Support for 'Big Oil' lawsuit
Electric trucks 'won't work'
B.C. actress shot in LA
Cut off by raging fires
Amber Alert for siblings
1 dead in police shooting
Explosions at Russian base
4 dead in golf cart crash
Soldiers' toxic exposure
Broke back in hard landing
Lumber giants making bank
FAA clears Boeing plane
Warriors add to blueline
B.C. Lions rout Edmonton
2 Rockets win gold
Beyoncé breaks record
Motown legend passes
Tom Cruise plans musical
About the House
Fish tank flood
During home inspections it is not uncommon to see the odd example of a small scale flood. It's good that most people are aware of water stains and what they...
It’s pooltime!
Break out the sunscreen, it’s summertime in the Okanagan, and yes, that means it’s time to sit poolside. Backyard pools can provide hours of...
Gutter add-ons
Gutters and downspouts may look innocuous but they sure are important to protect your home from water damage. Managing collected moisture off your roof goes a...
Electricity theft
It can be dangerous out there. Thank goodness we live in a part of the world where our electrical distribution systems are well planned and safe. That is until...
Additional inspections
Q. In addition to my home inspection, are there other inspections that I should consider when purchasing a home? A: You bet. As a part of your purchase...
Four types of maintenance
Most people think that home maintenance is only about fixing broken things, but there’s a whole lot more to maintaining a property than meets the eye....
Baseboard thermostats
Most of the furnaces that I inspect during home inspections are controlled by programmable thermostats. The same cannot be said about electric baseboard...
Diamond in the rough
Looking for that diamond in the rough? We’ll it’s out there! Since homes are moving fast you’ll need the help of a professional Realtor to...
Finished grade level
Concrete foundation walls should extend higher than the finished grade level (concrete patios, sidewalks and landscaping improvements) adjacent to the...
Home buying seminar
When you buy a home, it isn’t like most things that if you don’t like it you can’t simply return it. I can tell you from experience that the...
Be careful out there
I’ve always said that anything about a house can be fixed except for its location. Once a house is completed for occupancy, it is pretty much set for its...
The odds are stacked
Q. How close to the house can firewood be stored for a fireplace? A. That stack of firewood you had up against the house all winter needs to be moved. When it...
New home inspections
Q: We are buying a new home. Do we really need to pay for an inspection? A: If you are buying a new home, if you consider what could possibly go wrong, the...
Hugh Cairns: Mobile home CSA stickers
Q. Hello, if there is a silver tag on the electrical panel of mobile does that mean it's up to code? Thanks for your help - Bonnie A. The short answer is...
Hugh Cairns: Pick a plumber
World Plumbing Day is on March 11. World Plumbing Day you say? If you consider it, we live in one of the best countries in the world and certainly in one of the...
Hugh Cairns: Cast iron sewage pipes
Cast iron sewage waste pipes have been in use for more than 100 years. In commercial and multifamily construction applications, cast iron pipes are still...
Hugh Cairns: Selling your home in 2015
With some of the great weather we have had this winter it is not a stretch to start thinking about Spring. If you have plans to sell your home in this...
Hugh Cairns: Pack rat
Pack rats are nest builders. They build great nests. They use all kinds of materials ranging from branches, foliage, debris to sofa stuffing. The nest in this...
Hugh Cairns: Thermal imaging is key
Okanagan Valley homes may not be susceptible to dry rot thanks to our drier weather, but fungal rot caused by water infiltration is a different story. When out...
Hugh Cairns: Home inspection guarantee's
What is a home inspection? Well, that’s a great question and the answer varies greatly between inspectors and consumers. One thing we can all agree on is...
