The Canadian Electrical Code Part I gives electrical utilities an exemption from the code for "installations and equipment in its exercise as a utility, located outdoors or in buildings or sections of buildings used for that purpose." The CEC Part I is "a voluntary code for adoption and enforcement by regulatory authorities." When adopted into the provincial regulations, this exemption is almost always maintained for work that falls within the scope of an electrical utility’s business.

The Canadian Electrical Code Part I gives electrical utilities an exemption from the code for "installations and equipment in its exercise as a utility, located outdoors or in buildings or sections of buildings used for that purpose." The CEC Part I is "a voluntary code for adoption and enforcement by regulatory authorities." When adopted into the provincial regulations, this exemption is almost always maintained for work that falls within the scope of an electrical utility’s business.

Over time, many electrical utilities have either developed their own design standards or use standards developed by others. Two CSA standards are often used as authoritative references for utility installations. These are CAN/CSA-C22.3 No. 1- M87 Overhead Systems and C22.3 No. 7-94 Underground Systems. In some instances, utility standards may meet or exceed electrical code requirements, or they may also fall short. One would hope that utility standards should satisfy minimum electrical safety requirements, especially for installations on private property.

In a brave new world of less regulation and greater competition, electrical utilities may want to take a closer look at their own design standards, to determine whether they should conform with the Canadian Electrical Code. In this article, we will look at some examples where the CEC Part III standards fail to meet the minimum safety requirements of the CEC Part I, and visit another issue that might affect electrical utilities as changes evolve.

Let’s begin by comparing some of the differences in high low and high voltage clearances. I will refer to the Canadian Electrical Code as CEC Part I and the CSA Part III overhead standards as CEC Part III. Both prescribe minimum horizontal and vertical clearances for a broad range of voltage classifications. As an aside, there are a few instances where the CEC Part I actually references CEC Part III when an installation strays beyond the parameters set out in the code. As a result, some paragraphs of CEC Part III actually become requirements of our electrical code.

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As technology advances new tools are being adapted to the home inspection industry. The Barrie Home Inspector is a leader in bringing this new technology to Simcoe County. First to introduce his Fair Pricing Policy , First to introduce Thermal Imaging , First to introduce a 30 day Money-Back guarantee with No Questions asked and the only Home Inspector in Simcoe County to include Free Wett inspections with all our regular priced inspections.

To meet the need for specialized building inspections, which include, roofs, attics, leaking basements, foundations, and other building system issues, we have created our $129.00 inspection . We will look at a specific items for you or perform a Thermal Scan of your home or do a complete detailed “walk through inspection”. No report is given for this special priced inspection and you pick what service you require. We have created this inspection due to the sheer volume of requests for re-inspections, problem solving and moisture and leak detection. This particular inspection would be of great value to individuals who are selling their home and don’t want any expensive surprises after they have negotiated a price.

The Barrie Home inspector has been providing Free Thermal Imaging scans with all regular priced home inspections for the past year. This amazing technology can aid in the detection of heat loss, moisture, water leaks, over-heating conditions and even mould detection. We also perform moisture checks with our up-graded digital moisture detector which allows us to detect moisture up to an inch behind most building products.

We carry 3 ladders to access even the most difficult roofs, no looking from the road with our company . The Barrie Home Inspector carries 12 ft, 24 ft and 30 ft ladders and a multitude of tools to aid in our inspections. Our latest tool is a flexible video camera with built in LED lighting for inspecting hard or nearly impossible locations without damaging your home. A more complete inspection of furnaces, duct work, plumbing and penetrations of your walls are now fully visible to our trained professionals.

Commercial building inspections are an area where our training and experience enable us to provide the best possible inspection available. All inspectors are Building Code Qualified and I am personally Ontario Building Code Certified. We believe if you don’t know how it was supposed to be built, how can you inspect it? With over 27 years of combined building and inspection experience knowledge does make a difference.

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Our Thermal Scan inspections is also available for $129.00 which includes a full thermal scan of all your exterior surfaces, bathrooms, utility, kitchen and electrical panel. We are the first company in Barrie, Alliston and Orillia to offer this new technology and as we continue to provide new services and innovations which always benefit our clients. So when choosing a company to inspect your next real estate investment, choose a leader not a follower!

We offer a 100% Money-back guarantee on our $129.00 inspection package as with all our services.

Written by Roger Frost

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Soffit Baffles and Your Roof

One of the biggest causes of ice dams are the lack of soffit baffles. What are soffit baffles most people ask? They are also be known as Mor-vents and Sur-vents, usually made of Styrofoam and designed to promote air flow and ventilation of your attic.

With today’s higher insulation requirements, soffit baffles are required by the National and Ontario Building Code. Some builders prefer to install plywood baffles which are nailed to the trusses or rafters allowing air to freely move from soffits past insulation into the attic. What ever the method your attic is required to have a square foot of ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic space. The building code requires a minimum of 25 percent of ventilation from the bottom and a minimum of 25 percent from the top area of the roof.   The remaining 50 percent can be installed at any other locations of the roof.   Most builders in the Orillia and Barrie area just install ventilation on the top and bottom of the roofs. Some complicated roofs with multiple levels have roof vents installed at all locations where there is a variation of heights.

Turbines have become a popular addition to many new homes. The visible spinning seems to assure people that their ventilation performance has been improved. Personally, although turbines do draw out more air than the standard passive roof vent, there are some problems most people are un-aware of.   On the majority of inspections performed in Barrie, Alliston and  Orillia, I have found that turbines allow moisture and snow to accumulate on the insulation in the attic space. Although I have never come across enough snow or moisture to worry about, usually the air movement dries up all moisture before it can become an issue,   I personally would not install turbines on my roof for this reason.

A word of caution, when having your insulation up-graded, always ensure two items.

1. Your insulation installer did not blow insulation into your soffit baffles, causing blockage of air flow.

2. Your insulation installer moved into the different areas of your attic to prevent insulation from blowing over any protruding supports and creating voids or pockets of lower insulation.

Written by Roger Frost

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Most builders and contractors are professional and will take responsibility for their workmanship, others are quick to point the finger at somebody else, usually any other trade will do as long as it is not them. Tarion allows your house to settle for one year before they will look at or discuss any drywall cracking issues.

First problem is, your load of lumber used to build your home. Un-like myself when buying lumber, choosing the straight lumber takes up most of that time. On the other hand, your home package is dumped off in one large skid at the construction site. So your framer has just the right amount of lumber to build your home. Most framers won’t bother checking moisture content and straightness of the lumber, he will make do with what he has. A good framer will use most of the warped pieces as fillers etc where they won’t matter as much.

Most homes in the Barrie, Alliston, Orillia area have 2X8 floor joists. If it is raining when your package is delivered these joists will be exposed to extreme moisture until the roof is completed. This is a recipe for high moisture content and eventual shrinkage and possible warping etc.

As the lumber gives up this moisture, the change in size can be dramatic. But it is important to know that a standard piece of lumber does not shrink the same amount along all of its dimensions. The greatest amount of shrinkage occurs across the face of the grain.

Let us assume that a standard 2×4 that is 8 feet long will be exactly 96 inches long, 1.5 inches thick and 3.5 inches wide. Once this 2×4 has been in your house for 6 months and had a chance to acclimate and dry out if it was wet, it will still be nearly 96 inches long. There is very little shrinkage along the length of the lumber.

The thickness of the 2×4 will change slightly, but not by much. But the width of the 2×4 will experience the greatest shrinkage. It may only measure 3 and 3/8 inches in width. Imagine how much shrinkage might happen with a large 2 x 12

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In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s copper prices rose and contractors/electricians switched from copper to lower costing aluminum wiring. Although no longer common for distribution circuits, aluminum wiring is still used today in certain applications. For example, 240 volt circuits for stoves and dryers. It sometimes is used on the main service entrance wire from the road to the house.

Concerns with this type of wiring have arisen, for example, when aluminum wire is connected to devices (eg. receptacles, light fixtures) which were not designed for aluminum, or, when aluminum and copper wires are attached. In these cases a reaction can occur causing the connections to fail, perhaps become disconnected, and/or, potentially overheat, spark and catch fire. Symptoms of this can sometimes be seen in the discolouration of receptacles, flickering lights, or the smell of hot plastic insulation.
The conductivity of aluminum is not as good as copper so a different, thicker, gauge wire must used. For example, today the most common copper wire size is 14 gauge. The comparable aluminum wire size used was 12 gauge.

In their most recent 1997 Safety Notice, Ontario Hydro states:
"Aluminum wiring in residential installations will operate as safely as any other type of wiring if the proper materials are used and it is installed as per the manufacturer’s instructions and the Ontario Hydro Electrical Safety Code."
Special care must be taken to ensure, for example, that connections are made to receptacles that are suitable for aluminum wiring. Further, where aluminum and copper wires are connected that proper paste/flux, and/or, the appropriate wire connectors, are used.
Regardless of the wiring type used, no circuits should overloaded or over fused.

What do you do if you suspect a problem?
Have a qualified electrician check:
1) Terminations at devices without removing or disturbing them.
2) Cut back any damaged aluminum conductors and join these to a copper tail using a connector approved for use with aluminum. These connectors are coloured either brown or purple, depending on the manufacturer. The copper tail is then terminated at the terminal screws of an ordinary device (which includes approved receptacles, etc.). Or, cut back any damaged aluminum conductors and re-terminate at a new device bearing the appropriate marking. Only devices bearing the mark CO/ALR are currently approved for use with aluminum wiring.
3) Panel board terminations for signs of overheating.
4) Fuses present for heavy loads are temperature sensitive type (D or P).

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Tips for saving energy and money

One of the biggest untapped sources of energy we have is the energy we waste. Using energy more wisely yields huge benefits for all Canadians:

• Dollar savings
• Energy supplies go further
• Reduced emissions
• Improved air quality and environment

Conserving energy at home

Our homes use a lot of energy and are responsible for a large portion of our air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Canadian homeowners use power to run their computers and televisions, as well as other appliances that run on gas or electricity, like fridges, stoves and furnaces. The following list of energy-saving ideas lets you see how you can make a difference by conserving energy in your home.

Use energy-efficient products/appliances

You have choices about saving energy when you shop for your home. ENERGY STAR^® -qualified products and appliances use less energy than conventional models and give you years of energy savings.

• Lighting: Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use less electricity and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.ENERGY STAR^® CFLs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. It’s a good idea to use CFLs for outdoor lighting and for your porch, kitchen and family room – all of the places where you spend most of your time!One 100 watt incandescent bulb produces the same amount of light as two 60 watt bulbs and uses less energy.If everyone in Canada switched just one bulb in their home to a CFL, Canada would save over $73 million in energy costs that year.
• Holiday Lighting: During the holidays, replacing five strings of traditional incandescent lights on a Christmas tree with LED lights would save about $7 that year alone!
• Showers: An energy efficient shower head or flow controller reduces energy costs without affecting water pressure.A low flow shower head saves as much as 60 percent of the water used by a conventional fixture.
• Refrigerators: Your refrigerator accounts for 11 percent of your household’s total energy consumption, so buying an energy efficient model makes good sense.Today’s energy efficient refrigerators use 50 percent less energy than models made 10 years ago. Look for an ENERGY STAR^® -qualified model to be sure of your refrigerator’s efficiency. You might also consider retiring that older, second refrigerator – or at least unplugging it when it is not really needed.

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Eave Troughs – Care and Maintenance

  Winter and eave troughs – This is where most home designers fail to take winter into consideration when designing homes.   Most home owners buy homes in the Spring, Summer and Fall, and never think about their homes eave troughs and downspouts. As a  home inspector in the Barrie, Alliston, Orillia and Innisfil area it amazes me how many homes have downspouts that discharge water directly onto sidewalks and driveways.    This leaves the home owner scrambling to keep ice from accumulating on these high traffic areas.

  Most new homes have weeping tile that their downspouts discharge into, which working well in warm weather. As the cold weather sets in these usually freeze up and can cause damage to your downspout as the ice can build up enough pressure to split the aluminum seam. I usually recommend that the home owner install a Tee at the junction of the downspout and weeping tile. This allows the water to run off from downspout when the weeping tile is frozen. The weeping tile will always remain frozen long after the eave trough and downspout have started moving water. This simple tip will aid in preventing ice dams and those annoying drips from your eave trough.

Fall Clean-up

Always ensure your eave troughs are clean and leak free prior to winter. You can manually clean your gutters or use a leaf blower to blow away the loose debris. Always place your ladder in a secure area, tied off to secure object is recommended, and do not support on gutters or downspouts. Make sure your roof is not slippery if climbing onto for cleaning.   After removing all debris, soften any solidified debris with water, flush with water.   This is when any leaks should be noted and repaired with caulking or recommended gutter sealing product. If water is not freely flowing from downspouts you may have to take them apart to removed stuck debris, this is easier to do in nice weather rather than waiting for winter weather to perform any maintenance.

  Adding downspouts is a quick fix for some eave trough problems that occur in winter. Some designers will run a single gutter around front or rear of house and if located in an area susceptible to collecting snow, can lead to ice build up.

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Concrete foundations are of two types – poured concrete and concrete block. Poured concrete is a modern manner of laying foundations, while concrete blocks are more traditional. Concrete blocks are preferred for their visual appeal and strength. Yet, as time passes, there may be degradation of concrete.

The prime cause of cracks in concrete foundation is seepage of water. Such cracks caused due to leakage of water are thin and hairline. They may widen over time, but they are present only in those areas where the seepage occurs. In order to repair leakage cracks, it is necessary first to investigate the source and the point from which the leakage originates.

There may be other reasons for concrete foundations to crumble. Soil may lose its moisture content in summer. There may be underground roots which may wither and die. Such natural causes make the soil shrink and hence the foundation may move. Though this movement is gradual, overtime it will cause cracks to occur. These cracks will be large gaping ones, running across the entire length of the foundation. They may even be in the form of tiny holes in certain places.

Whatever be the reason, cracks in the foundation are very perilous if ignored. Repair must be done as soon as possible. Difficulties involved in the repair process are influenced by how big the cracks are.

For tiny moisture created cracks, the repair is relatively simple and can be done by almost anyone. These cracks must first be brushed clean with a wire brush. A jet of water may be passed to remove any loose concrete particles within the crack. The crack is then allowed to dry completely and filled with concrete caulk. If the crack is large, then it is packed with patching materials that are specifically available for concrete. These patching materials must be wet when applied. They are limestone based, and they expand as they dry, filling up the crack completely. The finishing touch is to apply a sealant to the repaired crack.

But if the crack is sinister and not the do-it-yourself kind, then it is most prudent to shell out a few dollars and hire some good repairmen. Such cracks occur due to rods which may have rusted inside and snapped or because of deterioration of the materials present within the concrete. Some leakage cracks when ignored can also reach dangerous levels. Such cracks are more found in poured concrete.

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Open Flames and Candles – Always ensure your candles cannot accidently ignite decorations or other combustible materials. If you have or are entertaining small children ensure all candles are safely out of reach. Keep candles, matches and lighters out of the reach of children.

Xmas Decorations - When using lights, make sure they are certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriters Laboratory Canada (ULC) if decorating an outside tree, use only those lights labeled for outdoor use. Don’t overload electrical outlets, and always unplug all interior and exterior lights before going to bed.

Choking Hazard - For children, small toys and special foods can be an incident waiting to happen.  Ensure toys are appropriate for the age of the child, and won’t create a danger for younger children in the household. Take a quick look around your home if expecting small visitors and remove all potential choking hazards prior to their arrival.

Christmas Trees - Choose a fresh Christmas tree, one with shiny needles, and secure it in a sturdy stand. Avoid placing your tree near a heat source (sunny windows, radiators, heating vents, and fireplaces). Try to keep the tree out of high traffic areas where it might be bumped or overturned, or where someone might trip on light cords. Avoid any spot that might be dangerous , such as next to a fire in the fireplace or up on a wobbly table.

Prepare for holiday parties - Decorate only with flame-retardant or noncombustible materials. If guests will be smoking, provide them with large, deep ashtrays and check them frequently. After the party, check under sofa cushions and in trash cans for cigarette butts that may be smoldering.

Drinking and Driving - When attending a party, designate a non-drinking driver. If you are hosting a holiday gathering, be sure there are non-alcoholic beverages for guests who are driving and arrange for alternate transportation for guests who drink. Remember if someone leaves your home and has too much to drink you could be held partially responsible if tragedy occurs.

Inspect fireplaces and wood stoves - Have your chimney connections and flues inspected by a professional and cleaned if necessary. Use a sturdy screen when burning fires. Burn only wood—never burn paper or pine boughs. If purchasing a factory-built fireplace or wood stove, select one listed by a testing laboratory, and have it installed according to local codes. If you plan to hang stockings on your fireplace, do not use the fireplace for fires. Most insurance companies now require a WETT inspection prior to insuring your home if you have a wood burning appliance.

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