26 Replies to “Renegade Regulator”

  1. The guy doing the narrative keeps referring to the “plywood”. It ain’t plywood by a long shot. Also would be helpful if he’d just stop chewing on his chewing gum while he speaks. Very unprofessional. As unprofessional as the garbage construction he’s reviewing.

  2. Yeah, that’s a way worse than what the CSA did…
    He’s probably racist as well.

  3. Very poor job of videography. Reminded me of the old SCTV stunt of rapidly zooming the lens in and out to do their fake “3D” shtick. Funny in a comedy show; very unprofessional in what purports to be a serious document.
    And the guy cutting the strandboard sheathing with a portable circular saw at the very limit of his reach, and no safety glasses? I’m sure that’s compliant with workplace safety regulations.
    The point being, if one is going to make a video document showing bad building practices, make sure that the video doesn’t also show bad practice on one’s own part. Why give the opposition a lever to use against you?

  4. Forget the Video…. The point is the person purchased a CSA certified home…. Not Compliant…

  5. If you want something done right, build it yourself. Siding and drywall are used to cover up mistakes.
    What is the CSA’s protocol? Do they certify the producer based on a one-time inspection and never return to do a spot-check?

  6. I understand they certify the Plant and all the Materials. They preform quarterly audits of documents and physical inspections.

  7. The guy used the term “Insolation Stops”. Correct term is “FIRE Stops” and they have none. (Prevents a fire from quickly reaching the roof). Plywood = chipboard… Shabby wiring that never would have passed the preliminary Electrical inspection (fully exposed before any covering or drywall).
    Different States have different “Staged” Inspections required before the build (construction) can proceed to the next level. It is obvious that didn’t happen…
    I am not a construction professional, but I have done all the permitting/drawings & completed all the inspections of my own additions in NJ & AZ. I “think” I have some understanding of the codes
    JMHO

  8. The CSA Certification Label is to assure the local municipality the Home meets the Building Code in their area.

  9. And the guy cutting the strandboard sheathing with a portable circular saw at the very limit of his reach, and no safety glasses?
    Yeah, and no hard hat to keep the bird droppings off his head…it’s for his own good. Just like seat belts and all the other rules and regulations the nannies are so fond of…all made and enforced by CSA-like nannies for our own good.
    And, I’ll bet, every defender of these ‘for your own good’ regs is making coin from them…they’re all good at making ‘professional’ boring orientation videos…always follow the money.
    No shortage of parasites.

  11. Philip, I don’t think NJ is cold enough to require insulation stops, aka baffles or troughs. In the north to prevent ice dams forming at the eaves insulation stops about 3 feet long are stapled to the underside of the roof sheathing at the eaves. A vented soffit is also used as is sufficient venting at or near the ridge. The insulation stops are trough-like and allow air to flow from the soffits to the ridge vent and out. This airflow keeps the roof at the same temperature from top to bottom edge. If the insulation stops are not there, insulation touching the underside of the sheathing will prevent airflow, the snow will melt on the roof and the meltwater will run downward and hit the cold area over the eaves and freeze creating an ice dam. If this happens often enough water will pool above the ice dam and flow under the shingles causing a ‘leak’ in the middle of winter. Here’s a pic…
    http://www.doityourself.com/stry/installing-attic-insulation-baffles#.U8lsVCiGfTo

  12. Strad, imagine, if you will, that this video were to be introduced into court as evidence of shoddy workmanship on the part of the builder. How long do you think it would take the builder’s lawyer to use the boo-boos in the video to raise questions about the competence of the contractor doing the inspection?
    I basically agree with you about the nanny state and all the picayune safety regulations, but if you are to make a video of yourself and your employees working, and post it publicly on a website, it just might be a smart tactic to make sure you don’t leave yourself open to criticism for bad work practices.
    In other words, don’t pick your nose while the camera’s rolling.

  13. The courts are the ultimate in picayune regulations. Why take it to court when the court of public opinion works so much better?
    Which is exactly what is being done here…’unprofessional’ as it may be…shaming works. The modern version of the stocks.

  14. Great Feed back!!! No offence taken.
    The reality of Video was strictly to document the disassembly of the home. The gum is juicy fruit!!!We were in total disbelief that we had millions of dollars of CSA labeled homes that were worthless…imagine spending 3 million and finding out American Kraft baked insulation was used which added up to 3 vapor Barriers and is not CCMC certified. No vapor barrier in ceiling or vapor boots around electrical. Mold will occur. The video is strictly evidance… Further more CSA was not accredited by the Standards Council of Canada to Certify Modular Home Factories in North America. (2002-2010) since they were not accredited by SCC for 8 years no audits oF CSA practices had taken place thus why their are Homes like this all over Canada.
    Think about this????
    You are in the Market for a home……most likely your biggest investment you will ever make…… Buy a home with a CSA A-277 label stating it meets the Canadian Minimum building code… And you get what’s in the video and no one cares( CSA ,SCC James Moore and on) YOU ARE PERSONALLY BANKRUPT!!!
    If you can imagine we have given CSA and SCC over 4 Years to Currect the situation.!!
    We have 5 years of information to Share with Canadians!!
    Re store CSA !!!!!
    In closeing!!!!!!
    Do the math on non CERTIFIED HOMES in Canada!!!!

  15. Was this in the Saskatoon area Dan?
    Quite an eyeopener, I’ve never worked in the Saskatoon area, only Regina & Calgary and I’ve seen similar quality, more so in some surrounding rural areas.
    Document everything. Take photos of all your work. In the towers I’ve been involved with in Calgary, we regularly see photographers enter all areas and photograph the trade’s work. All of it.

  16. Saskatoon and Alberta. We have many Homes in Original State…….. for evidance.

  17. But you do not understand.
    CSA is all about employment for our appointed royalty.
    How dare you question their ethics and work.
    Its shut up and pay the state bribe.
    I mean fee.
    It is for your safety don’t you know…
    Think of the children..
    We may return government to a sane level, but only after we hang quite a few.
    The burning question.. How do you negotiate with a parasite?

  18. “Philip, I don’t think NJ is cold enough to require insulation stops, aka baffles or troughs. In the north to prevent ice dams forming at the eaves insulation stops about 3 feet long are stapled to the underside of the roof sheathing at the eaves. A vented soffit is also used as is sufficient venting at or near the ridge”
    We use the same solutions to vent (cool) the attic in summer. A couple of Temp Controlled venting fans dump the heat build-up, especially in the evening, which really helps Air conditioning.
    The buildup of ice dams at the leading edge of the roof is solved by Storm seal..3′ of a rubberized material installed under the shingles, also used in valleys…I have also bought it in Canada to properly seal Sky lights…
    Unfortunately we don’t share the same terminology. Eve-troughs are Gutters etc.. My Fire stops are framing issues that must be addressed “before” installing insulation.
    Regards,

  19. It’s still better quality of work than what passes inspection in Vancouver these days. Labour from the 3rd world will always build to 3rd world standards.

  20. Philip, there are different terms used in different provinces to describe the same thing so between different countries can be just as bad, i.e. you call it storm seal I call it ice shield. In Ontario a fire stop is defined as a horizontal member between studs on a balloon framed house at the floor/ceiling juncture, to prevent fire from quickly spreading upwards inside the wall to the storey above. Since this is a one storey house, fire stops would not be required by the Ontario Building Code. I guess the Ontario bureaucrats don’t care if the roof burns.

  21. Sorry Phillip, but he used the correct term even if pronounced incorrectly. The ‘insulation stop’ is just that, a ‘stop’ so that the blown insulation material, either cellulose or fibreglass, does not fall into or get sucked via negative air pressure into the soffit space. fire stops are only required between in this instance at the top and bottom of the wall cavity and are there in the form of the top and bottom plates of the wall framing. One of the reasons built-in bulkheads above kitchen cabinets were discontinued was the difficulty in maintaining the fire separation (besides, they are ugly).

  22. Sorry Marc, but those blue things in the picture are baffles to allow air to flow to the attic from the soffit venting. Still need insulation stops wherever there isn’t a baffle.
    This insulation job is one of the worst I have ever seen and one of the reasons I distrust factory built homes. The theory is nice (dry climate controlled work space , but like communism, in practice it seldom works as intended due to lack of independent inspectors. Not to mention that very few seem to understand insulation, vapour barriers or air barriers. If they did, house wraps would be off the market or would only be allowed to be applied the day they are to be covered.

  23. That was brutal! Defiantly shoddy workmanship and materials. Probably get a better product by hiring the local high-school shop class (if they still teach shop). Valid point though is the safety issues/practices of the demolition crew. That is as bad as the crap that was passed off as CSA Approved. As Mike Holmes would say “Make it right.”

  26. “In other words, don’t pick your nose while the camera’s rolling”
    Exactly, if this was a YouTube special, ok, but not something if you are making a point.
    The guy cutting above his head with no saftey glasses or such, well maybe you can do it, but remember if you are trying to present this as evidence, at least make sure all your ducks are in a row.
    The chewing gum didn’t help either.

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