Promoters and developers are using a procedure of buying properties for the sole purpose of holding onto them over a period of time and letting them deteriorate through non-maintenance so that municipalities would then be more likely to allow demolition to take place. That is the antithesis of good urban planning, and it is a loophole that municipalities need to correct as soon as possible. The above pictured property has been unoccupied for a few years. Whenever a property remains vacant for any length of time, it tends to deteriorate quite rapidly. A broken water entry occurred in winter after…

We are living in an era of deregulation, and we are now suffering its consequences Urban planning is all about imposing regulations. That’s why it took so long for urban planning to be accepted throughout North America. Back in the 50s it was considered to be communism. Urban planning is all about imposing regulations so that property values can be protected. A common problem that exists today concerns owners who neglect their property, are not doing maintenance or even abandon them altogether. Causes can be social or economic such as poverty, an aging population, an aging housing stock, feeling threatened…

The pandemic has emphasized ventilation and has made everyone consider what that means. We are being told that good ventilation and the good quality air that it provides is essential to maintain our health, to maintain our immune system and to prevent respiratory problems like those that can be triggered by corona virus or its variants. Here are a few comments from an architect that may be helpful in regard to ventilation in buildings. 1. There are at least three areas in a building that need ventilation The interior where people live, or work The underside of roofs, the space…

The deregulated construction industry in Québec The extent to which the concept of deregulation has taken hold is quite remarkable. Recent articles in Montréal’s La Presse newspaper, sums up rather well just how far the industry has become deregulated. The first article published on June 3, 2021 “Une licence de la RBQ n’est pas gage de qualité” warned consumers that the RBQ, the licensing body for tradesmen/contractors, hardly ever gets to verify the quality of their work [by visiting job sites] once the license is issued. The second article, equally damning, appeared on September 18, 2021 “Surveiller les travaux (chantiers…

 INDUSTRY HAS IT WRONG The above photo shows a fresh air intake for a typical residential air exchanger/heat recovery ventilator. It is obviously clogged even though this is a relatively new house that was put up for sale. Industry is failing the consumer because these fresh air intakes don’t work, they get contaminated too easily because the inlet screen has large openings [typically 1/4 by 1/4] and all sorts of insects and particles fly through. The interior connecting duct is typically corrugated plastic that can never be properly cleaned. Before reading this post please take note of the following   “…. Lung malignancies…

The above photo is a time exposure taken with a flash at high speed showing the amont of invisible  microscopic dust particles suspended in the air around an old wood burning fireplace. Pre-purchase building inspections have descended to the lowest common denominator. They are of little value. They are not protecting the consumer. It all has to do with the deregulation of the service which occurred in 1994 by virtue of the revised Quebec Civil Code, and gotten gradually worse since then. Most people don’t realize that the service was totally deregulated so that anyone is allowed to do it, even the purchasers themselves, the…

1. The first thing to appreciate is that contractors will sell their services based on what they are able to do. They are not independent professionals capable of doing a proper diagnosis without self-interest. Many will try to convince homeowners of the need to do a new French drain and waterproofing on the foundation because that is what they do and it is easy to sell. Most basements are damp so the assumption is that installing a new French drain, doing waterproofing, will solve that problem. You would be wrong to make that assumption.  2. Historically, basements in Québec and…

Pre-purchase building inspections have become meaningless 1.          Encourage inspections to be done by recognized experts who have been practicing as architects or civil engineers for more than 20 years [which used to be the case]. It used to be the case in Québec up to 1994 but inspections got deregulated in that year with the New Civil Code of Québec [rewritten with major input from the legal community]. Article 1726 in the code under the title “warranty of quality” defines an apparent defect as one that can be perceived by a “prudent and diligent buyer without any…