Lead-based paint in the home poses the most serious contamination hazard to health. It may have been used outdoors until 1990. Lead service entrances are the second source of danger to occupants of buildings constructed before 1970.

Carpenter ants affect buildings by attacking wood. As they prefer damp, rotten wood, their presence may indicate a problem with moisture or decaying wood structures. The queen of the colony has a life expectancy of 17 years!

Due to the bad publicity given to the Poly-B™ product, the manufacturers ceased its production in 1995. The KITEC™ system replaced it until 2007. Although no case of breakage has been reported in Quebec, the Kitec™ is a serious problem; Several insurers do not want to know anything about it.

You won’t see any «Knob and Tube» wiring in newer homes, but if your home was built in 1950 or before, take a look in the basement.

For some, oil heating is indeed a sustainable solution. However, the contamination that the 40,000 abandoned tanks in Quebec can cause is a real “time bomb” for new buyers.

Asbestos fibers are flexible, durable and resistant to high temperatures. They can be used as insulation to reduce heat or noise. Buildings constructed or renovated between 1930 and 1990 may contain it.

Since the early 1980s, Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation has been banned in Canada due to its negative health effects. There are still many houses whose walls contain UFFI.

Mold thrives in any condition subject to humidity (water infiltration, condensation, etc.). They are found on walls, ceilings, windows, floors, insulation and coating of air ducts and, in the basement.

Iron ocher is the result of a bacteria that occurs naturally in the soil and manifests itself as a reddish, viscous, foul-smelling sludge. There may be no visual or physical signs to suggest its presence.

Both are of mineral origin and affect the concrete of a building. Pyrite is present in the backfill used under the concrete slabs of basements and garages. Pyrrhotite blackened in air. It is present in the aggregate used in the composition of the concrete of the foundations.