Gil Strachan

PHPIO Press Announcement - January, 2010

January, 2010 CBC's Market Place recently ran a program on Grow-Op Cover Ups, 'Can You Trust Your Home Inspector'. Featured in the show were TV personality/contractor Mike Holmes and OAHI, CAHPI/Ontario president Glen Gogal. The show emphasized the lack of knowledge and training that four home inspectors demonstrated in failing to recognizethe visible signs of homes previously used as Grow-Ops. In the traditional Mike Holmes manner, some portions of the show were glamorized for TV. However, what was omitted, were some simple facts and truths about the home inspection profession in Ontario. As Mike Holmes pointed out, not all home inspectors are incompetent, but there was a need for improvement within our profession. This is one area we are in total agreement, as our profession remains unregulated in Ontario. For that reason alone, there are many people conducting home inspections that are not properly trained while others are falsifying their credentials as was pointed out during the show. The fireplace was a major red flag missed by all the inspectors and in our opinion; mould should never be shrugged off as a minor defect. During a typical pre-purchase home inspection, a visual non-invasive inspection must be conducted and only if agreed upon by the vendor (the seller). During this inspection, one has to remember that neither the home inspector, nor their client (the purchaser) own this property and for this reason, are not permitted to roll up carpeting, remove pictures or mirrors, move furniture, or poke holes in walls, ceilings or floors. Mr. Holmes usually conducts what is referred to as an "invasive inspection" where, with the permission of the homeowner walls or floors are removed. When Mr. Holmes comes in, his invasive inspection can mislead the viewing audience about what a home inspection should cover, how it must be conducted, what it should realistically uncover and Mike Holmes is not under the restrictions that a professional home inspector must operate. Envious circumstances perhaps, but not a very realistic depiction of the conditions and circumstances that the Ontario home inspection profession operates under. Mr. Gogal', President of CAHPI-Ontario (OAHI) response on this issue was not helpful. It did nothing to reassure the consumer that the training offered their inspectors was geared to any protection from homes of this nature. PHPIO has been very pro-active in providing the training our inspectors need to identify Grow-Ops and Meth Labs. Being in reasonable compliance with CAN-P-9, PHPIO cannot make this training mandatory for its membership but we do make it available as a continuing education recognized course. Clandestine Labs, Grow-Ops and Guns Seminars have been a huge success. Working closely with The Home Inspectors Institute, the RCMP, Ottawa Drug Squad and First Responders, this training will be available again on April 16 2010 in Ottawa and will be recognized by PHPIO for continuing education credits. Phase two of the Clandestine Labs, Grow-Ops and Guns Seminar (The Clean-Up Process) is already in the works. PHPIO is a member driven organization open to the needs of the Consumer and Consumer Protection. In hiring a PHPIO inspector, a PHPI (Professional Home and Property Inspector) who has also successfully met the requirements of the NCA (National Certification Authority) is your assurance that you have hired a professional inspector. All full member PHPI's are National Certificate Holders. The National Certification Program (NCP) is the NEW Gold Standard for Canadian home inspectors and is supported by CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation). PHPI's have proven their technical aptitude, expertise in report writing, communication skills, and powers of observation. PHPI's are field tested during Test Inspections with a Peer Review process and must continually be re-tested every 5 years. The home inspection bar has been raised and only a select few home inspectors across Canada - measure up. In an ever changing world, PHPIO leads the home inspection profession by example. Discovering both the good and bad aspects of a home is what we do best! We are all about Consumer Protection and offering the highest level of professional home inspection services available today. To view the entire Marketplace airing of this show click on the link below or insert it into your browser http://news.google.com/news/story?ncl=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/what-were-those-home-inspectors-smoking/article1423464/&hl=en Sincerely, The PHPIO Board of Directors

Homes A-Z
Realtor Newsletters

• Print this list for a handy reference, when you're interviewing home inspectors.
• Click on the highlighted links, for more information.

QUESTIONS	Electrospec	Other 1	Other 2
1. How long have you been in the home inspection business?	Since 1994
2. How many resale home inspections has your firm completed?	Approx. 500 yearly
3. What qualifications does the inspector have?	Our Inspectors
4. How long is the average inspection?	2.5 - 3 hours
5. Do you inspect to the Standards of Practice of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors?	Yes
6. How much do you charge?	$400-
7. May I attend the inspection?	Yes, we encourage it.
8. Will I get my written report on-site?	Yes
9. What else do I get?	400-page Home Reference Book
10. Do you inspect wood stoves and fireplaces?	Yes, at no extra cost.
11. Do you inspect farm buildings, cottages, heritage homes, mobile and modular homes?	Yes
12. Can you provide approximate costs for repairs and improvements?	Yes
13. Do you contract for repairs or improvements?	No
14. Are you affiliated with any real estate or construction company?	No
15. Do you solicit, receive or give referral fees?	No
16. Can I call at a later date, for information or advice?	Yes, at no cost.
17. What are your telephone hours?	8am - 8pm 7 days a week
18. What is your availability?	9am and 1pm weekdays
19. How much notice do you require?	1 to 7 days, depending upon season.
20. Do you accept cheques and credit cards?	Yes, and Debit Cards
21. Are you willing to invoice my relocation company?	Yes
22. Can you provide references?	Yes

See also: Inspecting Home Inspectors

Homes A-Z: Directory

Call now to schedule your home inspection: 1-888-394-6954 [ Home ] [ Up ]

Home inspections, like the real estate market have changed dramatically in the past 20 years. As technology advances and consumers become more web-savvy, there is a greater need for products and services that can keep pace. We now offer a comprehensive web-based reporting system that produces an exceptional report, published and posted on the web exclusively for the buyer or seller. The report includes fantastic benefits such as color photos and illustrations, and links to relevant reference materials. Why are we switching to web reporting? Electrospec has long been one of the most successful home inspection providers in east-central Ontario, having served the area from Port Hope to Napanee since 1994. We moved to the Home Reference Book in 1997, which used the best technology and information available at the time. The HRB quickly became the industry leader and agents and homeowners raved about our reports. It's been a great report writing tool for us and a fantastic report and reference tool for our clients ever since! Today, almost 80% of all Home Inspectors use an electronic report writing system. As a leader in our field and a prime source of information for both homeowners and real estate professionals, we wanted to provide a system good enough for Electrospec and more importantly, good enough to meet the exacting standards and expectations of our customers. How will a HORIZON inspection and report benefit me? Horizon takes everything that's great about the Home Reference Book, adds all the things that the Home Reference Book does not have and delivers the information in a permanent and easy to use format! To view one of the exceptional HORIZON home inspection reports that customers and agents are raving about click here. A HORIZON home inspection report will provide you with... An easy-to-read format No more handwriting issues No more big comments squeezed into a small area No more legends or symbols to decipher Color photos and illustrations No codes or symbols No extraneous information included Quick links to reference materials Simple navigation to any section of the report through the tabs at the top of each page Easy to send copies to others Easy storage A great pre-listing report (the whole report can be integrated into an online listing) A report that is more customized and less generic The benefits to you are stronger than ever with HORIZON! A time-proven Electrospec quality home inspection Your inspection report delivered quickly to yours, or your Realtor's desktop Up-to-date, comprehensive reference material included with inspection A Bottom Line summary of the important issue Ballpark costs for repairs HOW DOES IT WORK? How Horizon Works - it's a seamless recording, reporting and sharing of important information. 1. If need be, at the end of the inspection, an on-site report or summary can be printed. This report provides a prospective purchaser or seller with everything they will need to make an informed decision. 2. A more elegant report is published and posted on the web. The web report includes color photos and illustrations, and links to relevant reference materials. A link to the report is delivered by email, most often the same day. Home inspection reports produced on the web are in PDF format. They can be downloaded and printed easily without a loss of quality. They can be stored on a hard drive or removable media and we commit as well, to keeping them available online for at least 12 months. As always, the inspection reports are your property, you can choose to share reports with friends and family, real estate agents, lenders, insurance companies and other interested parties. The duplication and transmittal of reports is effectively free, since the reports are available on a web page, and the link to the web page is simply e-mailed to the recipient. We hope that you find our new reporting system as exciting as we do. As always we still have our Home Reference Book report available. We will always ask which report is preferred, so there is no need to worry about being surprised on site. We are always working to ensure we are providing the highest quality reporting system, and as always, we welcome your feedback and comments. Commonly asked Questions: Here are some of our most common questions from Realtors and homebuyers. To view our full list of Frequently Asked Questions please click here. 1. But I have already promised my client the Home Reference Book. Answer: No problem, we will give your client a Home Reference Book if preferred. 2. But I like the Home Reference Book better. Answer: No problem, we will use the Home Reference Book if preferred. 3. But my great-aunt doesn't have Internet access. Answer: No problem, we will print and deliver the report to her, or she can pick it up at her Realtor or lawyer's office. Anyone provided with the emailed link can pick up the report almost anywhere. 4. Is the inspection fee different if you use the Horizon report writing system? Answer: Our fees are based on the inspection process and the information you receive. Although a Horizon report provides much more information and presents it more clearly, due to production costs the Home Reference Book carries a slightly higher fee. If you have any questions regarding our report writing systems, or home inspections in general, please feel free to contact us at any time. Back to top of page Service Fees

Call now to schedule your home inspection: 1-888-394-6954

Guidelines for well owners; important facts for Realtors	March 2009

Ontarians deserve access to clean, safe water. This means keeping water free of pollutants and contaminants that could harm the environment and human health. Over three million Ontarians rely on groundwater for their drinking water. There are hundreds of thousands of water wells across Ontario, providing drinking water to municipalities, industries and private residences. The Government of Ontario is moving forward on a series of initiatives to preserve water quality, including new legislation, regulations, standards and requirements. Ontario now has the toughest standards and protocols for drinking water in North America. Wells providing water to small businesses, common spaces and residential communities may qualify as "regulated systems." Private wells are not regulated systems, but there are new rules in place for constructing or decommissioning (abandoning) a well. Private owners are required by regulation to ensure that nothing gets into water wells that could contaminate the water source.

Green Facts: Important facts about water well construction (General Interest Publication)

See Ontario's Wells Regulation (Reg. 903) for more information (Detailed Regulations)

Guidelines for Well Owners

Groundwater is a shared resource that crosses property lines and contamination from one well can put other wells at risk. Owners are responsible for getting well water tested regularly - at least three times per year is recommended, to be confident drinking water is free from bacteria and other contaminants.

What to do:

• Make sure your well is properly constructed and maintained.

• Inspect your well at least once a year to see what repairs may be needed.

• Have a sample of your well water tested at least three times a year.

• Water testing is offered by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

• Sample bottles are available from public health labs and local health units.

• Get a list of labs that can test your water for chemical contaminants.

• Disinfect all wells prior to use with a concentration of 50 milligrams of chlorine per litre of water standing for at least 12 hours.

• Refer to the disinfection instructions which are part of the current well regulation.

• Get a copy of the Water Well Record that was filed after the well on your property was built, or get a Licensed Well Technician to test and evaluate your well.

• Properly plug and seal unused wells to prevent rapid movement of contaminants down into groundwater.

• Dispose of hazardous materials properly, pump out your septic tank every two years, and plan on replacing your septic system leaching bed every 20-25 years.

• If you need to treat your water, select a treatment system with great care to ensure it will be effective in your particular situation.
  

What not to do

• Never use untreated surface water for drinking water - untreated surface water is considered unsafe for human consumption!

• Don't pour water into a well with a low water level - this will undermine the foundation of the well.

• Don't use a highly vulnerable water supply unless all other attempts to develop an alternative supply have been unsuccessful.

Government Websites

Ontario Ministry of Environment: www.ene.gov.on.ca
Ontario Ministry of Health: www.health.gov.on.ca
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture: www.omafra.gov.on.ca
Health Canada: www.hc-sc.gc.ca

It's a good idea to learn the important facts about water well construction, and the protection of water quality in dug, bored and drilled wells.

Realtor Newsletters

Homes A-Z

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Methamphetamine: The dangers of meth labs

There's an epidemic sweeping Ontario which represents health, safety and liability risks to Realtors, appraisers and anyone else entering homes contaminated with chemicals used to grow or manufacture illegal drugs.

Pesticides and fertilizers notwithstanding, some of the primary risks associated with marijuana "grow houses" have been mould and wood-destroying organisms resulting from the greenhouse conditions existing in these homes. The grow house has been viewed primarily as a business or legal risk for the real estate community.

However, as the illegal production of crystal methamphetamine (meth) grows in Ontario, more of the real estate community could be placing their lives at risk trying to assess or inspect homes containing potentially explosive drug labs. According to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) even the leftovers of a household "meth lab" may represent a huge danger, given the variety of chemicals which could explode at any moment.

Anyone unfamiliar with a crystal meth lab could be putting
their life at risk if they don't know what they're walking into.

Methamphetamine is made mostly from common household ingredients. When these ingredients are mixed and cooked together, they make a dangerous drug and potentially harmful chemical residues can remain on household surfaces for months or years after cooking has been completed. There may be serious health effects associated with these chemical exposures before, during and after the drug-making process.

Crystal meth, a highly addictive and potentially lethal drug, is a relatively new problem for the OPP. More prevalent in western Canada, crystal meth has been familiar to police in Ontario for only about four years, and the chemical processes are quite different from what's present at a more common marijuana grow-op.

Five years ago, meth labs were unknown in Ontario. Now they are a common occurance, especially in Perth County and other parts of south-western Ontario. It seems to be moving east, and it's a growing trend.

Crystal meth is made by "cooking" pseudo ephedrine with a variety of chemicals which are readily found at hardware stores, such as red phosphorous, iodine, ammonia, paint thinner and lithium from batteries.

There have been no known incidents of injuries caused in Ontario by exposure to crystal meth labs, but police officers south of the border have suffered serious injuries dealing with substances such as propane, starter fluid and drain cleaner which are used in the drug manufacturing process.

Weapons are very common in meth labs. People who use meth are very paranoid about everything. They are worried that they will be caught by the police and will use any means to not get caught.

As production expands to other parts of the province, anyone unfamiliar with a crystal meth lab could be putting their life at risk if they don't know what they're walking into.

Identifying a meth lab - what to look out for.

Here's a checklist of common signs of meth manufacturing inside and outside a house:

• Strong smell of urine, or unusual chemical odours like ether, ammonia or acetone.

• Windows blacked-out, traffic at odd hours, people going outside to smoke.

• Signs of chemical burns and spills - dark red phosphorous stains in the sinks, toilets or bathtubs, or red staining on the interior walls, countertops and flooring.

• Visible areas in the yard where chemicals have been dumped, or burn pits with chemical container remains, dead or dying vegetation.

• Packaging or containers from large quantities of cold medicines.

• Jars containing clear liquid with a white or red-coloured solid on the bottom, jars with shiny metallic purple crystals inside, bottles or jars with rubber tubing attached.

• Glass cookware or frying pans containing a powdery residue.

• Coffee filters unused and used with red stains, white paste or small amounts of shiny white crystals in them.

• Soft silver or gray metallic ribbon (in chunk form) stored in oil or Kerosene.

• Propane tanks with fittings that have turned blue or green.

• Excessive trash with large amounts of the following: alcohol, benzene, toluene/paint thinner, Freon, acetone, chloroform, camp stove fuel, starter fluid, anti-freeze, anhydrous ammonia, Heet, white gasoline, phenyl-2-propane, phenyl acetone, phenyl propanolamine, iodine crystals, red phosphorous, black iodine, lye, Drano, muriatic or hydrochloric acid, battery acid or sulphuric acid, Epsom salts, batteries/lithium, sodium metal, wooden matches, propane cylinders, hot plates, ephedrine, pseudo-ephedrine, cold tablets, bronchodilators, energy boosters, rock salt, diet aids
  
  

Police advise against entering a house exhibiting any of these signs because it could be a crime scene, and even more importantly, it could be hazardous to your health and safety. They recommend reporting any suspected meth labs to the local city or provincial police detachment.

If you suspect a meth lab, leave at once and report it.

• Do not open any coolers.
• Do not touch any items.
• Handling methamphetamine waste residue can burn your skin and eyes, and breathing in the gases can send you to the hospital.
• Handling these chemicals with unprotected skin, or getting the dust in your eyes can cause serious damage.

To avoid the possibility of fire, explosion, death or serious illness, only trained and properly equipped workers can dismantle a lab and take the remnants away for disposal, usually in sealed 55-gallon drums.

---

Every pound of methamphetamine produced creates anywhere from 5 to 7 pounds of waste. Waste products include solvents and corrosives. Cleanups of labs are extremely resource-intensive and beyond the financial capabilities of most jurisdictions. The average cost of a cleanup is about $5,000 - but some cost up to $100,000 or more.

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If you require immediate assistance please dial 9-1-1 or *OPP on your cell phone

To report a crime or occurrence in your area, do one of the following:

• Call the OPP 24 hour toll free telephone number 1-888-310-1122.

• To communicate via a telephone device for the deaf (TDD/TTY), the number is 1-888-310-1133.

• Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-Tips (8477).

---

More photos of clandestine meth labs, and materials
used in the production of crystal methamphetamine:

Small home or apartment, tabletop methamphetamine labs

Stained coffee filters, pop bottles used to make methamphetamine

1. Stained coffee filters
2. Empty pseudo ephedrine blister packs
3. Strong solvent or ammonia odours*
4. Acetone
5. Toluene
6. Denatured alcohol
7. Red Devil Lye
8. Red Phosphorous*
9. Lithium batteries
10. Anhydrous Ammonia*
11. Heet or gas-line treatments with methyl alcohol
12. Drain cleaner with sulphuric acid
13. Heat source*
14. Glassware (beakers or mason jars)
15. Coffee grinder with white powder residue*
16. Stained tubing*
17. Hypodermic syringes
18. Written recipes*
*Items to be aware of but not in photo

Collection of over-the-counter cold remedies and other materials

Backyard methamphetamine lab, containers of toxic chemicals

"Beavis & Butthead" or "Mom & Pop"
meth lab easily hidden in car trunk.

Cleanup of toxic waste at meth lab site.

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