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| JUNE 2007 |
Vinyl Siding
Something to consider before putting vinyl siding on your house
A few weeks ago a friend called me to say he had some pictures I should take a look at. He told me that a relative of his living in Vaudreuil, (west of Montreal) was hosting a few friends on his back deck one evening when a cigarette was apparently stubbed out in a planter around 9pm, (there were no ashtrays as the hosts did not smoke). The planter contained peat moss which smoldered slowly until midnight, when it burst into flame and ignited the vinyl siding, breaking a window and setting off the burglar alarm. Within just 10 minutes, the house was totally engulfed in flame, the occupants escaping with nothing much more than their underwear.
Looking at these photos, the interesting - and I think more frightening – aspect, is the effect on the house next door. This house is about 20 feet away. Note the condition of its vinyl siding.
Other fires involving homes with vinyl siding have been more serious. A Virginia fire in 2004 was described by the Washington Post this way: “A tiny flame from a candle touched papers that melted vinyl siding and set off a fire that raced unnoticed up three floors. The blaze torched 18 condominiums, left three people dead and forced a man on fire to leap from a third-floor balcony.”
The safety of vinyl siding now being food for thought, I decided to do some research on the web to see what I could come up with. (Surprisingly little!)
Although its application as house siding is fairly recent, the synthetic material known as PVC (or Polyvinyl chloride) has been around since the 19th century. It is used to make everything from credit cards and electrical cable, to clothing and of course, building materials.
Here are some other interesting points I found in that Washington Post article:
- “Building suburban-style houses at an urban density could cause conflagrations that could devastate whole neighborhoods, fire officials warn. A 1988 Canadian study of two similar structures 5.9 feet apart showed that it took 4 minutes and 50 seconds for the second house to ignite. Thirty seconds later, the second house was fully engulfed.
- “Reliance on newer materials and technology is resulting in buildings that some say are less sturdy than houses of the past. Using vinyl siding instead of stucco or masonry, smaller and drier timber, and home furnishings made of plastics and chemicals that create a toxic smoke when burned make newer houses more dangerous, some experts say.
- “It is not unusual, fire fighters say, for people trapped in building fires to die from inhaling chemically toxic fumes before the flames actually reach them.”
The House Next Door 
When I do a building inspection and I see exposed foam insulation in the garage or basement, I recommend it be removed or covered with drywall because of the fire risks and the toxic fumes produced. According to a 1999 Greenpeace article, “…acid smoke and the carcinogen dioxin are released when vinyl siding burns or melts in a house fire. It is not unusual, fire fighters say, for people trapped in building fires to die of chemically toxic fumes before the flames actually reach them.”
I would not normally think of warning my client that the vinyl siding on the outside of the house he is thinking of buying may kill him.
Back to the original question. I am not sure of the right answer, but if you are planning to install vinyl siding, take care with BBQ’s and peat filled flower pots, and consider how close you are to your neighbour …who may not be so careful.
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Buying an older home?
Here are five things that make insurance companies nervous.
 - 60amp electrical service
· If your electrical service is 60amp or below, your insurance company may require you to upgrade to 100amp to obtain coverage. However, they may accept a switching device such as a Load Miser that allows for the operation of only one major appliance at a time
- Knob and tube wiring
· Many older buildings built in the 1920’s or earlier were constructed with knob and tube wiring. This means that the building has no ground wire, and that the existing wire can be fragile because of its age – creating a potential safety hazard. An inspection by a certified electrician may be required to obtain insurance coverage. There is no requirement to replace knob and tube wiring except when renovating. Also, a knob tube circuit must not be extended.
 - Wood burning stoves
· Modern wood burning stoves have been tested and approved by CSA, UL or a similar testing agency. An approval symbol and the acceptable clearances between the stove and any combustible surface are clearly marked on the back of the stove. If you cannot find the approval symbol, then your stove is likely not approved. In such a case, the insurance company may require that you remove it.
· Even if your stove is approved, you may have to have the installation approved by a Wood Energy Technical Training (WETT) technician to satisfy the insurance company. If you plan to install a wood burning stove in your home, check with your insurer in advance to find out their requirements.
- Fuel oil tanks
· Older fuel oil tanks are susceptible to leakage. If a fuel oil tank does leak, the clean up costs will be considerable (one case I heard of a cost of $60,000). Therefore, most insurance companies will only insure a fuel oil tank if it is less than 25 years old. If your tank is older than that, typically your insurer will require that it be replaced before you can obtain coverage. Also if you have an oil tank check your insurance policy to make sure you are covered.
- Galvanized steel pipes
· Houses built before 1950 often have galvanized steel plumbing for both supply and waste. These steel pipes rust from the inside out, resulting in reduced water pressure, slow drains and eventual leakage. As the risk of leakage is high, the pipes should be replaced as soon as possible.
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TURN ON THE POWER TO YOUR AIR CONDITIONER
(Courtesy of Sears Manage my home).
Summer is upon us. It's time to dust off your golf clubs and fire up the A/C. But before you flick the little switch on the thermostat from "heat" to "cool", here's a little warning.Turn on the power to your air conditioner 24 hours before using your air conditioner.
The compressor is the heart of your air conditioner. Like a bicycle pump, it is designed to pump only gas.
There is a heater built into the compressor. Over the winter, the refrigerant in your system has combined with the oil in your compressor. The heater separates the refrigerant from the oil and boils the refrigerant into a gas -- something the compressor can handle. You can seriously damage a compressor if you ask it to compress a liquid. By turning the power on 24 hours in advance, you give the heater time to work.
Turn on the power to the whole system. This is best done at the main electrical panel. Simply reinstall the fuses or turn on the breakers marked "air conditioner." Some air conditioning systems have an outdoor shut-off close to the outdoor unit. Make sure it is turned on as well.
Remember
Air conditioners should be serviced regularly, for example, you run the risk of damaging it if it is low on gas. Our best advice is to arrange for service before the first heat wave.
Never use your air conditioner when the outside temperature is below 65°F (18°C). You can damage the compressor.
Your humidifier duct damper has likely been in the open position during the winter months. Now is the time to move it to the closed position. This makes your air conditioner run more efficiently.
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Green Tips
Make sure your hot-water tank is dressed correctly. A lagging jacket costs $30 and the insulation for the pipe leading to the hot-water tank from the boiler costs $2 a metre. The yearly saving on your bill: $30 to $40. Go to this link for more information: www.bchydro.com/powersmart/elibrary/elibrary698.html
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A Quote
Mark Twain said: "The spider looks for a merchant who doesn't advertise so he can spin a web across his door and lead a life of undisturbed peace!"
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The main reasons businesses of any kind fail is that they don’t advertise. We all receive a lot of unwanted advertising, most of it spam. Yes this is advertising, but I am trying to bring the reader some useful information at the same time.
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