Inside Edge Home Inspections Ltd.

https://www.ieinspections.ca/blog/are-rain-gutters-required
The rainy weather we are experiencing today in Nova Scotia and the upcoming wet Spring season around the corner have motivated be to re-write this older blog post. Now that I have inspected many more homes, while I have updated the information I still agree that rain gutters are a critical line of defense for protecting a home against expensive moisture damage.

Are Rain Gutters Required? A Halifax, NS home inspector looks at whether rain gutters are really necessary in Nova Scotia.

Look at what we received from InterNACHI recently. Hard to believe we are just weeks away from celebrating 5 years in business as an InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector!

A big thank you to our clients for allowing us to provide high quality, independent home inspection services in and around Halifax, Nova Scotia. Here's to 5 more so we can get that 10 year pin!

I see plenty of articles online about electrical balancing but they are generally full of jargon and hard, if not impossible for the average homeowner to understand. This is my attempt to make the subject of electrical load balancing relatable to the average person, whose knowledge about electrical is generally limited to the basics.

In other words, this is my attempt to further highlight how dangerous DIY electrical work can be and how homeowners (even experienced and educated ones like yours truly) should never modify an electrical system.

The Danger of Unbalanced 120V Legs A home inspector based in Halifax, NS looks at another reason why DIY electrical work is a bad idea.

Here's an example of why you can't trust artificial "intelligence": I asked an AI program to create an image so I could explain how load balancing works to the average homeowner. This looks fine on the surface but is wrong in almost every way. Here are just a few examples:

1) Uninsulated ground wires are being used as hot wires.
2) The labels are wrong: the two "legs" appear to be the ground and neutral bars.
3) The "neutral" bar is using hot wires.
4) There is a mixture of copper and solid strand aluminum wire, a huge no-no.
4) Grounds and hots(!!) are mixed.
5) The top right circuit is double tapped.
6) One circuit is using a neutral wire that appears to be way oversized.
7) A "hot" and ground wire that are both uninsulated are in close contact. This would lead to a short circuit or arcing and a near guarantee of a fire.

It genuinely scares me that homeowners are using AI created diagrams like this to do DIY repairs. This setup would not only not work properly, but would lead to a house fire or electrocution if actually followed.

I am working on a blog post and thought an AI created image might help explain my point better. How wrong I was!

For those who haven't seen it, I was interviewed back in September about my experiences as a student of Dalhousie University's Home Inspection Certificate program. I am forever grateful for the high quality instructors and program managers who always challenged me to be my best and trust my skills and knowledge.

If you are looking to join the home inspection industry, I am always happy to offer my experiences and support.

Michael's path to becoming his own boss Meet Michael Burfitt, a working dad who proves that career development can unlock unexpected doors.

Happy Holidays! I have been under the weather so wasn't able to get this out last week as planned, but wanted to share a personal happy Christmas memory that I now look back with a critical eye to the hidden dangers involved.

Xmas Memories, Revisited with an Inspector's Eye A Halifax, NS home inspector looks back at a happy Christmas memory with a critical eye.

Today I decided to write about a growing trend I have observed: homes with an excessive amount of air fresheners, especially in the basement. There's nothing wrong with small or occasional use of them but they are simply a bandage to cover up underlying issues rather than actually eliminating the source of the problem.

Air Fresheners are Not a Solution A Halifax, NS home inspector discusses his recent experiences of finding excessive air fresheners during recent home inspections.

Happy Fall! While the season brings crisp air, brightly coloured leaves and maybe even some light snow, it is also prime season for mice to try to enter your home. This month's blog post covers a few quick tips on how to keep mice outside where they belong.

Why Autumn is Mouse Season A Nova Scotia home inspector looks like why the fall is when homeowners should be on high alert for mice.

This is a blog post that could have easily put everyone to sleep so I made sure to keep it brief. The bottom line is that finding the age of a home appliance should be very simple but is made needlessly complicated and cryptic.

Decoding an Appliance Age A home inspector in Halifax, NS looks at some examples of how to decode a serial number to determine an appliance's age.

No I am not an expert, nor are all home inspectors. I wrote this blog post to present the truth: while very knowledgeable and a source of valuable information, we are generalists and we simply don't know everything there is to possible know about all types of homes.

Deferring to a specialist is not a sign of weakness but a sign of an inspector who knows their limits.

Not an Expert? What Gives? A Halifax, NS home inspector explains why he never uses the term "expert".

❄️ Snow? In July? Believe it!

This photo was taken July 5, 2025 right here in Halifax, Nova Scotia and it’s 100% real, no filters or edits.

How is that possible in the middle of summer where the outdoor temperature was 28 Celcius (that's 82 Fahrenheit for my American followers)? Simple: it’s the snow shaved off the ice by the Zamboni inside the arena, dumped just outside the doors.

Just a little reminder that sometimes what you see can surprise you and it’s always worth looking beyond the surface! 🏒☀️