An Update on Poly B in Edmonton

Poly B (Poly Butylene) water piping has gone back and forth between being accepted by insurance companies, to being uninsurable for many years. So where does it stand now? Here is everything you need to know to make an informed decision.

Why does Poly B fail?

Poly B piping is susceptible to degradation when exposed to certain chemicals commonly found in water, such as chlorine, as well as oxidants and ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight. This degradation can weaken the piping material, leading to brittleness, cracks, and eventual failure. Of course, these failures can result in massive water damages in a home.

I have personally seen Poly B fail several times in the last couple years, and am a firm believer that it should be replaced immediately to avoid future damages.

How do I know if a home has Poly B installed?

Luckily, Poly B is extremely easy to spot! It is a grey plastic pipe that was installed in homes during the 90’s. If you are having a hard time telling by color look at the writing on the side of the pipe, if you see Poly B written on it then you can be sure you’ve identified it correctly.

Can it be insured?

Yes, but mostly no. I have heard that some insurance companies will still provide home insurance (though at an increased rate), but most companies are now enforcing replacement.

What are the repair costs?

The quotes I have seen for this are never as bad as I think they are going to be and typically range in price from 3k to 8k depending on the size and complexity of the home. Quotes for this are easy to obtain, I advise reaching out to a plumber immediately so you have a solid number in mind.

Hopefully you found this useful! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need some clarification.

Compromised Window Seals

Compromised Window Seals are a Walrus of a Problem!

The goal of this post is to help you pick out compromised window seals in a home during the viewing process, as with a keen eye these can be easily spotted!

What is a compromised window seal?
A compromised window seal manifests as visible condensation or fogging between the panes of glass. This indicates that the insulating gas between the panes has escaped, reducing the window's energy efficiency and allowing moisture to enter between the panes of glass. This happens to all windows eventually, though due to manufacturing defects, we are seeing these more often in brand new windows.

What does a compromised window seal look like?

As you can see in the picture below, compromised window seals appear as fogginess or condensation buildup. Make sure you wipe your finger on the interior and exterior of the window glass first to rule out normal condensation. Most of the time in newer windows, it can be much harder to see and appears as a light fogginess only seen from a certain angle.

Windows are expensive! Are they under warranty?

Most window companies offer around a 10 year warranty on the glass itself, but only a 2 warranty on labor. This means that most of the time you will at least have to pay the labor for replacing the windows which can still be quite expensive. It is important to reach out to the previous owners or home builder to find out who installed them and find out the warranty details as soon as possible!

Can they just be repaired?

Unfortunately there is no repair for this, the entire window assembly (usually including the entire window frame) needs to be replaced.