Saving a Buck or Two

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Saving a Buck or Two

In my never ending search to find new life forms on this planet, I have discovered the Idious renofool. This new life form is extremely pervasive, existing within meters of everyday Homo sapiens and their abodes. Idious renofool is growing at a surprising rate and will be declared an epidemic. A hostile takeover.

Having first hand knowledge of the buying habits of some home renovators, I am concerned. What the H *** are you guys doing?? People are in the midst of renovation season, getting ready for Christmas and sharing their homes with friends and relations.  But they are in for a rude surprise. Being a certified gasfitter in the Province of Alberta, I am questioning what some home renovators are doing.

Some plumbing is pretty basic, worst case scenario being a broken or frozen water pipe, or maybe some water leaks from improper connections with ABS pipe. Standard job results of people who think they can save a buck or two. But there is something more severe going on in the home owner renovation scenario. People think they are now gasfitters and are attempting to install furnaces, venting, fireplaces and more, without proper expertise.

In my short experience in the retail marketplace of home renovations, people have been doing the most STUPID things ever. I had a conversation with a home renovator specialist who is installing vent pipe for a space heater in several homes. Situation is as follows: The space heater is in an attached garage, the vent pipe is single wall black vent and improper for the appliance. Not only is this “home renovation specialist” installing this vent pipe, but he is installing the pipe without clearance from combustible material, like the garage walls,  and protruding the vent pipe three feet out the side of the garage. Okay, Mr. or Mrs. Homeowner, you saved a buck or two, but now your home insurance is invalid in case of a fire. Did you get a permit? Did you get a certified gasfitter? No, you saved some money, which could come back and haunt you.

Another situation is with an individual who decided that the permits are not needed and in case of a problem “I’ll deal with it when it happens” mentality. They have a nice fireplace inside a beautiful home, with three small problems. First problem, the home owner installed the gas line by coupling, copper, bushed galvanized steel and flexible hose. Secondly, they installed single wall vent, black, through the ceiling and through the roof. Thirdly, they never got a permit. Well, I will give you four months and hear on TV that a house burned down from a faulty chimney. Your home insurance company will say “Was it inspected?” and “Where is the permit?” OOOOOPS! Nothing! Oh, go to the poor house and do not stop at GO. Your insurance is invalidated.

I know there are people who install electrical lighting in their basements using speaker wire. There are others who make their own “B” vents and use plastic pipe for gas. Some have even spoken to me about putting a sewage vent pipe in the wall and not venting it. Short sighted, short minded and short lived people ready to harm future buyers.

Sure you guys want the projects done as reasonably priced as possible, and yes, the plumbers and gasfitters are busy, but do you really want to shortchange your safety? Get your act together, talk to people in the know, get your permits and have a safe home.

On a similar note, what about the apartment building owner, who decided to cook half a pig over his hot water heating boiler. He stripped the sides of his boiler, turned up the heat and was slow cooking the meaty morsel. His insurance took a nose dive when he was reported and the tenants were told to vacate this place.  But that is another story, as there are 1,000,000 stories like this in the City of Edmonton.

Watch out for Idious renofool. They turn up everywhere.