EMERGENCIES
What do I do if the roof leaks or the plumbing leaks?
Tamarack offers an Emergency Service for these circumstances.
Call 613-526-7979 at any time.
KEYS
Where are my garage door keys?
In order to make your closing as convenient as possible for you, we have arranged that your keys will be available at the Sales Office Monday to Thursday from 3pm to 7pm on the day of closing. If your closing is on a Friday, your lawyer will be provided with information as to how to obtain your keys.
If your garage keys are not with your house keys, then they will be hanging in your garage on a nail by the door.
REPAIRS
I just moved in and the repairs from my Premove List are not complete. When will they be rectified?
Depending on the time between your premove date and your closing date, repairs may be in progress. A representative from Tamarack’s site office will contact you to set up appointments for the outstanding items. If parts need to be ordered, they may take several weeks to arrive. Follow up repairs will be added to your 30-Day Form.
I just moved in and noticed some items need to be fixed right away. They are not on my Premove List. Who do I call?
Call your service representative at 613-526-7979.
If I want to hire a Private Home Inspector, whom should I get?
Selecting a home inspector is an important decision. We suggest you to select someone registered with the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors (OAHI) who is trained and carries proper insurance. The OAHI sets qualification requirements, regulates its members and grants the “Registered Home Inspector” designation to qualified inspectors. Registered members of the OAHI have achieved the highest standard of training, education, and expertise in the home inspection industry. A list of qualified home inspectors is on their website at www.oahi.ca.
INTERIOR
Why are there gaps between the hardwood floorboards?
Hardwood is a natural wood product and changes in dimension with changes in humidity. Lower humidity levels may cause the boards to visibly shrink.
Why is there no air return duct in all the bedrooms?
The HVAC Contractor calculates the size and location of the supply ducts and air return vents after the floor plans are drawn up by the architect. The location and number of actually installed vents does not always correspond to what is shown on the architect’s floor plans.
Why are my windows full of moisture? There is ice forming along the bottom edge of the window.
If warm moist air inside the house comes in contact with the window glazing on a cold day, moisture may condense on the windowpane at the edges of the glass near the frame. On very cold days, the condensation may freeze, forming ice. You need to ensure moist air in your home is removed at its source. Run the HRV on high for 15 minutes after a shower and use the range hood when stovetop cooking to lower humidity levels. Refer to the section “Climate Control–Ventilation a nd Condensation” for more information.
Why are the hardwood boards puckering and showing ridges?
Hardwood is a natural wood product and expands in width when the environment is humid. If the boards do not have room to expand, they push upward with a visible pucker or cupping. Proper control of the indoor humidity levels will prevent this from happening.
Where can I get a set of plans or blueprints for my house?
Tamarack Developments does not provide working drawings or house plans. If you require this type of information, plans are available for your viewing at the sales office.
Why is there only one heat vent in this room? The floor plan we received shows two.
The HVAC Contractor calculates the size and location of the supply ducts and air return vents after the floor plans are drawn up by the architect. The location and number of actually installed vents does not always correspond to what is shown on the architect’s floor plans.
Why is moisture dripping down the inside of the basement foundation walls in the winter?
The new concrete walls in your basement contain high levels of moisture and they take up to two years to cure. The vapour barrier on the inside of the basement wall traps this moisture and sometimes causes it to build up on the inside of the floor joists. This will dissipate with time as the house dries out. Use a dehumidifier and proper ventilation to speed up this process.
EXTERIOR
Why has my front walkway sunk down a few inches after the snow melted?
This is due to the normal settlement of the backfill around the house. Tamarack will repair this type of settlement, once, at the time of the year-end service repairs. If your year-end repairs happen during a winter month, the repair will be delayed until the following spring.
The snow has melted and I noticed the sod is very lumpy. The landscapers have not rolled it since it was installed.
The lumps will even out when the frost is out of the ground. Avoid walking on wet sod and freshly installed sod. The landscapers roll sod once, immediately after it is installed.
When will the driveway be paved?
The backfill around the house needs time to settle. It is best to wait for close to a year before paving in order to avoid future settlement problems. Normally, driveway paving begins in the month of June each year and finishes by October.
When will the outside be painted?
Normally, exterior painting begins in late May. It may take some time until the exterior paint is complete on all homes that were built during the winter.
When will the trees be planted?
Ideally, trees are planted in spring or late fall for better survival.
FIREPLACE Why is the fireplace giving off a burning smell?
The burning smell is normal for a new fireplace. It is the oil left on the unit from the manufacturing process and it needs to burn off. The best thing to do is leave your fireplace on for six hours continuously to burn the oil off. You may need to open some windows to keep the smoke alarms from sounding.
The fireplace pilot light went out and I can’t get it to light.
The proper instructions for relighting the pilot light are located on a plate behind the lower grill of the fireplace.
FOUNDATION
Why has the front porch slab (basement floor slab, garage floor slab) cracked?
As the concrete cures and hardens, it shrinks and may crack. Settlement and changes in temperature also contribute to cracking. Generally cracks do not indicate a defect and do not require repair. Floor slabs are not a structural component of your home.
Why is the foundation cracked?
As is the case with floor slabs, concrete foundation walls crack as a result of shrinkage and/or settlement. Generally cracks do not indicate a defect, and do not leak. If you detect leakage at a foundation crack, contact the Service Department.
Why is the garage floor or porch floor starting to flake?
Salt, combined with the winter freeze/thaw cycles, can cause serious erosion to concrete surfaces. Most often the front edge of the garage floor is affected. It is important to keep these areas clean and to apply a suitable sealer to the concrete once a year to prevent salt damage.
ELECTRICAL
Why are the outside plugs not working?
The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) has probably tripped. The GFCI outlet is located by the front door or in the garage. Reset it by pushing the small reset button on the outlet. If the GFCI is not tripped, check the circuit breaker in the main electrical panel.
Why is the plug not working in the Main Bathroom or Ensuite Bathroom?
The GFCI in the Powder Room has probably tripped. The Reset button needs to be pushed to restore power to all three bathroom plugs.
Why is the ESA sticker on the breaker panel not signed?
Once the Final Electrical Inspection has passed, the ESA will forward the paperwork to Tamarack’s electrician. The sticker on the panel is not normally signed as part of this process.
