A few times in the last year, our inspectors have run into a critical oversight that’s caused problems: incorrect placement of vapour barrier in floors over an unheated space. First off, there’s a general rule on where vapour barrier goes: the warm side of the…

In the past few months, our inspectors have noticed a number of situations where over-large holes have been drilled in framing members, or, alternately, holes have been drilled too close to the edge of a framing member. We remind contractors of the relevant code on…

This week, we’re going to give you a “pro tip” that will make installation of vapour barrier a whole lot easier. If interior walls are going to be installed before the ceiling vapour barrier, staple a strip of vapour barrier on the ceiling where the…

We had a question yesterday about shingles – that is, applying shingles to the side of a structure. In this area, due to the heavy rainfall, one of the requirements for shingles is that it has what we call a “capillary break.” That’s a fancy…

We’re starting to get the message out there that permits are needed for any new construction, even in “the country,” as some folks call the unincorporated areas. But our staff have noticed some confusion or mis-information about placing pre-built structures, including the (false) belief that…