Posted on Friday, December 18, 2015 by Tara Valley
For some people, squirrels are endearing visitors to our yards. They are especially frequent in the fall and early winter, when they come to feverishly forage and gather food to survive the deep cold of our Canadian winters.
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Posted on Tuesday, October 6, 2015 by Tara Valley
As a residential real estate agent, home building contractor, real estate investor or licenced home inspector, we understand that your ultimate goal is to protect your clients’ interests when visiting, assessing, or considering buying, selling or renovating Toronto residential building properties.
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Posted on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 by Tara Valley
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found primarily in rock and soil and produced by the breakdown of uranium.
Radon is odourless, tasteless and invisible, just like carbon monoxide.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking) according to Health Canada [Source].
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Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2014 by Tara Valley
Sometimes, environmental hazards in the home take their toll on health gradually. Others – like carbon monoxide or CO – can prove deadly and work quickly as a recent tragedy in the GTA brought to light.
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Posted on Thursday, March 6, 2014 by Tara Valley
Being proactive seems especially prudent when you don’t know exactly what’s coming down the pipe. A little preparation can help you to avoid mold growth, bacteria and other issues that this spring may just bring.
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Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 by Tara Valley
Having won his battle against cancer, a survivor is nonetheless losing his fight with the Halifax Metro Housing Authority – and a litany of complaints that include asbestos, poor indoor air quality and rampant mildew.
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Posted on Wednesday, February 5, 2014 by Tara Valley
With all the snow and the ice we’ve seen lately, it’s tempting to shut the doors and windows and cocoon ourselves inside. It’s also an energy-saving measure since heat that escapes an open window means more energy used to heat your home.
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Posted on Monday, January 27, 2014 by Tara Valley
More knowledge can make things easier – or more complicated. For instance, when it comes to home construction technology, innovations over the last decade or so have tended to produce homes that are more energy-efficient, which means more tightly sealed against the elements.
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Posted on Friday, December 7, 2012 by Tara Valley
In the last blog post, I talked about the widespread use of asbestos in multiple areas of both residential and industrial construction and how bulk sampling helps us to determine what to do about it in individual situations.
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Posted on Friday, November 23, 2012 by Tara Valley
About a century ago, asbestos came into widespread use as a construction material for both residential and industrial buildings. Fire and moisture resistant and nearly indestructible, it’s not hard to see why it was once seen as a ‘miracle’ material.
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