Buyer’s guide

Understanding the defects that keep showing up in inspection reports

One topic per page, written for a buyer: what it is, how the inspector sees it, what it costs, what to do before lifting the condition. Updated .

  1. Pyrite in the backfill: how serious is it, and what does it cost?

    Pyrite is a mineral found in some crushed-stone backfill placed under concrete slabs, in a garage or a basement. As it oxidizes in contact with moisture, it swells, lifting and cracking the slab.

  2. Iron ochre: can you buy a house that has it?

    Iron ochre is a rust-coloured, jelly-like deposit formed when bacteria transform iron dissolved in groundwater. It gradually clogs the French drain and can lead to basement water infiltration.

  3. Vermiculite in the attic: should you worry about asbestos?

    Vermiculite is a loose, granular, shiny insulation widely used in attics and walls of homes built before 1990. Much of what was sold in Canada came from a mine whose ore contained asbestos.

  4. Poly-B plumbing: do you have to replace it all before buying?

    Polybutylene (Poly-B) is a grey plastic water pipe installed in many houses and condos between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s. It ages badly: it becomes brittle, cracks and leaks, often without warning.

  5. Federal Pioneer (Stab-Lok) electrical panel: does it need replacing?

    Federal Pioneer Stab-Lok panels, very common in Canadian homes from the 1950s to the 1980s, are known for breakers that do not always trip on overload, hence a risk of overheating and fire.

  6. Aluminum electrical wiring: danger or simple precaution?

    Between roughly 1965 and 1975, copper was expensive and many homes were wired with aluminum. The wire itself is not dangerous. Its connections are the issue: aluminum expands, oxidizes and loosens at outlets, switches and splices, which can overheat.

  7. Radon: should you test before buying a house?

    Radon is a natural radioactive gas, odourless and colourless, that comes from the ground and builds up in basements. Health Canada ranks it as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the country after smoking, and estimates that about 7% of Canadian homes exceed the guideline of 200 becquerels per cubic metre.

  8. Hidden defects and the legal warranty: what does it really cover?

    In Quebec, the seller of a house warrants the buyer against hidden defects: a serious defect, existing at the time of sale, unknown to the buyer and undetectable by a prudent buyer.

  9. The inspection condition: how many days, and what can you do with it?

    The inspection condition is the clause of the offer to purchase that lets you have the house inspected and, depending on the result, renegotiate or walk away without penalty.

  10. Buying “without legal warranty, at the buyer’s own risk”: what does the clause mean?

    This clause removes the hidden-defect recourse the Civil Code normally gives the buyer. It is common in estates, repossessions and sales by owners who never lived in the house.

  11. Water heater over 10 years old: should it be replaced before buying?

    A tank water heater generally lasts 10 to 12 years. Past that age, the risk of the tank leaking rises quickly, and a failing tank dumps tens of litres on the floor.

  12. Basement water infiltration: why the grading is often the cause

    Most basement infiltration does not come from a defective foundation, but from surface water allowed to pool against the walls: ground sloping toward the house, downspouts discharging at the foundation, flower beds holding water.

  13. What does a pre-purchase inspection not see? The limits to know

    A pre-purchase inspection is visual and non-destructive: the inspector examines what is visible and accessible on the day of the visit, without drilling, dismantling or moving heavy furniture. They do not see inside the walls, under the slab, inside the drain, or the roof under snow.

  14. How to choose a building inspector in Quebec, where the profession is not regulated

    In Quebec, anyone can call themselves a building inspector: there is no professional order and no mandatory licence.

  15. French drain: how do you know whether it still works?

    The French drain is the perforated pipe laid at the foot of the foundation, which collects groundwater and carries it to the sewer or a sump. It is buried, hence invisible: the inspector cannot judge its condition.

  16. Humidity and mould in a house: when should you worry?

    Health Canada recommends keeping a home’s relative humidity between 30 and 50%. Above that, water condenses on cold surfaces (windows, wall corners, basement) and mould sets in within days.