Despite their sometimes repulsive aspect, wasps, bats, ants or even spiders all have an important role to play in nature. As long as mice remain in fields and birds in the trees, everything is for the best in the best of worlds. It is when these creatures sneak behind the siding, in walls or attics…
It's winter and you just got back from shopping. Your gaze is attracted to your roof, where the brilliant sun makes the icicles dangling from your gutter glitter with a thousand lights. Suddenly, the enchantment gives way to doubts: is the weight of all this ice likely to tear the gutter? You take a look…
During winter, there are certain problems that are obvious to our inspectors even before they enter the house. One of these problems is excessive condensation in the windows. The indoor ambient temperature, the humidity level in the air, the surface temperature of the window, the outside temperature and the habits of the occupants are all…
Even though most of our modern homes are equipped with outdoor faucets that are frost-free, there are still some small precautions to take as the cold season approaches or even during the winter. Stay with us and watch our video to learn more about how to care for your outdoor faucet as winter near.
When a plumbing fixture (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, etc.) is seldom use or not use, there is a great risk that the water in its p-trap will evaporate or empty, allowing the sewer odors to escape. Simply pouring a sufficient amount of water into the drain will fill the p-trap and prevent unpleasant odors from circulating. It…
Efflorescence presents itself in the form of a powdery, whitish substance that appears on the surface of brick, masonry and concrete. This phenomenon occurs when the mineral salts contained in these elements are dissolved by the water they contain. During its evaporation, the water transports these salts to the surface where they turn into those…
If you live in a home with masonry exterior cladding, such as brick, you may have noticed these small openings at the bottom of the wall. You might think the mason decided to save some money on the mortar. The reality is however quite different… Watch our video and see the real function of these…
With the many stories on the subject shown on TV or heard on the radio, we are savvier than ever when it comes time to acquire a home or a condo. The seller's declaration, the pyrite test result and the pre-purchase inspection: we take all the means at our disposal to make a prudent and…
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…