Home Explore Inspections Inc.

Retirement Announcement

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! It's always nice to slow down, and spend some time with those we love the most. I can't believe I'm just getting around to this now, but wanted to let you know that I officially retired in November!

Thank you all so much for your confidence and support over the years, by using our services when making one of the biggest decisions in your life! I will always be available if you still have questions or concerns about your home.

People have already been asking who I would recommend as an inspector. I have two names!

First, there's a newer guy out there who I feel is doing a good job with his clients - Mark Oakes at Checkmark Home Inspections out of London. I mentored Mark over the past year, and feel he really cares and does his best for his clients. Give him a look online, and possibly your future business too! He's willing to travel for inspections as well, unlike many.

Susan D'Andrea out of Sarnia is another conscientious inspector, who travels far and wide for inspections. I have mentored her as well. She and her husband, Rico, are now part of the Carson Dunlop team of inspectors, and she just received her credentials for doing commercial inspections. Check her profile online, and decide if she suits your inspection needs!

These two inspectors are a bit younger than me, eager, and willing to learn - using more forward-thinking tech devices in their businesses. Old guys like me are not up on all the latest technology. Hard to teach this old dog new tricks!

And now, it's time to spend a bit more time with family, serve my fellow man, finish some projects around the house, do a little more canoeing and fishing, and travel to some places we've always wanted to see. Ellen and I can't thank you enough! Take care, and we wish you all the best for the future!

~ Ryan

Having a "little" plumbing issue at our house. Stay tuned. Thankfully, it's sand!

I saw a post earlier about a house with crumbling/disintegrating bricks. The term for that is usually "spalling." I didn't have time to type a reply earlier, but wanted to share some info in case it helps anyone else in the future... older bricks crumbling and disintegrating on the faces is almost always caused by repointing with mortar that was harder and less porous than the bricks. Older brick is much softer than newer bricks that have been fired at higher temperatures. As the bricks expand and contract through the seasons due to moisture and temperature variations, the harder mortar doesn't allow the bricks enough room to expand and it causes the bricks to fail internally and crumble.

A pointer/mason that isn't experienced with older brick can easily make this mistake (and in my experience, most commercial pointers aren't all that familiar with older brick... although thankfully I think this knowledge is spreading!). It often only takes a few years before the damage is noticeable, and it's often seen first on bricks lower on the wall (assuming the whole wall was repointed). It happened to my parents' 1859 house back in the early '90s. It's also SUPER common on late 19th to early 20th century buildings in almost every downtown in the Midwest, because they were "repaired" in the mid 20th century by people who didn't know any better.

If caught early enough, the way to fix the problem (or at least keep the damage from getting worse) is to remove the improper mortar (with a hammer and chisel, a grinder, etc.), replace the bricks that have been completely destroyed, and repoint with a softer, old-fashion mortar. If the newer, improper mortar is left in place, the bricks will continue to deteriorate and eventually the only structural part of the wall becomes the mortar itself (ie: it's not going to last long!). You can't really just cover over the problem if you want the house to continue standing in the long term.

Here are some guidelines for mortar mixes for old bricks in case it helps anyone!

Soft mud bricks, in use before the 1860s, were made by hand-packing clay into wood molds, then firing them in wood- or coal-burning kilns. The bricks are soft, with inconsistencies and irregular edges that give them character. Recommended mortar: 1 part lime to 3 parts sand. Cover and wet for 72 hours before use; to speed the curing process, add about ¼ part lime.

Pressed brick was first made in the mid-19th century; clay was pressed into moulds by machine, then fired in hotter kilns. Recommended mortar: 1 part Portland cement, 2 parts lime, 8–9 parts sand

Wire-cut bricks appeared in the late-19th century. Clay is mechanically extruded, then cut into brick shapes by wires. Wire-cut brick may or may not have holes. Recommended mortar: 1 part Portland cement, 1 part lime, 6–7 parts sand.

I "borrowed" this picture from a google image search as an example.