Grow ops – A serious problem for home owners

By: Rob Parker, RHI, CMI

Chances are if you live in a residential or rural area anywhere in North America, there will be at least one grow op operating close by.

Here are some of the tell-tale signs a grow op is present:

• The house appears to be vacant, yard poorly kept with flyers build up at the front door.
• Where there are occupants, they don’t appear to keep regular work hours, they avoid making any contact with neighbours.
• The garage doors are kept closed at all times except when the occupants come and go in their cars.
• Visitors come and go at all hours.
• Toys are often outside the home but no children are ever seen at the home.
• On garbage days there is no garbage  or, there is no noticeable activity in the home but, a lot of garbage.
• Extra security such as large fences or guard dogs.
• Many of the windows have dark curtains that can be seen moving as though they are being blown by the wind (actually a fan) even when the windows are closed.
• Rooms or outbuildings seem to be Illuminated twenty four hours a day.
• A  lack of frost or snow on roofs of houses when others have frost and snow.
• The addition of new roof vents sometimes installed very low or in unusual places on the roof.
• Strange smell or odor, similar to that of a skunk,  coming from the home.
• Electrical humming sounds, numerous fans and running water.
• Unusual wiring to the exterior of the home and/or the hydro meter spins at a faster than a normal rate and there is visible signs that someone has been digging in the area of the hydro meter.
• Commonly experienced localized power surges or browning. Lights often dim or appliances slow down with lack of power.
• Large quantities of growing equipment & supplies are seen taken into the home/outbuildings but there are no flowers or gardens at the home. Often purchased in winter months.

Most major cities now have a website to inform the public of the grow ops for which they have issued search warrants.  For the city of London please go to http://www.police.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Newsroom/London_Marihuana_Grow_Ops.htm

Even if the authorities aren’t able to ‘shut it down’, it’s not likely the operators will be in business long, at least at the same location, as the average duration is normally between 12 and 18 months. Unfortunately if the culprits aren’t caught and simply move on, the house may then be occupied by some unsuspecting tenant or home owner.    Damage to the home depends on the size and type of operation and whether or not there were any structural changes and can range from minor to so serious that the house should be demolished.

Here are some signs the property may have once been a grow op:

• Some of the windows have been covered over with paint or other materials.
• There’s a distinct musty smell and humid feeling to the air inside the house and/or basement
• Minimal landscaping has been done to the property.
• Evidence that holes in floors, walls and ceilings (used for ventilation) have been covered up with fresh paint or drywall patches
• Water stains at the bottom of dry wall
• Mould on floors, walls or ceilings
• Burn marks on the floors
• Painted or unpainted concrete floors in the basement with circular marks
• Patterns of screw/nail holes on walls and ceilings or floor joists in the basement used to hang lights
• Nail or tape marks around windows or walls
• The electrical and plumbing systems appear to have been modified or tampered with
• Condensation or discolouring of the roof.

Since grow ops represent a serious problem, the real estate profession has taken great strides to ensure their members are well trained and educated in the identification of a grow op. As  professionals, real estate agents do their best to determine whether or not a home was used as a grow op; however, unless the seller has disclosed this information on the SPIS (Seller’s Property Information Sheet) or the house appeared on the published list of known grow ops, the agent is left to their own devices.  For those looking to buy or sell their home privately, your best bet is to hire a qualified, professional home inspector to conduct complete inspection of the property.  Recently, a few stories made headlines because the home inspector did not report what appeared to be obvious signs of a grow op .  As I’ve mentioned time and time again, when it comes to hiring a home inspector, do your research and don’t hire some because they will do it for the lowest cost or because they are a relative or friend of a friend. Hire them because they come well recommended, have the proper tools/equipment and credentials of the profession.

Home Security — Exterior

By: Rob Parker, RHI, CMI, CHI

Home security is a matter of being alert, aware of your surroundings and proactive.  Although it’s not necessary to build a bunker,  it is necessary to use common sense and take precautions to protect your home. Increasing a criminal’s risk of detection is an effective way to deter crime. If your home is well-lighted and visible from the street and by neighbouring houses, it will be a less attractive target for burglars.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) provide the following tips to make you more aware of burglary and its dynamics and show you how to minimize the likelihood that this crime will happen to you.

• Have a look at your house through the eyes of a burglar. Stand at the end of your driveway or laneway. Can you see the front door and windows clearly? Could you tell if someone was trying to break into the house?
• Keep landscaping near the home simple and well-trimmed to eliminate potential hiding places for burglars. Prune tree branches to 1m (3 ft.) above ground. Avoid tall plants around doors and windows that might help conceal someone trying to break in. Keep areas around basement windows — a favourite target of burglars — as clear as possible. Before you begin pulling up plants, however, assess your home’s overall visibility and plan your approach. The spreading juniper near the front door may only require a bit of careful pruning and extra lighting to eliminate the shadows behind it. You may be able to leave the oak tree that overhangs the garage intact; try cutting back a limb or two and installing a better lock on the second-storey window.
• Good lighting is one of the cheapest and yet most effective measures you can take to deter break-ins after dark. With the right lighting, anyone lurking nearby or tampering with a door or window will be seen by occupants of the house, an alert neighbours or pedestrians. Make use of existing street and yard lights in your lighting plan. The number of lights and where they are placed will depend on the design of your home and grounds, the number and location of doors and windows and so on. For a simple rectangular home, double spotlights located at each corner and aimed along the walls might be enough. More complex structures will require more elaborate arrangements.
• Look for dark “corridors” that might allow someone to approach your home unseen. Motion-sensor lights will allow people approaching your residence at night to better see their way to your door, and to be seen as they approach.
• Mount spotlights with motion-sensors at the corners of a house to illuminate a large area. Make sure they are either out of reach or protected from being unscrewed. Aim lights downward so as not to create shadows. The lights will be appreciated by welcome visitors and help deter would-be burglars. Protect light bulbs with a wire screen or unbreakable plastic mesh. Replace burned-out bulbs immediately.

The landscape and lighting precautions described  don’t have to be unsightly to be effective. You may want to consult with a lighting or home security expert to determine which  combinations/alternatives would work best for your situation. Nevertheless, every choice you make will involve compromises between cost, security, privacy and esthetics. A tall hedge may screen you from curious neighbours and pedestrians, but it could also provide privacy for a prowler in your yard. Only you can decide what the trade-offs should be, given your location, lifestyle and real or perceived level of risk.

Child Safety

By: Rob Parker, RHI, CMI, CHI

Each year in Ontario, many children are injured and sometimes killed by hazards and accidents in the home.Many of these incidents can be prevented by using simple child safety devices available on the market. Any safety device you buy should be sturdy enough to prevent injury to your child, yet easy for you to use. It’s important to follow installation instructions carefully. Remember, too, that no device is completely childproof; determined youngsters have been known to disable them. You can buy safety devices at hardware stores, baby shops, supermarkets, drug stores, home and linen stores, and through mail order catalogues.

The National Association of Home Inspectors (NACHI) website offers these suggestions on devices to help keep kids safe:

• Use safety latches and locks for cabinets and drawers in kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas to help prevent children getting access to hazards such as medicines, household cleaners, knives and other sharp objects. Look for safety latches and locks that adults can easily install and use, but are sturdy enough to withstand pulls and tugs from children. They’re no guarantee of protection, but they can make it harder for kids to reach dangerous substances. Even products with child-resistant packaging should be locked away; this packaging is not childproof.

• Use safety gates to help prevent falls down stairs and to keep children away from dangerous areas. Safety gates can help keep children away from stairs or rooms that have hazards in them. Look for safety gates that children cannot dislodge easily, but that adults can open and close without difficulty. For the top of stairs, use hardware-mounted gates that screw into the wall, not pressure-mounted gates held in place by a pressure bar applied to a door frame. If you have an older safety gate, be sure it doesn’t have ‘V’ shapes large enough for a child’s head and neck to fit into. For more information, visit Health Canada’s website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/child-enfant/equip/gate-barr-eng.php or call 1-866-662-0666.

• Use doorknob covers and door locks to help prevent children out of rooms and other places, such as swimming pools, that may be dangerous. Choose a doorknob cover that’s sturdy enough not to break, but that will let an adult open a door in an emergency. To prevent access to swimming pools, door locks should be placed out of reach of young children. Locks should be used in addition to fences and door alarms. Sliding glass doors, with locks that must be re-secured after each use, are often not an effective barrier to pools.

• Use anti-scald devices for faucets and shower heads and set your water heater temperature to 49 C (120F) to help prevent burns from hot water. You may need a plumber to install some anti-scald devices.

• Use smoke detectors on every level of your home and near bedrooms to alert you to fires. Check detectors monthly to make sure they’re working. If they’re battery-operated, change batteries at least once a year or consider using 10-year batteries.

• Use window guards and safety netting to help prevent falls from windows, balconies, decks, and landings. Check these safety devices frequently to make sure they’re secure and properly installed and maintained. There should be no more than 10 centimetres between the bars of a window guard. If you use window guards, make sure there’s no more than 10 centimetres between the bars. Also, ensure that at least one window in each room can be easily used as a fire escape. Window screens are not effective in preventing children falling out of windows.

• Use corner and edge bumpers to help prevent injuries from falls against sharp edges of furniture and fireplaces. Be sure to look for bumpers that stay securely on furniture or hearth edges.

• Use outlet covers and outlet plates to help prevent electrocution. These can help protect children from electrical shock, injury or death. Be sure the outlet protectors cannot be easily removed by children and are large enough that they pose no choking hazard.

• Use a carbon monoxide (CO) detector outside bedrooms to help prevent CO poisoning. If you have gas or oil heat or an attached garage, you should install CO detectors near sleeping areas.

• Cut window blind cords:  Use safety tassels and inner cord stops to help prevent children from strangling in blind cord loops. Inner cord stops can help prevent strangulation in the inner cords of window blinds. For older mini-blinds, cut the cord loop, remove the buckle, and put safety tassels on each cord. Be sure older vertical blinds and drapery cords have tension or tie-down devices to hold cords tight. When buying new mini-blinds, verticals, and draperies, ask for safety features to prevent child strangulation.

• Use door stops or holders to help prevent small fingers and hands from being pinched or crushed in doors or hinges. Be sure any safety device for doors is easy to use and is not likely to break into small parts, which could be a choking hazard.

• Use a cordless phone:  These make it easier to watch your child continuously, without leaving to answer the phone. They’re especially helpful when children are in or near water, whether they’re in the tub, the pool, or at the beach.

We hope you find the above information helpful in making your home more child safe.

Safety For The Elderly

By: Rob Parker, RHI, CHI, CMI

Each year, many people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with products they live with and use every day.

Slips, falls, and burns   are some of the main causes of injury for older people in the home. The following check list should help prevent these and other types of injuries:

• Check all electrical and telephone cords   to ensure they are not stretched across walk ways that may cause someone to trip and fall.
• Arrange furniture so that outlets are available for lamps and appliances without the use of extension cords.
• If you must use extension cords, place it on the floor against a wall where people cannot trip over it.

• Check furniture and carpets to make sure they are not resting on electrical cords. Damaged electrical cords present fire or shock hazards.
• Check all rugs, runners and mats to ensure they are safe. Where needed, apply double sided carpet tap or rubber matting.  Periodically, check rugs to see if new tape or backing is needed.

• To avoid burns from hot tap water, set the temperature control on the hot water tank  between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit but,  not below 120.

• Check smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors to ensure they are working properly. At least one working smoke detector is needed on every floor of your house. Make sure the detector is near the bedrooms either on the ceiling or 6 to 12 inches below the ceiling on the wall. There should also be at least one working carbon monoxide detector near the bedrooms.

• Change the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at least once a year.
• Check electrical outlets and switches. Are any outlets and switches unusually warm or hot to the touch?  Unplug cords from outlet and do not use switch until checked by an electrician. Unusually warm or hot outlets or switches may indicate that an unsafe wiring condition exists.
• Do all outlets and switches have cover plates, so that no wiring is exposed? Exposed wiring presents a shock hazard.
• Check to make sure light bulbs the appropriate size and type for the lamp or fixture. A bulb of too high in wattage or the wrong type may lead to fire through overheating. Ceiling fixtures, recessed lights, and “hooded” lamps will trap heat.
• Check space heaters. Heaters with a three prong cord should only be used in a grounded , three-pronged outlet. The ground pin should not be removed for use in a two pronged outlet.   Make sure the automatic “tip over” feature is working if the unit is equipped with one.
• Locate heaters away from passageways and flammable materials such as curtains, rugs, furniture, etc.
• If your house is equipped with space heaters that use kerosene, natural gas, or propane, make sure you understand the operating instructions thoroughly.   Un-vented heaters such as these should not be used unless a door or a window is slightly open to provide ventilation. The correct fuel, as recommended by the manufacture, should always be used. Vented heaters should have proper venting and should be checked frequently.
• Install grab-bars and non slip mats in the bathroom.
• Make sure grab bars are attached to the structural supports of the wall and not just the plaster or drywall, or install bars specifically designed to attach to the sides of the bathtub.
• Check bathroom outlets. These should be GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interupter ) if not, they should be replaced accordingly and if not working, should be repaired.
• Check fuse or breaker panel.  Replacing a correct size fuse with a larger size fuse can present a serious fire hazard. If the fuse in the box is rated higher than that intended for the circuit, excessive current will be allowed to flow and possibly overload the outlet and the house wiring to the point that a fire can begin. Be certain the correct-size fuse is being used.  If you do not know the correct sizes, consider having an electrician identify and label the size to be used. Typically,  most house holed  circuits require only a 15 amp fuse or breaker.
• Make sure stairwells  have enough lighting to allow a person to see the entire area. Handrails should be secure.  If space permits, install handrails on both sides of the stair well. Ripped or worn carpeting can lead to insecure footings , resulting in slips or falls. It would be a good idea to install a non-slip material on the treads of painted stairs.
• Remove all objects from stairway.  People can trip over objects left on stairs, particularly in the event of an emergency or fire.
• In the kitchen store flammable, combustible items, away from range and oven.  Are towels, curtains, and other things that might catch fire, located away from the range?

Use this as a check list to spot possible safety hazards which may be present in your house. Keep this as a reminder of safe practices, and use it periodically to re-check your home.

What Really Matters

By: Rob Parker, RHI, CMI, CHI

Buying a home?  Having a home inspection performed by a qualified home inspector is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect.  You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time.  This often includes a written report, checklists and what the inspector says during the inspection.  All this combined with the seller’s disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming.  What should you do? Relax.  Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know but, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories; major defects, things that could lead to major defects, things that may hinder your ability to finance or insure the home, and safety.

1. Major defects include items such as vertical or horizontal cracks in the foundation, cracked or broken roof rafters or trusses, dry rot in framing, or over-notched floor joists. Any one of the above conditions could cause structural failure to occur. The problem with detection of defects in this category lies in the nature of the inspection itself. A home inspection is a LIMITED VISUAL INSPECTION, based on the conditions observed by the inspector on the day of the inspection. Your home inspector does not have x-ray vision to see behind finished walls, nor does he/she have the right to tear down or remove items such as an attic access door that has been sealed shut. Similar, on the outside of the home, shrubs or other landscaping may limit the inspector’s ability to properly view the foundation. The inspector is however, obligated to fully disclose any of the above restrictions/limitations in the home inspection report.

2. Things that could lead to major defects include a dryer hose, bathroom or kitchen venting into an attic, defective roof-flashing, inoperative sump pump or moisture damage to frame work.. Over an extended period of time, any of the above could cause a serious defect to occur such as, premature damage to roof materials, the presence of mold and/or damage to roof framing or other moisture related problems not only in the attic but inside the home and basement.

3. Things that may hinder your ability to finance, or insure the home. The presence of  knob & tube or aluminum wiring, galvanized or lead pipes, may cause some insurance companies to charge a premium, refuse to insure the home or establish a time frame for the materials to be removed and replaced. Where aluminum wiring is present the insurance company may also request an inspection by ESA (Electrical Safety Authority). Wood burning appliances such as fireplaces or woodstoves may require an inspection by a WETT (Wood Energy Technology Transfer) certified professional.

Live knob & tube wiring

4. Safety issues can range from minor to very serious. The following is by no means an exhaustive list but, does include some common safety related items that would normally be detected and reported by the home inspector:

• an exposed, live buss bar at the electric panel
• GFCI Ground Fault Circuit Interupter) not installed in bathrooms or in exterior locations -over fused/over breakered circuits - damaged electrical panel
• open electrical splices covers missing on electrical boxes -inoperative, old or lack of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors -improper venting of heating equipment
• loose or no hand rails on stairs guard rails - over spaced spindles in hand and  guard rails

Homeowners are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection. Anything in the above categories should be addressed.  The good news is that many serious problems can be corrected relatively inexpensively, especially in categories 2 and 4. A point worth mentioning here is that no home is perfect. No matter what the age or value, a home may contain some defects and the home buyer needs to realize that sellers are under no obligation to repair items mentioned in the report.  KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE! Do not kill your deal over things that don’t really matter.  Use the home inspection report as a guideline  to assist you in the home buying process.