Ask The Builder

Buying a house is a lifetime investment whether you are a first time buyer or expanding to accommodate your growing family. I would like to give you some highlights on things that you need to know about your future home no matter whether you are buying from a Master Builder or a Beginner Builder. Ask the builder about the following:

  • Ask the builder if they have conducted a soil test to determine the type of foundation required and size of footing of your house. The soil test is an essential procedure to determine the concentration of soluble soil sulphate (major contributor to foundation wall cracks) and the type of concrete recommended accordingly. Soil Test is not a common practice for most of the builders.
  • Ask the builder what type of support he used on their home's garage & walkway slab. Concrete or screw piles are the most common used to prevent wide cracks and separation due to a ground settlement event.
  • Ask the builder about the source of your hardwood floor, if applicable. Canadian hardwood can resist dry and cold weather climate in comparison to others.
  • Ask the builder if a minimum required offset has been maintained between the exhaust fan roof register and the nearby roof valley. Trades common mistake to do so can increase the chances to roof ice damming caused by heavy snow in winter.
  • Ask the builder if they have any quality control & quality assurance (QC/QA) measurements in place for trades upon work completion. Trades are humans and humans make mistakes, and can lead to major problems if left unnoticeable

"At Arcadia Homes, we don't only worry about meeting the minimum requirements of the Alberta Building Code. In fact we exceed these safety requirements by conducting QC/QA on each trade before leaving the site and accept the work. We call our homes engineered and we mean it. You can depend on Arcadia Homes for your future home."

-- F. Hanna, P.Eng (The President)