certified By ASHI, Expert Building Inspections Ltd., Markham ON 905 940 0811 www.expertinspector.comRANGE:Operating Tips:Keep burner reflectors, burner tips, and bottoms of pans clean.Use the oven instead of the range whe...

REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER:Refrigerators account for the largest portion of appliance energy consumption. Replacing an older refrigerator with a new energy efficient model could cut your operating costs in half. An inefficient refrigerator also adds a considerable amount of heat to your kitchen in the ...

Kitchen fans are very important to maintain good indoor air quality, since they remove  odours,  excess moisture, grease, combustion products  and pollutants from cooking.  A typical  builder model kitchen fans  are rated about  200 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of exhaust  and is generally adequat...

Most of the Realtors like these estimates which they can use for quicker renegotiation to close the deal right away, rather than waiting for cost estimates from three different contractors..But there are concerns about these estimates. including the following.If a home inspector thinks he/she can...