Monthly Archives: February 2010

Looking for an Open House in Toronto this Weekend?

Posted on February 27, 2010 by Steven

Looking For an Open House in Toronto?  Check out Realtor.ca (the public version of MLS) and do a search of open houses there. If you are looking for a home in a particular area, send an email to AskStevenSilva@gmail.com .  … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Buying, Real Estate | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Can I hire a Contractor Without WSIB?

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Steven

Can I hire a Contractor Without WSIB?  The short answer is yes. But Why would you want to?  This is the least I think you should know before you do.

Posted in Blog, Construction General, Home Tips, Q&A | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Tarion Part 1: Introduction to the Ontario New Home Warranty Program

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Steven

New Homes in Ontario basically fall under two categories. Homes built for personal use and Homes built for sale to customers. Both must meet Ontario Building Code but only New Homes built for customers fall under the New Home Warranty Program. In 1976 a Private Corporation was established to protect the rights of new home builders and new home buyers. This Corporation is known today as Tarion… Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Construction General, New Homes, Q&A, Real Estate | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Required Construction Documents:Don’t Forget to Ask for Proof of Insurance

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Steven

I was driving along today and came across this surprising scene. It made me think back to my previous discussions of required construction documents. Also, find out if the contractor has liability insurance.

Posted in Blog, Construction General, Home Tips, Q&A | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Inside an Old Electric Furnace

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Steven

Ever wonder about an electric Furnace? I found one in a basement during one of my home inspections. The green big thing at the bottom of the picture on the left is the blower. It sucks the air in and pushes up through the electric coils visible on the right. Electricity runs through the coils heating them up. As the air passes it picks up the heat and warms up. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Construction General, Q&A | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Required Construction Documents Part 3: Health and Safety Policy by Steven Silva

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Steven

The Health and Safety Policy Statement is all that is required. It is a one page document (usually part of their whole Health and Safety Program which is many pages long). Take a look at my Health and Safety Policy Statement. This is my current policy for my Construction/Consulting company. There are four things that I look for (as does the Ministry Of Labour) in order to make it valid. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Construction General, Q&A | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Realtor Steve on a Zoom-Boom

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Steven

Sunday I took a Zoom-Boom for a drive, moving it from one job site to another one job site close by. I could operate that forklift all day. I love those machines

Posted in Blog, Construction General | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Required Construction Documents Part 2: WSIB Clearance Certificate by Steven Silva

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Steven

Steven Silva’s Required Construction Documents Part 2: WSIB Clearance Certificate: Before I allow any construction contractor to work for me here in Ontario I would ask for a Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) clearance certificate in order to protect myself from potentially being sued. In cases where a contractor does not have WSIB coverage (and I require the services), I could contact WSIB and then holdback the amount required by WSIB from the contract and submit it to WSIB. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Construction General, Q&A | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Required Construction Documents Part 1: Registration Of Constructors (Form 1000) by Steven Silva

Posted on February 5, 2010 by Steven

Before I allow any contractor to work for me on a construction project here in Ontario, I require 3 Documents to be provided: Registration of Constructors (Form 1000), Copy of a WSIB clearance certificate, Copy of their Health and Safety Policy. I have allowed work to start without contracts, quotes/estimates, and even without references BUT the first three MUST be provided. As I tended to work with smaller contractors, except for the WSIB clearance certificate, they usually had no idea what all the other two were. They also tended to be surprised when I would ask for a WSIB clearance certificate up front. Over the next three blogs I will discuss each one and why I think each one is so important. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Construction General | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Furnace UV Filter

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Steven

I found this during my recent walk through a home. My client asked what that was. Oddly enough some one else asked me about them recently too. This is a UV Filter. They attach to the duct-work of a furnace. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Home Tips, Q&A, Real Estate | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment