Whether it's missing or not functioning properly, a French drain can cause a lot of problems for building owners. In fact, a French drain (or foundation drainage) refers to the drainage pipe installed at the base of the foundation walls. This pipe is usually located on the exterior side of the building. Originally, this drainage pipe was made up of terracotta cylinders laid one after the other.
The building envelope components – which are thermally insulated – must include a vapor barrier (i.e., a material with low water vapor permeance). The vapor barrier's role is to minimize the amount of water vapor circulating by diffusion and to prevent moisture and condensation problems within the structure and on the surfaces of the building materials.
The persistent drought experienced in the summer of 2025 significantly impacted the stability of building foundation walls, leading to cracks and deformations in the bricks. In fact, clay soils were the most vulnerable to drought.
When purchasing a building, it is very important to be aware of the type of foundation walls and have them inspected by a structural engineer. We recommend that potential buyers carefully read the pre-purchase report and carry out the inspections recommended by the inspector before purchasing to avoid unforeseen problems with the condition of the foundation walls. We have handled several hidden defect cases where buyers were unaware of the type of foundations or their condition.
In the basement of a residential building, there may be a problem with water infiltration at the top of the foundation walls, i.e., at the junction between the wooden sill plate and the foundation wall. In most cases, the cause of this type of water infiltration is improper installation of the base flashing of the exterior masonry or other cladding.
Following the rain that occurred on August 9, 2024, many buildings were flooded. Water entered the basements affecting building materials, furniture, etc. causing mold and other damage. Therefore, the owners were forced to tear out building materials and throw away many objects.
The pre-purchase inspection is not an inspection of compliance with various Codes or standards. This is a general inspection and not an expertise. In his pre-purchase report, the building expert indicates the order of seriousness of the deficiencies and mentions the maintenance work and urgent repairs to be made.
In summary, even 20 years later, you can be held responsible for a construction defect that affects a property you sold. If in doubt, consult an expert.
The buyer, who has good knowledge of construction, should have spotted clues such as saw cuts, poorly installed piping, the absence of a non-return valve, or he should have called a pre-purchase inspector considering the advanced age of the house.
As for condominiums, the building condition certificate allows the professional to correctly estimate the amount that must be reserved for major repairs to the common portions of the building. This estimate is known as the “provident fund”.
As for condominiums, the building condition certificate allows the professional to properly estimate the amount that must be reserved for major repairs to the common areas of the building. This estimate is recognized as the contingency fund.
To determine if the attic of the house can be modified into a habitable room, the structure must be analyzed by a structural engineer. In fact, there are several factors to take into consideration before determining whether the project is feasible or not.
Water that infiltrates – towards the rear of the exterior covering – must not come into contact with the wooden structure. For this, there must be an air and weather barrier membrane that blocks the passage of water.
The basement of the house is the space most exposed to water infiltration. It is possible for there to be water infiltration without the owner being aware of the existence of this problem when the basement is finished.
The role of the building envelope is to protect the occupants from the external environment and to ensure thermal comfort for them. Unfortunately, external natural elements (sun, wind, rain, snow, etc.) as well as pollution affect the envelope and cause, over time, the deterioration of the components of this envelope.
The building condition certificate constitutes a visual inspection and corresponds to a “health check” of the building: it notes the quality of the building, at a specific moment. It makes it possible to determine the corrective or renovation work necessary to maintain the building in a satisfactory and safe condition for the occupants.
In general, foundation walls are made of concrete blocks or poured concrete and are not reinforced or not reinforced enough (steel reinforcement) to be able to resist high lateral loads from the ground.
Normally, it is possible to remove a non-bearing wall without causing structural problems to the building. However, in some cases, the non-loadbearing wall can become loadbearing in a deficient structure and then the removal of that wall can cause serious structural problems.
The formation of an ice barrier, on the edge of the sloped roof of a house, is a symptom of the presence of significant problems in the components of the building's attic. The main problem with ice buildup, at the edge of the roof, happens to be thermal losses (heat loss) from the house to the attic. The heat warms the roof and melts the snow that has accumulated on the roof. Then, the water trickles down the roof and – when it reaches the cold section of the roof that goes beyond the attic – the water freezes and forms an ice dam at the edge of the roof.
The delamination of the concrete in the structural slabs [indoor parking slabs for a condo building or the slabs of the outdoor terraces or balconies] is a significant problem that can lead to the replacement of this structural component.
It is very important, when buying a building, to be aware of the type of foundations and have them checked by a structural engineer. We recommend that potential buyers carefully read the pre-purchase report and carry out the appraisals recommended by the inspector before buying.
During my practice, I made expertises where I discovered completely rotten load-bearing walls and the superimposed structure was collapsed in a significant way. The cause of this problem was due to a high water table under the house. As a result, the slab on ground was very wet.
Efflorescence on the bricks: the expert can observe efflorescence on the surface of the facing (white spots). These stains are, in fact, deposits of mineral salts which are driven by the migration of water from the interior of the building envelope to the exterior surface. The noticeable presence of these white spots indicates that there is a problem with the sealing of the outer casing and that the materials are damp.
The seat rail plays an important role in the structure of a building, because this element forms the link between the wooden structure and the foundation walls. In other words, the seat rail attaches the wooden structure to the foundation walls. By definition, it is a piece of frame anchored to the level (top) of the foundations and on which the floor joists rest.
In residential buildings, the wooden structure rests on the level (top) of the foundation walls. This structure located at the level of the foundation walls is composed of a sill plate fixed directly against the foundation walls with anchor bolts. This is to ensure the lateral stability of the building structure.
The ground floor is made up of joists or wooden joists that rest on beams. The latter rest on wooden or steel columns, while the columns rest on reinforced poured concrete footings. Sometimes, especially in crawl spaces, the main beam rests on rocks.
In general, the buildings of the 1900s contain massive brick walls which are composed of several rows of bricks forming an integral structural body thanks to the header. By definition, the latter are rows of bricks installed opposite to each other to create adequate ties between the rows of bricks.
The plank buildings (planks of planks) built in the early 1900s have a solid wood frame. The plank walls contain vertical elements and horizontal lintels as well as infill elements. The thickness of the planks can be either 2 or 3 inches.
Many people dream of renovating their kitchen, including installing an island with a granite countertop. It is after installing an island and ceramic flooring that homeowners realize that the kitchen floor has sagged or that cracks have appeared in the finish of the floor.
One of the major problems of water infiltration in houses is the infiltration of water in the basement at the junction between the foundation rail and the foundation wall. Before discussing the possible causes of this problem, it is necessary to understand the components of the envelope and the structure at the base of the brick wall.
