My job is to find problems. I spend a few hours at a house making a list of what is wrong, and why it is wrong. Many items make it to my list on the merit that, while it may be acceptable, it could be better. Sometimes the listworthy items are things that don’t conform to today’s safety expectations. At least once a week I get an argument from an interested party that an item shouldn’t be included in my report because it is “grandfathered.”
I know what the people mean when they say it’s grandfathered, I just don’t understand them. The assumption is that if the item was approved when the house was built it must be okay, or that the item has stood the test of time and likely won’t cause a problem. Let’s take a closer look at both of these arguments:
Okay then, must be okay now: This is the most common point of view regarding grandfathering. I get this mostly on older homes. The arguer (usually the homeowner) tells me that the (insert issue here) was allowed by the building code at the time of construction. How the homeowner became an expert on historical building code interpretation and enforcement remains a mystery me, and I have done my best to take every course available on the subject. While my position as a home inspector does not call for me to inspect for code compliance, I am quite familiar with the Ontario Building Code and will rely upon it often as a reference. (for the record: the building code compliance is not a mark of excellence. the building code is the absolute bare minimum level to which you can build a home without breaking the law)
My reply to the historical argument of grandfathering is that we, as a society, have managed to constantly evolve our level of safety. I can remember as a kid people smoking inside the doctors office (quite often the doctor himself), asbestos and vermiculite insulation were okay, lead paint was fine, kids toys were full of sharp pointy bits (I accidentally took my own tonsils out with a Tinker Toy… a story for another time), and seatbelts were a personal preference.Thankfully, we have learned from our mistakes and become a better, safer, more responsible society.
When I make a recommendation that an item be brought up to modern standards, it is by no means an order. I am not an enforcement official, I work as a consultant on behalf of my client to point out the issues with the home. While an item may not have been required when the home was built, and may not be required now, it may be a safer, more practical, or more efficient to update it. Even though a railing may not have been required around the raised porch in 1953 when the house was built, someone may still break their leg if they accidentally fall off of it in 2008.
Hasn’t caused a problem yet: This is nearly ubiquitous defense of bad wiring. Many older homes around here have Knob and Tube wiring. There have been countless studies done on the safety of Knob and Tube (I’m happy to send you some if you like, let me know) and it is almost unanimously agreed: the stuff is old, outdated, obsolete should be replaced. Even if the K&T is in pristine condition (which it probably isn’t), it was still considered obsolete before I was born.
Okay, I’m getting off topic, we can discuss K&T later. My point being: regardless of whether or not an issue has caused a problem yet, it still may in the future. Just because no one has fallen down the stairs that don’t have a railing or the K&T hasn’t started a fire yet doesn’t mean that the potential doesn’t exist. Try to think of every house that had ever burnt down due to an electrical fire. The day before the blaze the homeowner could have rightfully said that the wiring hasn’t caused a problem yet.
So, the next time I tell you that there is an issue with the home, please understand that I am doing it with your best interests in mind. Should you have any questions about an issue in your home, please feel free to contact me by phone (519-818-9701 / 1-877-37MANOR), by email (brad@manorhome.ca) or via my website (www.manorhome.ca). I would be more than happy to discuss any items that need to brought up to date, heck we can even talk about your grandfather if you want 
Thanks for reading, I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, I remain your Windsor Ontario home inspector.
-Brad
