Question 1

Can a home inspection confirm asbestos in an old Ottawa house?

Accepted Answer

A home inspection cannot confirm asbestos. It is a visual, non-invasive examination, and only a laboratory test on a physical sample can identify asbestos-containing material. What an inspector can do is note a material that looks like it may contain asbestos, such as old floor tiles, pipe insulation, ceiling texture or duct wrap, and flag it in the report as a suspected material requiring further investigation.

Question 2

Should I worry about mould an inspector found in an Ottawa basement?

Accepted Answer

Finding mould noted in an inspection report is worth taking seriously, but the report itself cannot tell you whether it poses a health risk or how much remediation would cost. Those answers require a separate professional assessment. Health Canada's position is that no exposure limits for mould can be derived, and that results from air tests cannot be used to assess risks to building occupants.

Question 3

Insurer asking for an ESA inspection on a Kanata purchase: why?

Accepted Answer

Because some insurers want one before they cover a home with aluminum wiring. The Electrical Safety Authority says: "Some insurers will not provide or renew insurance coverage on homes without an ESA inspection." It adds that you may need to repair or replace the wiring and provide your insurer with a copy of the ESA Certificate of Acceptance.

Question 4

Mould air sampling before buying a Hintonburg house: worth it?

Accepted Answer

Health Canada's guidance gives little reason to. It says the large number of mould species and strains rules out exposure limits, and that "results from tests for the presence of fungi in air cannot be used to assess risks to the health of building occupants." Its guidance for indoor air quality professionals adds that neither Health Canada nor NIOSH recommends testing for mould in offices, schools or non-industrial buildings, and that simply finding mould spores in an air test does not...

Question 5

Inspector noted vermiculite in a Glebe attic: what now?

Accepted Answer

Health Canada's advice on vermiculite insulation is short: do not disturb it, and do not attempt to remove it yourself. An inspector's note means they saw a material that looks like vermiculite. It is a suspected material, not a confirmed one.

Wiring, Asbestos & Mould

Can a home inspection confirm asbestos in an old Ottawa house?

Should I worry about mould an inspector found in an Ottawa basement?

Insurer asking for an ESA inspection on a Kanata purchase: why?

Mould air sampling before buying a Hintonburg house: worth it?

Inspector noted vermiculite in a Glebe attic: what now?