BC firm's materials in space
$10K discrimination ruling
Quesnel pulp mill sold
Inquiry into B.C. port strike
Is decaf coffee bad for you?
Ex-cop tries to quash charge
PM pledges deportations
Trump trial arguments begin
Ghost guns to high court
Nude Beverages sells line
Wealth gap widening
Canadian Honda EV plant 
Leafs even series
Cristall gets pro look
Warriors even series in OT
Swift breaks Spotify record
Cudi Coachella set cut short
Bon Jovi 'hasn't been a saint'
About the House
Hugh Cairns: Furnace service costs
Furnace service cost Having your furnace serviced is an opportunity to get to know your furnace technician and your furnace. A good technician will give you the...
Hugh Cairns: Furnace service
Welcome to heating season! That means it’s time to make sure your equipment is working to its maximum potential. For the most part, natural gas fuel...
Hugh Cairns: Household humidity
As the summer months leave so does their warm moist air. In our area the cool air of the winter months results in lower humidity. The construction of your home...
Hugh Cairns: Downspout discharge
Q. Should downspouts from upper roofs discharge onto lower roofs? – Bob V A. The quick answer is no. Water or snow that gathers on your roof covering...
Hugh Cairns: Inspecting on your own
Q. Before I hire a professional a professional home inspector, can you give me some tips on how to inspect a home that we are interested in buying? A. You bet....
Hugh Cairns: Time for a new roof?
Q. I want to get the maximum life out of my roof. Right now it looks pretty tired. How do I know when it’s time for a new roof? – Steve A. It is...
Hugh Cairns: Grey spots on siding
Q. I have noticed that I have small grey spots on two sides of the vinyl sidings of our house. Can you please tell me what they are and how to get rid of them?...
Hugh Cairns: Improper roof ventilation
Attics are a hot topic for home inspectors. Excessive temperatures in attic spaces can shorten the life of shingles and cause a host of problems like the one...
Tighter regulations for home inspectors
Back in 2009, B.C. lead the way by becoming the first province in Canada to require that home inspectors be licensed. The vehicle used to do so was administered...
Hugh Cairns: Sell quickly & for top dollar
Wow, our real estate market is heating up. I’m seeing more homes listed and sold signs proudly displayed. There still is a lot of inventory to choose from...
Hugh Cairns: A/C on tilt
Air conditioner pads should be built to withstand the elements. Often made of precast concrete, A/C pads are designed to support air conditioning units,...
Hugh Cairns: Curb appeal in a day
I was having a luncheon meeting with some industry colleagues this week and the topic of curb appeal came up. My version of curb appeal related to the exterior...
Hugh Cairns: more home inspection problems
Older roof coverings Here’s a big home inspection question: How’s the roof? I answer that question at every inspection. Most of the time what is...
Hugh Cairns: Top home inspection problems revealed
If you polled my clients they’d tell you that in my books, the first enemy of every home is moisture and water. When a home doesn’t protect itself...
Hugh Cairns: After the home inspection
In our jurisdiction, the home inspection usually comes long after the buyer falls in love with the home. After the buyer places an offer on the home and...
Hugh Cairns: Concrete driveway spalling
Spalling on concrete driveways is easy to spot once it is underway. Rough, pitted or flaky areas in the driveway indicate spalling. Concrete driveway spalling...
Hugh Cairns: Relaxing your home
Have you ever seen one of those makeover shows and seen the utter surprise and admiration on the faces of the lucky participants? I’m pretty sure...
Hugh Cairns:Home security tips
Often, homeowners can target themselves for theft unwittingly. Your home security begins with decreasing your chances of being a victim of theft. Before you...
Hugh Cairns: The end of flue season
High above our heads, our chimneys mostly go by unnoticed. Often neglected, chimneys are regarded as a critical component in our heating systems. I suspect that...
Home inspections - turning the water on
Home inspectors, from time-to-time, are faced with homes that are vacant and where some of the services are turned off. In some cases, the water to the home is...
