Home Inspection Articles

Last month Punxsutawney Phil retreated into his hole after seeing his shadow, indicating that unfortunately an early Spring is not on the horizon. Whether or not you believe that a groundhog can predict when the change of seasons will happen, most people can agree that this severe winter does not show any signs of stopping. Unprecedented amounts of snowfall and record-breaking low temperatures across North America have left many wondering when this weather will end.

As we curse Old Man Winter under our breath and see if there is any way we can afford a last minute trip to the Bahamas, it might be time to accept our fate: winter is here to stay, for at least a little while longer. So let’s show appreciation where appreciation is due and high-five our heating systems – metaphorically, of course -by taking great care of them. Please consider the following furnace “fun facts” as you enjoy the comfort of your warm home.

How do furnaces work?

Furnaces distribute their heat by warming the house air as it passes through the furnace. The furnace fan draws cool air in from the rooms through the return registers and ducts. The air is warmed as it passes over a hot metal box inside the furnace cabinet called a heat exchanger. The warm air is pushed out to the rooms through the supply ducts. The house air can be thought of as moving in a loop, passing by the furnace periodically to be reheated.

Gas and oil furnaces have three major components: a heat exchanger, a burner, and a blower. Electric furnaces have a heating element rather than a burner to generate heat. Furnace life expectancies depend on many things, but there are some averages:

• Conventional and mid-efficiency furnaces typically last about 18 to 25 years.
• High efficiency furnaces typically last about 15 to 20 years.

Furnaces are usually stored in a cabinet. There are also operating and safety control, and an air filter in the furnace. Gas and oil furnaces have a vent to get rid of the exhaust products. Some furnaces have accessories such as humidifiers or central air conditioning systems. Electronic air cleaners may replace conventional filters.

Why do they sometimes not work?

For most furnaces and boilers, terminal failure is usually a crack or hole in the heat exchanger. Since most of the heat exchanger is not visible, the heat exchanger cannot be fully inspected during a Home Inspection. Because a Home Inspection is not technically exhaustive, the likelihood of failure is based on probability rather than testing or equipment tear-down.

A conventional gas-fired furnace, for example, contains a heat exchanger having an average life expectancy of 18 to 25 years. There are, however, manufacturers of gas-fired, forced-air furnaces whose heat exchangers have a reputation for failing sooner.

Most high efficiency furnaces require more air flow across the heat exchangers than conventional furnaces. Replacing a conventional furnace with a high efficiency furnace can be tricky. Older, smaller ductwork and/or an air conditioning coil can restrict air flow, increasing the temperature rise within the furnace. This can result in premature failure of the heat exchangers and void the warranty. This condition may not be identified in the Home Inspection.

Electric furnaces and boilers contain electric heating elements and controls for the elements. Every single component can be replaced. With age, however, electric systems get to a stage where replacement of the entire unit makes sense due to lost reliability and a lack of available replacement parts.

With individual electric heaters, failure probability is not meaningful, since replacing individual heaters is not a significant expense. Electric heating elements are like light bulbs. Their life expectancy is not well defined, and their failure can’t be accurately predicted.

If you want to learn more about your home and enjoyed these tips, order a copy of the Home Reference Book. Was there another home maintenance item you haven’t seen us cover yet? Comment below or let us know on Twitter or Facebook and we’ll do our best to help out. 

The extreme weather witnessed this winter may present more than just physical problems for homeowners. The frigid temperatures brought on by the polar vortex have negatively affected many properties across North America. Countless downed trees, prolonged power outages, and frozen everything have contributed to a difficult few weeks. Winter is already considered to be the harshest season on homes, as its freeze/thaw cycles can cause significant amounts of damage.

Unfortunately this could translate into future headaches for homeowners - not all of them related to how their home and its systems are performing. Global News is reporting that home insurance premiums will likely be going up as a result of the ice storm. They warn that “homeowners should prepare to pay more for property insurance as the severe weather trend that has battered the country during the past year is expected to continue.”*

In fact, some insurance companies have already begun to change their policies based on recent events and the claims homeowners have made as a result. “Intact Financial Corp…one of Canada’s largest property and casualty insurers, raised premiums by 10 to 20 per cent during the past few months as catastrophic losses and weather-related claims have risen.”*

Reflecting on the extreme storms Canada has suffered through 2013, from the flash-flooding in July to December’s ice, Intact Financial Corp. spokesman Gilles Gratton posits, “…the impacts of climate change coupled with urban growth, aging municipal infrastructure and the greater prevalence of finished basements are posing new challenges to the industry.”*

Data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada suggested that it’s possible this weather-driven shift in premiums, pricing and coverage has been a long time coming. They reported “the amount of insured damage resulting from extreme weather in Canada grew from less than $200 million in 2006 to $1.2 billion in 2012.”*

What Does This Mean For Homeowners?

While there is little you can do in the face of high insurance premiums, especially when this price increase is a national trend, there are other ways you can limit the financial toll that extreme weather can take. Lessening the potential for damage through regular maintenance and upkeep can help you, your home, (and your wallet), in the long run. When it comes to extreme weather and protecting your property, preparation is key.

We have several articles that relate to home maintenance in winter. Check them out and see how your own maintenance routine and knowledge compares.

• Avoiding Frozen Pipes
• Dealing With Power Outages In Cold Weather
• Winter Weather & Wet Basements

Do you have a Home Inspection issue or concern that you haven’t seen addressed here? Comment below or find us on Twitter or Facebook and let us know. We’ll do our best to help out.

*SOURCE: Romania Maurino, Global News -  http://globalnews.ca/news/1069688/extreme-wintry-weather-adds-to-mounting-insurance-pressures/  

Carols have been sung, presents have been opened, and New Years kisses have been planted. The holidays are officially over, and with more than two months of winter left, everyone can agree: it's cold. Winter is a harsh season and it's important to protect yourself as well as your home. As you don your extra layers, put on your thickest socks, and bundle up tight, safety comes first when you head outdoors.

With temperatures well below freezing, the winter wonderland of December has become January's slippery slope. Ice is everywhere, hanging from gutters and covering driveways, walkways, and sidewalks. Although it can be beautiful, it's also very dangerous, so we'd like to encourage you to take the appropriate precautions. The de-icing guide below will help keep you and your property ice-free this season.

Ice Dams

We aren't talking about creative seasonal cussing - an ice dam is actually something that occurs on your roof. Ice damming happens when snow and ice collect, usually at the eaves.

Heat escapes from the interior of the home into the attic through air leakage in the ceiling or poorly insulated sections of the attic, melting the snow on the roof above. As the snow melts, it runs down the roof until it encounters unmelted snow on the unheated eaves. There, it will refreeze. This process will continue until an ice dam is formed. If the dam is large enough, water will back up under the shingles and leak into the eaves, exterior walls, and building interior. 

Some roofs are more prone to ice damming than others. Ice dams are most commonly formed on roofs with low slopes or roofs that change from a steep slope down to a low slope. The largest dams tend to form over unheated areas, such as eaves, porches, and attached garages. Ice dams are also common above party walls and below skylights. 

Ice damming doesn't necessarily happen every winter. Ice dams normally form after periods of heavy snowfall when daytime temperatures are at, or slightly above, freezing, and night time temperatures are below freezing. 

There are three major preventative measures to consider when approaching the issue of ice damming:

1. Adding attic insulation

The trick is to keep the attic, and therefore the roof surface, cold enough that the snow does not melt. 

This will work well depending on the attic in question. However, some attics have so many warm air leaks that it would be impossible to add enough insulation to fix the problem - which is why you should also consider the second approach.

2. Sealing the air leaks

In many cases, with proper sealing tools, a homeowner can take care of this task themselves. However, some situations require a specialist to find and fix the issue. Common air leakage paths include attic access hatches, ceiling light fixtures (especially potlights), and plumbing stacks. 

3. Improving attic ventilation

Additional attic venting can help to flush out excess warm air in the attic before it can heat up the roof and melt the snow.

Salting & Other Ice Removal Alternatives

Ensuring your driveway and walkway are clear of ice and snow is imperative not only for your safety, but for the safety of others. Falls are a leading cause of injury in North America, and it is the homeowners' responsibility to keep their property accessible for visitors and pedestrians.

We know shoveling can be a pain in the back, but it's a fairly manageable chore. De-Icing, however, can be less straightforward.

There are a few natural methods you can undertake; we've listed our top four:

1. Salt

Salt is the most common treatment used to get rid of ice. It's cheap, effective, and easy to obtain. However, it's also corrosive, so it can damage human skin, pets' paws, and its runoff can affect nearby plants and vegetation. It can also damage concrete and masonry.

2. Urea

Urea is the second most common de-icer. It is a liquid, making it easy to apply to pathways, and more convenient to clean up. However, its state also means it can cause more damage to surrounding plants. It's also less convenient to purchase.

3. Alfalfa Meal

Alfalfa meal is a less popular solution. Like urea, it is a natural fertilizer; however it contains less nitrogen so it's a bit less damaging. It's a very effective de-icer, and due to its dry and grainy nature, it provides additional traction to those walking and driving on it. Unfortunately it is more difficult to purchase.

4. Sugar Beet Juice

Sugar beet juice is becoming a more popular method for de-icing, being adopted by many municipalities for winter road care, like Toronto and Niagara Region. The juice from sugar beets lowers the freezing point of water, and helps with de-icing. It is colorless, odorless, and harmless. However, it's more expensive than its salty counterpart and less convenient to purchase.

We hope our guide helps keep you free of ice dams, ice patches, and ice-related damage or injury. If there's a Home Inspection topic that we've yet to cover on our blog or in our newsletter, make sure to let us know via Twitter or Facebook and we'll do our best to help out.

As much of North America feels the extreme cold temperatures brought on by the polar vortex, and southern Ontario is still recovering from the worst ice storm to hit in recent decades, we felt it pertinent to discuss some of the less sensational damage this weather can cause to homes, like moisture intrusion. When the ice storm broke a few weeks ago, we addressed the issue of frozen pipes and how to avoid them. We also provided a guide to facing prolonged power outages in freezing temperatures. These articles were in direct response to December’s storm, and although it was a disaster, and did require homeowner action, it was an anomaly. Winter weather brings more common issues, and it’s important that homeowners prepare for these items as well.

Subzero temperatures can often translate to wet basements. Many believe that Spring, with its frequent downpours, is when they should be concerned about moisture intrusion in their home – and they are right. However, this isn’t the only time to think about this issue. Water damage requires year-round attention.

One of the major factors in keeping your home dry is maintaining your external water management systems: your gutters, downspouts, and window wells. When properly installed, these items are meant to direct water away from the home. However, as snow and ice accumulate, they clog these areas, trapping debris such as twigs, leaves, and litter in them ultimately making them less effective. To combat this issue homeowners must ensure:

• Gutters are clear of debris.
• Downspouts extend far enough away from the home - at least six feet from your foundation.
• The bottom of your window well contains several inches of gravel to allow water to drain from the well.
• A drainage pipe, filled with gravel (to prevent it from collapsing, but still allowing water to pass), should extend down the drainage tile around the perimeter of the footing (if one exists) of your window well. If your window well does not have this, a clear plastic dome should be installed over the window well to keep water and debris out. You may have to dig down through some gravel to see this drainage pipe.

The importance of this list is compounded this year by the ice storm and the increased volume of debris that was created when many trees froze and had their branches break off. As such, your home may require more attention than previous winters. Although the frigid temperatures of late may have you curling up with a hot cup of tea and a good book instead of heading outdoors, removing the debris from your yard should take priority – but do make sure to bundle up (pun intended).

Over the course of the next few days the temperature is set to increase dramatically (from -22C on Monday to +4C on Saturday), and meteorologists are calling for rain. This means the snow and ice clogging your gutters, downspouts, and window wells is going to melt. This snow-melt, combined with the rain, can seep into your basement if it is not properly directed away from your home, so now is the time to take action. Being mindful of the above-mentioned areas should help to reduce the potential for water damage in your home.

Do you have a Home Inspection issue or concern that you haven’t seen addressed here? Comment below or find us on Twitter or Facebook and let us know. We’ll do our best to help out.

Although power has been restored to almost every home in the Greater Toronto Area the effects of the December 21st ice storm still weigh heavily on the minds of many. The extreme weather left 350,000 households in the dark for somewhere between one and ten days, depending on their location – this meant that unfortunately, many were without power during Christmas.

While several individuals have tried to put a silver lining on this cloud saying the outage allowed their families to bond without distractions, for their communities to strengthen in the face of adversity, and that it helped them to gain a new appreciation for their neighbours; more than anything last week’s storm was, simply put, a disaster.

Despite admirable efforts from Toronto Hydro and their respective counterparts, the situation faced by most of Southern Ontario for the last week has been a dire one. As many suffered feelings of uncertainty and frustration amidst chattering teeth, we would encourage homeowners to see this storm as a wakeup call. Are you prepared for power outages in freezing temperatures? With what we’ve seen in the last week, the answer for most is no. While this ice storm was an anomaly, it’s still important to take a page from the scout’s handbook and make sure you’re prepared. Please enjoy our winter outage tips below.

Freezing Pipes

As long as the home is above freezing, pipes should continue to operate smoothly. If the house temperature drops below freezing, issues will develop. In these instances we advise running a bit of water at every tap. This keeps the pipes from freezing since city water is roughly 10° C (50° F). Remember also that traps below every fixture and floor drain are also at risk of freezing, so please think critically and act cautiously if you experience an outage for multiple days in extremely cold weather.

For the most part it doesn’t make sense to shut off the water altogether and drain the pipes, unless the house is below freezing for an extended period of time or if the home is vacant. Proper winterization is difficult for most homeowners to achieve, as it calls for adding antifreeze or blowing out all the traps below fixtures and floor drains, as well as protecting toilet bowls, dishwasher drains and any other place where water collects.

If the situation is long term, shutting off water and draining pipes may prevent flooding damage if pipes burst. There may be localized damage to areas where water was not drained or protected with antifreeze, but in severe conditions that may be the best you can hope for. If your home runs on a hot water boiler and radiators, turning it off will probably leave water in low spots. Again, expect local damage.

Adding Heat

Focus on heating just one room, preferably one with little or no exterior wall surface. You will not be able to heat the whole house. Insulate the doors and windows of the room you’re heating as much as possible.

Operating gas or wood burning fireplaces will add heat. Gas fireplaces are typically more efficient than wood fireplaces. Wood stoves are much more efficient than open fireplaces.

Candles used for light or heat, create the risks of both starting a fire and inhaling toxic gases such as carbon monoxide. Have a battery powered smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector on hand if possible.

Do NOT bring your BBQ inside and run it. Do NOT try to use your gas stove for heat. If you have a gas or propane generator, run it outdoors; NEVER indoors. The carbon monoxide gas from these devices may kill you.

Electricity From Vehicles

Power inverters can provide 120 volt power for charging phones, tablets, etc. from your car. Some vehicles have 120 volt receptacles you can plug into directly. You can also purchase inverters that plug into cigarette lighters and convert the DC power in your vehicle to AC power for household plugs.

The amount of power available depends on the inverter and is typically quite limited. For example, don’t try to run electric heaters from your car. The electricity you use will drain the battery unless the vehicle engine is running. If you do decide to use your car to power some of your smaller electronics, start your car regularly so you don’t run the battery down. Some inverters have a low battery warning – if yours does, make use of it, as it could save you a major headache.

Make sure to check out our articles on Avoiding Frozen Pipes and Furnace Maintenance for additional winter weather tips for your home.

We would like to thank the Hydro employees who worked around the clock and gave up their holidays to bring light to ours. The compassion shown by so many reminds us all of how fortunate we are to live in this community.

For more information on emergency preparation and what to do during a power outage, please visit www.getprepared.gc.ca.

Record low temperatures have been sweeping across Canada and beyond – Egypt received its first snowfall in over a century! With winter weather warnings aplenty and serious snow accumulation, it’s fair to say most folks are feeling frozen. On these -16˚degrees days, it’s definitely function over fashion as you decide what to wear in the morning. Thick socks, thermal underwear, and your warmest winter accessories are a requirement for heading outdoors. Appropriate attire will help to protect you from frostbite, windburn, and hypothermia.

This weekend we saw an ice storm fall on one of the busiest travel and shopping weekends of the year. In Toronto alone, over 200,000 customers were still without power as of 8:00 a.m. this morning. As cleanup crews work around the clock to restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers in the Greater Toronto Area, the city is bracing for another deep freeze. Weather specialists are predicting that temperatures will drop to -11 overnight, and with the cold comes a reminder that this time of year can bring major issues to your home in the way of freezing and leaking pipes.

                                     
Winter weather causes wear and tear on your home and its systems. One of the more affected areas, or at least the more noticeably affected areas, can be your pipes. When pipes freeze more often than not they split, which results in leakage. Leaking supply piping can be very dramatic. Because the piping is pressurized, a leak can do a lot of damage quickly. If there is no functional floor drain, a leaking supply pipe can flood a house.

There is a risk of freezing and leakage if pipes are installed in unheated areas, even if the pipe is insulated. This includes:

• Cold rooms
• Crawlspaces
• Garages
• Attics
• Any other unheated space

Check to see if tub and shower fixtures are installed against exterior walls; there may be pipes inside which could freeze. In cold climates, it is good practice to have pipes installed through the floor away from the exterior wall for all fixtures. Pay special attention to this with do-it-yourself renovation work – sometimes what seems like the most convenient place to run piping can come back to bite you, or rather, leak on you. If there are pipes running through unheated spaces, electric heating cables can be installed to prevent a problem.

Looking for more renovation advice and maintenance tips? Our Home Reference Book is a great source. Free with every Carson Dunlop Home Buyer’s Inspection it’s a valuable addition to every homeowner’s library.              

One of the many joys of the holiday season is decorating your home. Religious celebrations aside, December is about spending time with loved ones and toasting the successes and achievements of the past year. Making your space warm and inviting for family, friends, and colleagues is an integral part of this process - and beyond that, it's really fun.

We know that it's easy to get wrapped up in wreaths, lighting, and ornaments, so we want to take this moment to encourage homeowners to practice safe decorating this season. (And no, we're not just talking about making sure you've got mints by your mistletoe). So what exactly do we mean? We've found that atmosphere can trump electrical and fire safety, and that between visiting and being visited by others, basic maintenance can get overlooked. Outlined below are our top five December Décor Do's & Don'ts.  

1. Don't leave your candles unattended

It may seem like common sense, but with what feels like a million things on your "To Do" list, it doesn't take a lot to get distracted. So when your hot cocoa break gets interrupted by a frantic call from your mother-in-law, remember to extinguish your candles before you answer the phone. This is a pretty serious fire hazard that doesn't take much to avoid, so make sure to blow out your candles before leaving a room.

2. Don't keep your holiday lights near paper and plush materials

Whether they are on your tree, around your windows, or on your banisters, it's important to keep your indoor lights clear from debris that can catch fire. When left on for several hours the tiny bulbs on your holiday lights can create a lot more heat than you'd expect, so keeping them away from flammable objects is important. Although modern holiday lights are definitely safer than their predecessors, taking this extra precaution is still a good idea. 

3. Do put your outside lights on timers

If they aren't already, neighborhoods will soon be aglow with lights framing homes and twinkling in trees, real and inflatable snowmen, and other festive creatures wishing passers-by happy holidays. Turning your front yard into a winter wonderland can be a blast, but the majority of modern decorations require electricity to function, and keeping the juice flowing all night is less than ideal. Save money and the environment by using a timer for your outdoor electronics. Plug your decorations into the timer, and set it to turn on and off at specific times. We usually set ours to turn on just after sunset, and off around 10 or 11pm. Timers can help to deter burglars by making them think you're home when you aren't, and they save you the trouble of fumbling with plugs late at night in your pajamas. They typically cost around $30 and are available at most hardware stores.

4. Do check and test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

With all the seasonal cooking and baking your kitchen will see this month it's important to make sure you're prepared for an emergency. You wear oven mitts to protect your hands, do the same for your house by properly maintaining your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. You should test your detectors on a monthly basis to see whether they have working batteries. You must have at least one smoke detector on each floor, but we recommend more. While there aren't standard rules for carbon monoxide detectors, and you might not even have one, we treat them similarly to smoke detectors and do encourage homeowners to have at least one in their homes.  

5. Do shovel your driveway and salt your walkway

It's no wonder "Let It Snow" will be playing in stores, at school concerts, and in living rooms all season long - snow is one of the quintessential pieces of the holiday puzzle. Unfortunately, it can be more than festive, it presents a hazard too. Winter weather is wonderful, but it's also dangerous. Avoid getting stuck in your driveway, or slipping down your walkway, by shoveling and salting regularly. These chores are a bit of a pain in the neck, but they are far superior to you or others falling due to prolonged snow and ice accumulation. 

Home maintenance and safety is valuable year-round, but as this is one of the traditionally busiest times for many, we felt it pertinent to reinforce these concerns. 

There are a lot of do's and don'ts this season, but perhaps this biggest is don't drink and drive. Please stay safe and responsible. 

Is it December already? Winter has snuck up on many this year, and although most of us are snow-free so far, that’s no excuse to fall behind on your seasonal maintenance. Yard work can be hard work, but it’s important to rake your leaves or you may find your home suffering Old Man Winter’s wrath.

They may be great for crunching and make excellent piles for jumping, but fallen leaves require some attention. Many rake their leaves to keep their yards looking spick and span, but leaf-raking is more for function than fashion. Undisturbed foliage presents more problems for homeowners than a nasty glance from a neighbor.

A well-raked yard helps protect:

• Downspouts & gutters
• Window wells
• Grading

By ensuring these areas are appropriately maintained, homeowners are ultimately helping to prevent water-related damage. Consider each area.

Downspouts & Gutters

When downspouts and gutters are clogged with leaves that have collected due to an unraked yard, they stop functioning properly and hold water instead of sending it away from the home. This increases the opportunity for water to enter the home. To learn more about downspout and gutter maintenance, including the ideal length of a downspout, check out our article on Downspout Care.

Window Wells

Should a window well become filled with leaves, not only does it impact the amount of light a basement receives, but it becomes easier for water to become trapped in the well. This trapped water will likely seep into the foundation of the home and into the basement. Learn more about keeping your window wells functioning correctly, including our recommendation for gravel, from our article on Maintaining Your Window Wells.

Grading

To help combat the fallibility of foundation systems, as none are completely impermeable to water, it is important to keep the soil around your home dry. Clusters of errant, unraked leaves, provide a great environment to trap water in your home’s surrounding dirt. The moisture from wet ground close to your foundation can easily become moisture in your foundation. To learn more about keeping the soil around your home dry, including a discussion on slope, check out our article on Proper Grading.

As you can see, raking leaves has less to do with aesthetics than many believe. It may seem like a task you can leave to the last minute, but we’d like to encourage homeowners to take faster action. Clean your yard and protect your home. We’re committed to helping homeowners stay safe, comfortable and dry year-round. If you have a Home Inspection related topic you’d like us to address, please comment below or find us on Twitter and we’ll do our best to help out.

As the days get colder and the nights become longer, hibernation starts to seem more and more appealing. Beyond the necessity of extra layers and the hustle and bustle of the ever-approaching holiday season, heating bills alone make many want to sleep until April. 

Unfortunately, most don't have the kind of flexibility needed to nap the winter away - so how can enduring the coming dim and expensive months be avoided? Aside from heading for a warmer climate, making a few adjustments to a somewhat overlooked item in your home can have a major impact on your comfort this season. This November, it's time to think about your windows.  

During the winter, windows have the potential to be both an enemy and an ally. They let light into your home, but they can also bring cold air, frost, and condensation. However, with a few considerations and minor adjustments, homeowners can get more friend than foe out of their windows.

Over the course of a subzero night, windows, (especially those older, single-glazed, metal-framed ones), will often become very frosty. While wonderfully artistic and fun for kids to scratch their names into, frost does render the window particularly useless: can't open it or look through it. This frosting isn't exclusive to older windows; windows all over will be exhibiting varying degrees of the same effect. Even some newer windows will sweat heavily or frost up. 

Frosty windows are a result of condensing moisture in the home. Vapor droplets in the air that come in contact with the cold surfaces of the window will, if the surfaces are cold enough, cool down into water droplets and precipitate onto the cold surfaces. If this happens all night long, there can be considerable accumulation of water. In some cases, the water drops freeze shortly after forming on the window, causing ice to build up. 

To help correct this issue, attention should be paid to the amount of moisture in your home and the interior temperature of the window glass and frame. Moisture cannot be eliminated from your home entirely, but it can be reduced.

This can be achieved by:

• Turning your furnace humidifier down or off
• Ensuring your clothes dryer is venting properly
• Using kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans when cooking and showering
• Opening a window periodically when things feel "stuffy"

We recognize that it's only possible to do so much, and if your windows are cold enough the sweat will still form - which is why we also encourage homeowners to warm up the surface temperature of the window glass and frame. 

If the window is old, it may be drafty. This will be apparent in cold air whistling through around the edges. Replacing or improving weatherstripping, a relatively easy DIY project, can often solve a draft problem. If the room has only one pane of glass between it and the outside, install a storm window. This will warm up the interior pane. Of course, the frost may simply form on the inside of the storm window anyway. With a newer double-glazed window, unless it's very cheap or very poorly installed, the glass and frame temperature should be pretty reasonable.   

The trick now is to assess where the heat source is in the room. In a perfect world, the heat for the room is delivered at floor level right below the window. The idea is that the warm air, either from a furnace register or convecting off a radiator, washes up the window, keeping the glass and frame nice and warm, reducing or eliminating condensation. 

A related problem in many homes is the window treatments. California shutters look great and can block out light, but when closed they also block warm air from reaching the window, leading to condensation in cold spells. The solution is to open up the louvers, or open the shutters. Many blinds and drapes have the same effect. When closed, find a way to prop them out at the bottom so that the warm air can go up between them and the window. 

If you've tried everything, and still you have a window or two that sweat uncontrollably, the low-rent hardware store plastic sheeting will work nicely. This remains the cheapest solution for your windows. A better, but more expensive solution? Replacing those old windows with new multi-glazed coated windows.

As a professional Home Inspection Company, at Carson Dunlop our aim is to help homeowners stay warm, safe, and dry. We believe that knowledge is the best tool when it comes to protecting the biggest investment of your life: your home. If you have a Home Inspection topic you'd like us to address in future Newsletters or on our blog, make sure to comment below or Tweet us @carsondunlop - we'll do our best to help out.

As we enter November and the beginning of the winter season Jack Frost is definitely nipping at our noses. Although the weather is mild compared to the subzero temperatures of December, January, and the better part of February, extra layers are being donned and people are seeing their breath most mornings.

Early sunsets and extra blankets mean different maintenance tasks are required of homeowners. While we have already discussed fall maintenance items and winterizing your home, we have yet to discuss caring for everyone’s favorite seasonal appliance: the furnace. 

Furnaces aren’t known for being fickle, but there are certain protective measures homeowners should implement to ensure their homes are warm and comfortable this winter.

It is important to be aware of:

• Furnace Filters
• Furnace Humidifer
• Furnace Efficiency

Furnace Filters

Your furnace filter should be checked monthly to determine if it needs cleaning or changing. Typically located in the air return duct adjacent to the furnace, making sure your furnace filter is in good condition can help improve both comfort and heating costs. You will need to see if you should purchase a cleanable or disposable furnace filter – most homeowners choose to have a disposable filter, for convenience, but both are good choices. Furnace filters generally range from $5 to $30 depending on the type of filter you select.
Helpful tip: Note the size of your filter before heading out to buy a new one.

Furnace Humidifiers

While ideal humidity for homes can be as low as 5%, people feel the most comfortable in environments with 60% humidity. Unfortunately, houses can have a hard time coping with this in cold weather. Too little humidity makes people feel uncomfortable. Too much can cause condensation, mold, mildew, and rot in homes as the warm moist air hits cool surfaces. Contrary to popular belief, homeowners actually have to lower the humidistat setting as the weather outside gets colder. The colder is it outside, the easier it is for condensation to form on cool surfaces, like windows. Homeowners can reduce condensation and the risk of mold by lowering the interior humidity level. The recommended house humidity levels are:

Watching for condensation on your windows is another great way to gauge your house humidity level. Lower the humidity when you see condensation. In addition, room temperature and humidity monitors, available at hardware and building supply stores, can help you manage your humidity.

If your home is new, you may not have a furnace humidifier. Most new homes do not need one because the foundation and wood framing in newer homes take time to dry out, and release moisture into the air as they dry. In addition, new homes are “tight”, which means the air within them hangs around for a while before being replaced by dry exterior air. The air is around long enough to pick up moisture from things like showers, cooking, drying clothes and breathing. By comparison, older houses are drafty. Cold, dry air is creeping in all the time, replacing the warm, moist air that is flushed out.

If there is a small box hanging from the furnace or ductwork beside the furnace with a small electrical wire and a small water supply pipe attached, you have a furnace humidifier. You may also see a humidistat, a dial that looks like a thermostat but is used to control the humidity level, and is often mounted to the basement ductwork.

The two most common types of furnace humidifiers are: drum type humidifiers and trickle (cascade) type humidifiers. A drum type humidifier has a tray of water with a sponge on a barrel or drum rotating through it. The tray is kept full of water with a float switch, which adds water from the plumbing system when the water level drops. When the humidistat is turned up, or the humidity level drops, a small electric motor rotates the sponge drum through the tray, absorbing water. Some of the air moving through the ductwork blows across the sponge, picking up moisture. This moist air moves through the ducts and into the rooms of the home. 

A trickle or cascade type humidifier has no tray of water. A small electric valve at the top controls the water supply to the humidifier. When the humidistat calls for water, the valve opens, trickling water down a honeycomb-like metal pad. Air blows across the pad, picking up moisture. Excess water is drained through a hose to a floor drain, laundry tub, or condensate pump.

Maintenance for a drum type humidifier focuses on the tray of sitting water. Ponding water can cause scale build-up and bacterial growth. Every spring, the water supply pipe valve should be turned off, the tray and sponge should be cleaned, and the humidistat should be set to OFF. In the fall, turn on the water valve, and set the humidistat to 35%. We recommend a mid-winter cleaning as well.

To maintain a trickle or cascade type humidifier, turn off the water supply and turn the humidistat to OFF in the spring. Before use in the fall, remove and soak the pad in a de-scaling solution. If it’s damaged or too clogged to clean, the pad can be replaced. Once the pad is back in place, the water supply pipe valve can be turned back on, and the humidistat set to 35%. This unit will not need cleaning again until next year.

Furnace Efficiency

There are two efficiency measurements with respect to furnace efficiency: steady state and seasonal. Steady state efficiency refers to how much usable heat is created when a furnace is running as a percent of the energy produced by burning the fuel. For example: conventional gas and oil furnaces have steady state efficiencies of roughly 80%. When the furnace is on, 20% of the heat generated goes up the chimney and outside. The remaining 80% is transferred through the heat exchanger into the house air, which moves through the ductwork to the registers in each room.

Seasonal efficiency addresses the off-cycle losses as well as the steady state losses. It is an overall efficiency measurement. Furnaces aren’t on all the time – not even in the dead of winter. They turn on as the thermostat calls for heat, and turn off when the thermostat is satisfied.

When the furnace isn’t on, the heat from your house escapes up the chimney flue the same way that heat would escape from an unused fireplace if the damper was left open. This is an off-cycle loss. If you add these off-cycle losses to the steady state losses you end up with the seasonal efficiency. Season efficiencies for conventional gas and oil furnaces are typically about 60-65%.

High efficiency furnaces are complex, and as a result they’re often more expensive than conventional furnaces. High efficiency furnaces on average cost about $1,000 - $1,500 more than a conventional furnace. In some areas, conventional furnaces are no longer available. When you buy a furnace, you have to buy high-efficiency. If you spend $1,000 per year heating your house with a conventional furnace, you can save close to $350 with a high efficiency furnace. A high efficiency furnace may pay for itself in 3 years.

If you’re considering a high efficiency furnace for your home, speak with a reliable heating or HVAC contractor to discuss the pros and con of various models and any estimated increase in furnace maintenance costs.

If you have homeownership questions, comment below or Tweet us @carsondunlop and we’ll do our best to help.