Posted Thu, 10/02/2014 - 13:12 by Trevor P. McEwen
I recently inspected a property that had sustained mould damage as a result of a leaking sink drain in the kitchen. The leak resulted in water spreading behind a wall and below the kitchen floor. Water also migrated into a basement wall cavity, affecting the wall finish, wood studs, and some insulation.Read more
Posted Tue, 04/16/2013 - 13:03 by Trevor P. McEwen
You have been heating your home with furnace oil for years and then late one night you detect a slight oil odour. After inspecting your oil furnace and oil fueled water heater, if you have one, you come to the realization that there is an oilRead more
Posted Thu, 07/05/2012 - 12:18 by Trevor P. McEwen
How to properly install ceramic floor tiles is a question that I have been asked on many occasions. There have been numerous methods practiced by tile installers over the years and they can vary widely depending on the construction of the building. The most important thing to consider when installing a ceramic tile floor is the construction of the floor and the deflection the floor will sustain during use.Read more
Posted Fri, 05/25/2012 - 12:48 by Trevor P. McEwen
Earlier this week I received a new forensic investigation assignment. A toilet had failed over the weekend, releasing thousands of litres of water into a building. Upon discovery of the damage, the building owner called their insurance company. To avoid the potential for spoliation of evidence, the insured was advised by their insurer to not touch anything related to the failed toilet until I had attended the site to document the failure and completed my forensic investigation to identify the cause of the water leak.
When I attended the site, I obseRead more
Posted Tue, 05/15/2012 - 13:23 by Trevor P. McEwen
A few days ago I attended a residence that faced a sewage leak resulting from a fracture in plumbing that serviced the home. The spilled sewage spread and saturated an area of soil in the crawlspace below the house. Although sewage is transferred into the ground every day through municipal treatment units or residential septic systems, sewage on the surface of soil may become a health risk. To restore the site, the contaminated soil was removed from under the dwelling with a high powered vacuum and clean soil was used as backfill. To ensure that air-boRead more
Posted Mon, 04/30/2012 - 13:44 by Trevor P. McEwen
Last week I attended a multi-dwelling complex that had been damaged by fire. To restore the building following the fire, the first step was to meet with the contractor and the building owner (who was being represented by their insurance company). After a quick walkthrough of the
building, it became apparent that fire had also damaged an adjacent unit. Read more
Posted Mon, 02/13/2012 - 15:18 by Trevor P. McEwen
On Wednesday of last week, I attended a site in Southeastern Ontario to assess and to delineate contamination resulting from a minor furnace oil leak.
It does not take much furnace oil (diesel fuel) to contaminate an abundance of soil and impact numerous building components. In addition, if left untreated, fuel can migrate very quickly, finding its way into a nearby drinking water source, such as a well.
Most people do not realize that a single drop of oil in a well can render the water in the well unsafe for consumption.Read more
