Year after year, evaluators, inspectors, technicians and other Legault-Dubois building specialists assess numerous cases. We’ve had the opportunity to visit commercial buildings, construction sites at various stages of completion, apartment buildings and condominiums of two, three and even 300 units. But for this article, we had to make some hard choices. So we chose 20,000 single…
Dual energy heating systems are still little known in Quebec. Some of you may be using it, but for others the term is not even familiar. Yet all homeowners would benefit from knowing more about these systems because they could benefit from DT pricing, a more economical rate. Effective use of a dual energy heating…
Every morning you jump in the shower. Without thinking, you call upon an essential element of our modern comfort: the water heater. Often neglected by homeowners, the water heater is responsible for most water-related damages in our basements. And you, can you tell the age of yours? Do you know its condition? Do you know…
"My brother will help me with these renovations. He knows what he’s doing; after all, he built his house himself!" Far from us the idea to contradict you or to question your brother’s skills, but too often in our profession do we see building problems arising directly from renovations made by relatives of the owners…
In March, a fire broke out in a building in Pierrefonds, causing damage estimated at more than $100,000. In May, another fire forced the evacuation of 68 families while yet another in Sainte-Adèle threw forty residents on the street. More recently in Laval, twenty people were left homeless after a fire burned their apartment complex…
The BBQ season is fast approaching and many of us are planning to review the layout of our backyards. The Quebec Construction Code gives us rules to follow to ensure the safety of all, but have you ever consulted it? If so, were you able to understand it all? What is a handrail, a guardrail? Our…
The sun rises on your home, its rays warming you through the window. You admire the squirrels as they rummage through your garden while thinking back with obvious pleasure to the day you purchased your home. Little do you know that, as you’re taking a sip from your cup of coffee, the infamous dry rot…
It's 1:25 am and you are having trouble falling asleep. If only you had a heat pump to cool you off, you might fall asleep. Or an air conditioner, which can just as well cope with this task at a lower cost. But the latter cannot be used as a heating system in winter. It's…
Your nephew has just received his driver's license. Confident, he asks you to lend him your new $ 50 000 sports car for the weekend. Of course, you hesitate to give him the keys to your shiny new toy. Why? Simply because your nephew lacks the skills of a more experienced driver. So why are…
As all of us can see by surveying the countless streets that crisscross the province, concrete balconies are present in Quebec because they offer a sustainable surface. However, some products such as de-icing salts and tools such as metal shovels can contribute to their deterioration. It is not uncommon during our inspections to find rusty…