Why Independent Tarion Warranty Inspections are forgone by buyers

1. Buyers are led to believe that the house has undergone rigorous inspections by the city or local jurisdiction building department. This is partly true. The city inspectors, especially in big cities, typically do representative inspections. If they are dealing with a builder who is constructing 500 houses in one subdivision, it is impossible to go through every single house at all stages of the construction process.
2. The builder tells buyers that the Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) is sufficient. This is simply not true. Most PDIs do not include the functional components of the house such as the electrical, plumbing, structure, HVAC etc. PDIs concentrate on cosmetic issues and contract disagreements.
3. The builder does not educate the buyer about their rights as per the Tarion Warranty that the buyer pays for. Every buyer has the right to bring their representative, such as a professional inspector, at any process of the Tarion Warranty. I have heard so many times from homeowners the sentence “I didn’t know that I could bring my own inspector”.
4. Homeowners believe that if a house is built as per the Ontario Building Code (OBS), then it is going to be good. This is a myth in the construction industry that is perpetuated by builders and construction companies. The OBC like any other building code sets the MINIMUM standards in construction. Minimum Standards are not always good practice and I see this in every single new construction inspection I do.
5. The builder hires licensed trades to do the job. Even though this is true, modern contracting practices include subcontracting most of the work of a project. A large builder does not have thousands of different trades on the payroll. They hire other companies that specialize in a specific sector and have them do the work at a lower cost. Like any other structure, a house is built by different teams of trades whether these are plumbers, electricians, framers etc. I see the lack of communication between all these trades, in the deficiencies I see in new homes.
6. Homebuyers think that their house comes with a 7-year Warranty. That is the biggest myth of all. There are different stages in the Tarion Warranty and each one covers specific things.

What are the stages of your Tarion Warranty!

1. The Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI). The PDI is done before the house keys are delivered to the buyer.  The PDI has the purpose of the buyer inspecting the property and submitting a list of deficiencies that are supposed to be corrected by the builder. This does not stop the delivery of the house though. In my opinion, the PDI should be done by the buyer just to make sure that the builder has delivered the property as per contract requirements; paint colours, cabinets, counters, floors etc. Cosmetic damages or deficiencies should also be reported during the PDI, as the builder may not agree with them after closing.
2. The 30-Day Warranty Stage. This stage is for the buyer to have the opportunity to report any issues after living in and interacting with the property. For example, plumbing, electrical and other evident issues can be reported during this period.
3. The 1-Year Warranty Inspection. This stage is for the buyer to report any issues that have come up within the first year of living in the home. This may include cosmetic issues that have occurred like nail pops, separating floors, drywall cracks etc. The Tarion Construction Performance Guidelines have a lot of exceptions for cosmetic issues though.
4. The 2-Year Tarion Warranty Stage. The two-year stage covers many functional issues such as plumbing, electrical, structural and water penetration inside the home. The coverage is much less than the one-year stage and will not cover workmanship issues or things that the builder may have forgotten to complete, regardless of whether they are OBC requirements or not.
5. The 7-Year Tarion Warranty Stage. The seven-stage only covers major structural issues. These include failure of foundation, frame etc. These issues typically will require engineering inspections.

Why should a new home buyer hire an independent inspection company?

In the last 5 years, I have seen houses being delivered to buyers without being finished both inside and outside. This is because builders have found loopholes in the building code that allow them to deliver an unfinished structure without any repercussions. Many home buyers do not know what to expect or have knowledge of construction practices and the OBC. A professional Inspector who follows the Tarion Construction Performance Guidelines and is trained and follows a specific process will go through the exterior and interior of the house in detail and report on all issues. As opposed to the builder representative who works FOR THE BUILDER, the inspector works for YOU.

The 30-Day Inspection and the 1-Year inspection are the most important stages of the process because a lot of issues are covered. After the first year passes, the homeowner is left on their own when it comes to workmanship, errors, etc. I have heard many times a homeowner being told this by the builder: “Sorry, you should have done an inspection!”

FAQs

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Here are a few questions to ask before adding insulation?

1. How old is my house?
2. Are there any government grants available?
3. Am I planning any renovations soon?
4. What impact will this update have on my home’s efficiency and my energy bills.

The purpose of insulation in any house is to regulate the flow of heat inside a home. In the winter, if a house is properly insulated, it will retain warmth and keep the energy bills low. In the summer, it will allow the house to be cooler.

You have probably heard the term R-Value of insulation before.  Insulation is measured by its R-flow, which is the insulation’s resistance to heat. The higher the R-flow, the better the house is insulated.

The building code in Ontario has changed over the years and houses are now built with higher value, as governments at all levels are trying to keep energy costs and demands low. The current Ontario Code requirement for attic insulation is R-60. Just 30 years ago the requirement was R-32. The reason the attic insulation has changed so much is that heat rises and a lot of heat loss can occur from the attic. The graphic below is based on older standards but it can show you the required depth of insulation for each R-Value. With the current R-60 requirement, the required depth for the insulation types listed below is about 24”.

It is time to add insulation in an older home

If your house was built more than 15 years ago then it’s time to add insulation in your attic. Insulation does not have to be replaced unless it was damaged by pests, animals, or water damage. The costs of adding and replacing insulation are different. I highly recommended bringing your attic insulation to current standards so that you don’t have to worry about it for a long time.

Adding insulation to the exterior walls

Replacing insulation in the walls is not easy and not necessary or feasible in some cases. Current insulation levels for walls require 2 x 6 framing, therefore if your house was built with 2 x 4 framing, updating is not feasible. In addition to this, most heat loss from the walls structure is from the windows, therefore updating windows is what is needed here. If your house is older than 20 years old, I would recommend looking into the replacement of the windows with modern efficient double-glazed windows.

Do I change the basement insulation?

The basement insulation requirements have also changed over time. Current requirements are for R20 insulation at the full height of the basement wall. When finishing or renovating the basement, I highly recommended bringing your basement insulation to current standards. In some cases, you will have to remove the older insulation and install new. I see basement renovations all the time, where the insulation is only 4 ft high (Pre 2000 standards) and the homeowner does not update the insulation to the full height of the wall. This will create condensation issues and sometimes shows on the drywall as damage. I always say if you will do something, do it right and think of the long term.

Spray foam insulation is better for homes!

Spray foam insulation is a relatively new product and is used mostly in custom-built homes and in specific areas of subdivision homes. The reason for this is its high cost. It is good insulation for exterior walls, hard-to-reach areas and garage ceilings. I do not recommend using spray foam insulation in the attic unless it is to insulate heating ducts. Using spray foam in all the attic will make any future changes very difficult. Spray foam insulation is also required to be covered with drywall therefore the costs add up.

FAQ

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