Question : Aluminum Wiring - What Would You Say to Family, Clients. I wrote this email answer to a nephew's question about aluminum wiring systems. (He's house hunting.) Aluminum wire replaced copper in the 70s (for a while) because of cost. Allowances were not made (at first) for the different p
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06/06/2012
Announcement for this weekend, Saturday May 5th. For anyone in the Montreal area this weekend, especially the West Island, this is one of those you'll regret missing. For those who don't know, the Pointe-Claire Village is the original area of the pioneering French farming village that develop
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05/02/2012
This article is written by a colleague on the other side of the continent, but what he has to say is a universal truth. N.B.; The home in the photo has a wet basement!There have been dozens of posts about how to find a good home inspector. I figure it is only fair to ask how one goes about findin
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10/29/2011
The photo says it all! Why do you need to get home inspection? Look at the photo. In fact there are some guys (not electricians) who can do it right. But how do YOU know them? A qualified or liscenced tradesman - contractor has been verified to an acceptable established standard. THAT's how yo
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09/24/2011
These guys are rare visitors or itinerants in our Montreal neighbourhoods. They do successfully live and breed here but there is not much 'space ' here in our residential 'flora' for these 'fauna'. So they are occasionally seen but not that common. I was recently in PA this summer. It's lovely co
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08/22/2011
In the Montreal area cockroaches are relatively rarely encountered in residential inspections. They can be more common in some types of commercial buildings though, and to say they are rarely encountered does not mean that they are not found. For those who have to deal with the problem they will
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08/22/2011
This is a simple, no cost idea that could help in an emergency. I found this through a re-blog but I'm re-bogging it again so Montreal area cell phone users and real-estate professionals can benefit from this safety tip. Safety Tip: Do you have ICE on your cell phone? You should... This is not
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08/22/2011
Pointe-Claire 100th Anniversary Celebration - Pointe-Claire Days It's 100 years since the incorporation of Pointe-Claire as a city. And the city is having a bash this weekend. Most of the activities will be in the Village. This is the original area settled, locally called the Pointe-Claire villag
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08/17/2011
The photos themselves tell the story. This article, as well as highlighting some new construction deficiencies, also illustrates the problems inherent with extended and horizontal exhaust duct systems. This is a reprint of an article by one of my associates, Jay Markanich (VA), and should you w
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08/13/2011
This article highlights an all too common problem detail with the siding finishes around doors and windows. Home owners with this and similar siding types should become familiar with how these components work and what is needed for their maintenance. This is a reprint of an article by one of my a
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08/13/2011
