Blog

Egbert Jager on the No Payne Roofing Podcast I had the opportunity to be a guest on the No Payne Podcast recently. It was great to share our thoughts on a few roofing disasters. We also talked a little about common exhaust fan venting problems we’ve both seen too much of. The shingling job with the multiple angles was a ...Read More

Alright, Anyway.   Hi Folks, I have some exciting news to share. Sunday, May 31 (today!) is National Speak in Complete Sentences Day. As a grammar aficionado, I have to admit I’m looking forward to a day that celebrates language. There aren’t very many holidays for syntax lovers, in fact off the top of my head I can’t think of ...Read More

Diamond Home Inspection – Best of Homestars Award-Winning Quality Home Inspections! By getting a Diamond Home Inspection, you are getting the best home inspection in Calgary – Five times voted “Best Home Inspection” in Calgary by customers. Rest assured that you will receive a high quality professional inspection, done with integrity and by an expert with a great understanding of ...Read More

Best Home Inspection Services in Calgary ...Read More

Buying a house is buying a job. So go into your mechanical room regularly, and have a look around. See that puddle of water beside the water heater? That needs your attention right away. Now there are several possible causes for that accumulation of water on the floor (or in the drain pan if your luck enough to have one.) ...Read More

 These nailing problems would not have shown up in the course of a typical new home inspection (not even a Diamond Home Inspection) until the stucco starts to sag. The flashing problems found at the same time are for another video. Egbert Jager, BSc PHI Professional Home Inspector ...Read More

The foundation of a great deck is well… a great foundation. If you’re building a small, low, deck that’s not attached to the home and you’re okay with seasonal movement, settling and a shorter expected life, you can probably get away with pre-cast concrete deck blocks. It’s important to note that even though these blocks look like they just sit ...Read More

The best decks are not built from the ground up. They’re engineered from the top down, and built from a solid foundation below ground all the way up to the guardrails, or even to the top of the pergola! There are lots of local rules and regulations about decks. As Diamond Home Inspection operates mainly in Calgary (but also north ...Read More

If you build a deck big enough for fifty people, it has to be strong enough for fifty people. When are you ever going to get fifty people on your deck? Weddings and anniversaries, graduations, and of course that open house to celebrate the completion of the new deck! (Ever check online for deck collapse? Weddings and anniversaries, graduations…) Still ...Read More

Source: Underwriters Laboratory Everyone is talking about the $1 fix to solve the 6-second break in. Admittedly, there is a serious weakness in security at the top of your garage door, but don’t let fear drive you to make an un-safe ‘security’ improvement. Don’t zip-tie the emergency release mechanism! The emergency release mechanism is there for a reason; if someone ...Read More

 It’s been such an interesting few months, I thought I would share some of the gutter fun I’ve seen here in Calgary, with a couple shots from Okotoks, Airdrie, Drumheller and Canmore. Eavestroughs/Gutters and downspouts are important part of the roof inspection. Properly set up and maintained, they direct all the water from your roof from away from the ...Read More

I’m inspecting the furnace (well OK, the forced-air heating system) from the time I see the chimney (or vent piping) until I’ve taken off the covers and have shown you the maintenance issues that need discussion. Along the way, I’ve been checking out the heat registers, return air distribution/size/location, air flow, intake vents, clearances, electrical, drip marks, water and drain ...Read More

  Eavestrough cleaning gets exponentially harder the longer you put it off. Over time, your gutters get dirty. This dirt holds water, which traps more dirt and the gutters start to sag, so they hold more water, which traps more dirt… and soon the Hanging Gardens of Bonavista are created. Along the way, the downspouts have filled up with debris ...Read More

Leaks and Water Damage The leaking hose in the video is such an easy thing to fix. New hose end if you’re frugal (Read: Dutch like me), or a new hose. But the water has stained the siding (which isn’t water-proof BTW); How much water has been wasted? Enough to leak into the basement? The other question is: If the ...Read More

We all want to hear WOW when someone sees our deck… except maybe during a home inspection! Decks are great projects for homeowners to create something they can call their own, something that they can use, and something that can create value too. But it takes more than a few episodes of Canada’s Worst Handyman to really understand what’s important ...Read More

An infrared camera, in the hands of a certified and experienced thermographer, will provide a lot of clues as to what’s going on. But it can only tell us whats happening at the moment. If we are lucky enough to be inspecting while a leak is ongoing, the IR camera can reveal that before there are visually observable clues. But ...Read More

Egbert Jager, B.Sc. RHI, Member of the Alberta Professional Home Inspectors Society Diamond Home Inspection has three times had the privilege to present the “APHIS Tip of the Week” on episodes of Homes and Lifestyles Canada. The last two segments were more fun as I could demonstrate what I was talking about and not just be a talking-head/lecturer. I really ...Read More