Coates Home Inspections

03/06/2025

Please do a perimeter walk of your home. Look to ensure existing ice or snow is not impeding your downspouts ability to remove water away from your home. Do not allow it to pool next to the foundation wall.

Look up to the gutters cto see if they are overflowing. If so debris or ice is impeding their ability to work for you...if you can't or don't want to clean them in the moment censure ice or snow is removed below to ensure water doesn't pool near the house.

ENVIRONMENT CANADA ADVISORY

Rainfall Warning Issued for Southwest New Brunswick

Southwest New Brunswick is under a Rainfall Warning, with heavy rain and mild temperatures expected over the next two days.

Environment Canada forecasts 20 to 40 mm of rain by 6 p.m. Thursday, with additional significant rainfall likely overnight Thursday into Friday morning. The rain is expected to begin this afternoon and taper off by early Friday.

Heavy downpours could lead to flash flooding and water pooling on roads, with localized flooding possible in low-lying areas.

Residents are urged to take precautions, as rainfall warnings are issued when significant rainfall is expected.

03/05/2025

Please read

Up to 80 mm of rain and freezing are in the forecast. Now is the time to prepare.
• Make sure downspouts extend at least 2 metres from your home.
• Clearing debris from eavestroughs and gutters.
• Clear ice buildup.
• Clear snow away from the building's foundation. Moving snow just 1.5 metres from the building will reduce problems.
• Make sure your sump pump is working.
• Have an emergency kit so you're self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.
https://weather.gc.ca/?layers=alert&province=NB&zoom=7¢er=46.55750540,-66.50731955

09/23/2024

09/04/2024

Home Buyer: I want a house built after 1980
Inspector: Actually, you don't...Let me explain:

Newer isn't always better, and this picture sums it up pretty well. The quality of modern lumber is simply far inferior to the quality they used to build homes back in the early and mid-20th century.

Wood quality began dropping on a serious scale in the 1980s due to old-growth timber being almost completely depleted. Most wood used today is grown very fast - not only can you visibly see the difference in quality, but the newer lumber is more prone to moisture retention leading to rot due to a lack of heartwood. Slow growth wood yields much more heartwood, which is the longest lasting part of the tree, whereas "sap wood" or new growth wood will rot and warp very quickly.

Modern lumber is also a lot more prone to termite damage as it is softer and easier to
consume whereas old lumber is extremely resinous and naturally termite resistant.

A good rule - as long as the plumbing and electric has been updated, a well-built home from the mid-20th century is often a far better investment and will likely outlast a newer build.

09/03/2024

This is why you have property inspections......

08/17/2024

Being a Home Inspector comes from an admiration of quality workmanship. An elite talent with wood working I appreciate that I could never master.

It is even more impressive in 150+ year old homes when a scroll saw and a computer generated CADCAM software program wasn't invented yet. :) Walking around Cape May, NJ is like being in a candy store.... Charlotte County in NB where I live has many similar properties.

08/16/2024

You have to be a little strange to be a Home Inspector