Roger Frost's (orilliainspector) Blog

A sewage drain field and a septic tank make up a small scale sewage treatment system. A septic tank is basically a rectangular shaped underground receptacle for wastewater. It is watertight, made of concrete, and consists of tanks that are divided into chambers. The first chamber has twice the vo...

Sequence for painting a room is from top to bottom: Ceiling first, then walls, then windows, doors and finally baseboards. Great interior painting is as easy as one-two-three There are many reasons why interior painting is the nation's most popular home improvement project. Painting can quickly a...

Picking the right caulk can be the hardest part of any caulking job. Most hardware stores carry dozens of different products, each promising better results than the other. If you use the wrong caulk, the joint will fail long before it should, which means that you'll need to do the job all over ag...

Recently I had my heating ducts cleaned in my house after finishing a renovation project. The duct cleaning company used a video camera to inspect my ducts before and during cleaning, what a sight to behold! There were pieces of drywall left over from the original construction and of course lots ...

Air Barrier – Its Design and Purpose by the Orillia Home Inspector In Ontario the air barrier in a home is installed under the authority of the Ontario Building 9.25.4.3. Installation of Vapour Barriers (1) Vapour barriers shall be installed to protect the entire surfaces of thermally insulated w...

The Fire Code is a subset of the Building Code . It prescribes construction and safety issues as they relate to how the building is required to perform should it catch fire. A significant distinction with the fire code is that it can apply retroactively . The Fire Code can be applied retroactivel...

Many new buildings have features such as passive solar design, photovoltaic systems and solar thermal systems. With the new energy awareness that has been created and the governments involvement in promoting green energy saving concepts, green will be introduced to more homes and systems. The ene...

Brand new service: Home inspection for only $129.00 with a Money-Back guarantee. Or,  you can have a Thermal Scan of your entire house for only $129.00, it's your choice. There is no report for this special priced inspection. We still offer full report, with 40 to 60 pictures, starting at $199.0...

  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’...

EFFECTIVE CRAWLSPACE INSULATION A properly sealed, moisture-protected, and insulated crawlspace will increase comfort, save on energy costs, improve the durability of the home, and reduce entry of moisture, radon, and other potential irritants or pollutants into the home. Whichever design is fol...