In this photo I am identifying that the baluster is not connected to the handrail on the stairs leading to the second floor. This is a safety concern in that a small finger could get pinched between the two, and this section of rail offers no support and could be the result of a fall.

During the inspection, I will be trying to identify if any infiltrators  have entered the home, such as mice, rats, bird, bats, roaches, bees, wasps etc. Here I found the remains of a rat in the attic. It's never good news but at least it wasn't staring back at me.

This home owner wasn't concerned about this plastic dryer hose for either aesthetics or function. This type of hose traps too much lint with all the ridges and lack of rigidity. A rigid stainless pipe with a minimal amount of elbows is recommended whenever possible.

Behind the dryer the vent is badly crushed and partially disconnected. In the event that the appliances are included in the sale the new home owner might not to think to even check it. In this situation, the dust and lint is blowing back into the home.

Often suggestions or recommendations are made to the client. In this case the ground floor laundry room was directly over a finished basement. if a leak or overflow occurred there could be expensive damages to the finishes. I would usually recommend a catch pan with drain to prevent this.

Vermiculite was found under this loose fiberglass between the joists in this attic. Some vermiculite is known to contain asbestos and lab testing is the only way to be sure. If deemed positive the removal can get quite costly. For more on vermiculate go to www.healthcanada.ca