Steve Irvine's Home Sweet Home Inspections Inc.

Steve Irvine's Home Sweet Home Inspections Inc. Perform home inspections for real estate purchasers, vendors and warranty inspections on new homes.

01/31/2026

From an article I wrote for A Taste of the Kawarthas magazine several years ago (they have a great cookbook online as well).

I’ve been inspecting homes for almost 20 years. Sometimes there are problems from the builder. I saw a metal 14 foot turret roof framed with 2” x 6” boards supported by a 2” x 3” truss board. No nails, no fasteners. A good wind and it’s coming down. These mistakes from builders happen, but are fortunately not common. Much more often it’s the “Harry homeowner” repairs that cause bigger problems. Some mistakes are just a lack of knowledge and some are just overly brave. My favourites are the ridiculously silly repairs that temporarily work. I saw a Band-aide repair on a sink. A real Band-aide! It wasn’t leaking yet, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I’ve had people rave about a completely open concept basement. My first thought was, who took out all the posts and why is this house still standing. On the bright side, I knew why all the floors sloped toward the stairs in the middle of the house. On a regular basis I see grading higher than the foundation. It’s always easier to add gardens or walkways without removing the dirt below, than to dig and have to get rid of waste. The problem is that the connection from the foundation to the wood framing is a potential leak spot. I often see water coming over the foundation and into the basement. There should always be at least 3 inches (7.6 cm for the not old like me) of foundation visible at the exterior of the house to prevent this from happening. Home owner electrical repairs can be scary and dangerous.
Small problems can cause big repairs over time. Less than 100% knowledge usually leads to less than 100% results. If you don’t know what you are doing, research well before you start. Otherwise hire a good contractor.
Poor repairs lower the value of your house. Protect your equity.

01/29/2026

Is it worth inspecting an apartment?

Your buying a condominium apartment and thinking why pay for an inspection. In an apartment building the only part you own is inside the unit. Everything else is usually the condominium company's responsibility. If the unit is relatively new and has not had any renovations your liability is obviously reduced and you may decide not to inspect. If this is not the case, an inspection is a good choice. Since the roof, exterior, structure and insulation are not being looked at the inspector's liability is reduced. Prices should reflect that. If the unit has had renovations or it is older than 10 years, an inspection is a good idea.
The largest problems come from renovations, plumbing and heating. Renovations, especially recent ones, should always be inspected. You have no idea how good the renovation is. Looks can be deceiving. If the unit has baseboard heaters, they are relatively inexpensive to replace. If there is a furnace, it's a good idea to have it inspected.
Plumbing inspections include finding any possible leaks, making sure the toilets are secured and working, finding the shut-off valves are probably the best reasons for an inspection. Do you know where inline dryer lint filters are & when to clean them?
If you don't feel like an inspection is necessary, that's your call. Just remember it's only a few hundred dollars to make sure you have a good investment.

Sometimes you hire a contractor and expect them to do a proper repair. Sometimes the contractor doesn't realize the impa...
09/17/2025

Sometimes you hire a contractor and expect them to do a proper repair. Sometimes the contractor doesn't realize the impact of not doing proper work.
This attic had the shingles replaced about 10 years ago. The insulation was upgraded to about R50. The roofer put vents on both sides of the peak.
The air is supposed to draw from the soffits (the overhang between the exterior walls and the gutters) and exhaust through the top vents. This cycles the air in your attic.
With vents on both sides of the peak, the air comes in one side and goes out the other. The attic air doesn't draw from the soffits. You get excess heat in the attic during the winter.
This causes mold in the attic. Remediation of this will be about $6 - $8K.
When you replace your shingles ensure your roofer doesn't make this mistake.

The owners insisted there had never been a leak. It has definitely leaked. No external repairs & old clay tile weepers. ...
06/03/2025

The owners insisted there had never been a leak. It has definitely leaked. No external repairs & old clay tile weepers. A downspout was discharging underground right there.

06/03/2025

From an article I wrote for my sister's magazine

I’ve been inspecting homes for almost 20 years. Sometimes there are problems from the builder. I saw a metal 14 foot turret roof framed with 2” x 6” boards supported by a 2” x 3” truss board. No nails, no fasteners. A good wind and it’s coming down. These mistakes from builders happen, but are fortunately not common. Much more often it’s the “Harry homeowner” repairs that cause bigger problems. Some mistakes are just a lack of knowledge and some are just overly brave. My favourites are the ridiculously silly repairs that temporarily work. I saw a Band-aide repair on a sink. A real Band-aide! It wasn’t leaking yet, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I’ve had people rave about a completely open concept basement. My first thought was, who took out all the posts and why is this house still standing. On the bright side, I knew why all the floors sloped toward the stairs in the middle of the house. On a regular basis I see grading higher than the foundation. It’s always easier to add gardens or walkways without removing the dirt below, than to dig and have to get rid of waste. The problem is that the connection from the foundation to the wood framing is a potential leak spot. I often see water coming over the foundation and into the basement. There should always be at least 3” of foundation visible at the exterior of the house to prevent this from happening. Home owner electrical repairs can be scary and dangerous.
Small problems can cause big repairs over time. Less than 100% knowledge usually leads to less than 100% results. If you don’t know what you are doing, research well before you start. Otherwise hire a good contractor.

This is why you look in the attic. Somebody removed the bricks for attic access. The bricks are separated from the brick...
03/31/2025

This is why you look in the attic.
Somebody removed the bricks for attic access. The bricks are separated from the brick ties. If this wall fell, I wouldn't want to be in the entrance area below. The drywall would not stop the bricks.
The GTA does have some small earthquakes, maybe 3 or 3.5. That could be enough to topple the bricks.
Make sure you hire a qualified inspector.

My all-time favourite ridiculous Harry homeowner "band-aid repair".
03/30/2025

My all-time favourite ridiculous Harry homeowner "band-aid repair".

03/30/2025

Purchasing a home is, for most people, the largest investment you will make in your life. Very often you have only seen the home for a short period of time and have been concentrating on the layout and feel of the house. It is impossible to properly assess the overall condition of the house in this manner. You would not buy a car without a mechanical inspection, so why would anyone purchase a home without a professional home inspection. It is important to know what you are purchasing. A Home Sweet Home Inspection will leave you with that understanding and much more.

We encourage you to attend the inspection for the greatest impact. It gives you the opportunity to visually see and have explained to you what is identified in your report. This is especially important for 1st time buyers. It will leave you feeling much more familiar with the components of you home, which you will appreciate long after you have taken possession.

A detailed visual inspection usually takes 1-1/2 to 2 hours or longer, depending on the age and square footage of the house. It is recommended that you schedule your inspection so that you can be present to ask questions and observe any areas requiring maintenance or repairs.

At Home Sweet Home Inspection Reports Limited, our focus is strictly on home inspections. Get in touch with us today. We operate throughout the Southern Ontario area.

03/25/2025

I wrote an article for a magazine several years ago. Thought I would share one.

Woke up this morning with a text from my sister Karen asking for this months column. Procrastination gives me no fears. Karen sometimes. Nice day so I took off for a ride to buy accessories for my new motorcycle (yeah, I'm that kind of idiot). Spent more than I should have and less than I wanted and headed home. Riding a motorcycle somehow makes you feel more connected with the world. You talk to people more and weirdly assume you will be accepted.
Saw a house with an obviously sagging roof line. Enough that it made me look twice. What really caught my attention was the two guys having a seriously animated conversation on the front lawn. The engineer in me made me want to stop, The former bouncer in me said park at the end of the driveway and ask respectfully if I could help. I told them I'm a home inspector with an engineering degree. One guy was REALLY happy, the other “not so much”. Asked what was up and was told a wall had been removed. Not only was the roof sagging, but the exterior walls were bowed out right where the sag was. The contractor (the “not so much guy”) stated that there were trusses in the attic, so the walls weren't important. They were obviously load bearing walls and this contractor had made a big mistake! I asked if there were permits. The contractor said they weren't necessary and expensive. Somewhere around $500 to have a city official say you have a proper renovation can not only save you money, but can remove any doubts when you sell.
Left a card and some explicit recommendations, the first being hire an engineer before you remove structure. I assume another engineer will get a nice payday or, if they pay me, I get a nice fee for court testimony. Home inspectors can't work on what we inspect. Big conflict of interest. Insurance companies do not approve.
Permits are required for any structural change. Yes you can sue later, but it's usually much cheaper to find out before.
I love riding my bike. You never know how the day will go.

Steelhead vs Petes!
03/21/2025

Steelhead vs Petes!

The current owners got a listing inspection done.The wall has a distinct lean to it. The deck is attached to the wall. T...
03/20/2025

The current owners got a listing inspection done.
The wall has a distinct lean to it. The deck is attached to the wall. The cracks in the bricks are indicating lateral movement. This is a serious problem.
Hire a home inspector that takes the time to get it right.
Available 7 days a week.
905-867-8868

03/02/2025

Welcome to caulk 101! I'm sharing my best caulking tips for a job well done. What to use, when to use it, and tricks to apply it with ease.

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37 Eastbourne Drive
Brampton, ON
L6T

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