Ratcliffe Home Inspections

I want to apologize to anyone that has tried to contact me through Homestars. I have been a member for over a year, 14 months actually. In that time, I never received one response, contrary to the sites records! I had discussions with the Lady that started the business and sold it, but retained her President position about the quality of the service, to the point of her recommending my membership be cancelled, which I agreed with. Unfortunately, the staff are incapable of d...oing that. Today, I made 6 calls from my personal phone to ask for help. All 6 times, I was disconnected. I immediately called from my wife’s phone and got through to a real person immediately. And was then redirected to voice mail. I cannot and will not recommend anyone deal with Homestars. I was advised to have friends provide false reviews to improve my reputation and garner referrals. I am too honest to stoop to that level. Thank you for your faith in me! Your needs and trust are paramount and the truth has to be an integral part of any business. Respectfully, Sean Ratcliffe See more

This is not how a floor is to be tiled! When tiling, we use lines of site. In a very large room where a door is not close to another wall, it is acceptable to find the centre of the room and work from there and have cut tile on four walls. But in a small room, ie. bathroom, you use line of site. You use either an opposite wall or the wall closest to the door, if when you open the door and are looking straight down along a wall, and start with a full tile. And notice the two pictures of doorways. Prior to starting, this tiler, with 20 years experience, failed to verify his layout before setting his tile. He may have had 20 years experience, but clearly, quality and an understanding of aesthetics does not exist for him!

I want you to see two things that are both incorrect and done by a Certified Home Inspector. The first is a dishwasher drain connection. Rather then buying the proper connector, he purchased a temporary cap, cut a hole in it and wrapped it with duct tape and plastic tape. The potential for leakage and water damage is serious. Sadly, that was missed by another Home Inspector, paid to do a full inspection.. The second is the exhaust vent piping over a stove. He used two adjustable elbows. That is ok. Except he removed part of one. He then installed them upside down. The upper pipe is suppose to fit over the outside of the lower pipe. Instead,he cut slits in the ends and squeezed them in. Then duct taped and eventually when that failed, wrapped it in foil tape. I will post photos after things have been corrected.

I have been asked why I became a Home Inspector. The answer is easy. I know the poor quality of Inspections I have had done by fully qualified and certified Inspectors. I have seen their homes and seen what they except in their homes. So why would I expect a quality and thorough Inspection from them. Our industry is having standards created and Government Registration/Certification is o the horizon. My biggest fear is that the current crop of garbage inspectors, educated ...for $500, sometimes less, will be Grandfathered in. Education is vital. Our knowledge takes years to acquire. It takes a keen eye and a genuine interest in finding the good and bad in a home. I have been around home construction since I was a child. Studied architecture, HVAC/Solar in school. Was licensed in the State of Illinois as an Electrician. Trained in accident investigation and recreation. Created and was the Service Department for Four Seasons Toronto. Had my own home construction and renovation company. I have seen the shortcuts others have taken. I cringed when I realized Home Inspectors ignored those shortcuts on homes I have purchased. In our industry, there are Inspectors with zero experience in the construction industry. How do they know what they are seeing or what the possible cause could be? Yes I am new to our industry. But I have a wealth of knowledge and experience that allows me to see what others can’t or won’t. Beware any Inspector that offers an inspection in under 2 hours or is willing to slash his fees. Membership in the OAHI requires regular training. It ensures that we all keep updating our knowledge base and skills to our changing field.

So part of being a Home Inspector is education. I am in PEI this week learning quite a bit. The house we bought has a poured foundation. It does not go below frost line because it is classed as a cottage. We have a sump pump. Never would have expected that it isn’t connected to any weeping tiles. It isn’t connected because there are no weeping tile. Hot water heater was installed in the heated crawl space. Unfortunately, the plumber installed a cold water line directly ...overtop of the electrical junction box on the water heater. The cold water pipes sweat, dripping condensate on said junction box causing it to regularly trip. Not to mention that they couldn’t have installed the water heater further from where it is needed. So I enquired about a building permit to put an addition on the house. So in PEI they currently do not follow the National Building Code. So curious as I am, I asked about drawings, ie. how much detail and can I do them myself. Response was an eye opener. Show us on your drawing where the house will be on the lot. Show the outline. Include dimensions and how far you are from property lines. Also include where the well will be and the septic bed and tank. Thats it. Oh and since your house is a cottage, make sure to note that in your application. So from an education stand point, I learnt that in PEI, standards are quite a but different as are expectations.

Word of mouth will always be the best way to grow a new business and ensure friends get first hand knowledge of quality services and reliable experts. We want to thank everyone who shares us with their contacts who turn into a new customer. Thank you in advance for your support.