Why is there moisture in the glass of my windows?

This is an indication of a broken thermal seal and a loss of gas from between the panes. The gas is what keeps the windows insulated as it does not conduct or transfer heat. The thermal seal that holds the gas degrades overtime, and air, along with moisture, can creep in between the window panes and create this effect.

Though this is not an urgent repair, as the window will still act as it should, the home will lose the added insulation against the outer elements. Doors and windows make up about half of a home’s heating and cooling needs, and insulated windows are just that one step closer to a more efficient energy system.

Why won’t Home Inspectors give repair costs or estimates?

This comes up a lot. It’s frustrating on both sides of the conversation. It’s easy to say “well, that’s just not what we do,”  but that is not a very satisfying answer to receive. So…what is the satisfying answer? There probably isn’t one, but in the Standards of Practice for Home Inspections in MA it clearly states in Section 6.06:(4) “Home Inspectors are prohibited from determining the repair cost of any item noted in the report or inspected by them and/or their firm.”  That’s it, that is the reason. Your home inspector is not telling you that information because they are acting according to the standards of practice of a home inspector.

As I said, that can be a bit frustrating, but at the same time, do you really want to rely on info from a person that’s not following the standards for their job? How do you know the rest of the information they’re providing you doesn’t have the same lapses of judgment in them?

There are also a few other good reasons Home Inspectors don’t give costs beyond the standards of practice. If the inspector is not directly involved in the field they are giving a quote on, they do not know the current costs of material, labor and demand. It will make their estimates nothing more than a guess which may or may not be on the mark. Along with this, different services may have different methods for doing work and they may have inherent cost differences. Area of service also can dictate some cost changes too.

While not getting the immediate answer can be frustrating, your Home Inspector should make sure you know who to follow up with to allow you to reach out and get accurate information for the next steps in your decision. As always, get 3 quotes. This really helps you determine the range you should be looking at. One important thing to do as well is make sure to ask about how they are going to do the work and what materials they are using. How something is repaired is as important as how much it is going to cost.

Why do inspectors make a big deal about downspout extensions being too short or missing?

When a foundation is being built, the impervious soil needs to be broken up beyond the point where the foundation will be poured. When the soil gets added back around the foundation, this is known as backfill. This soil is less compacted compared to the impervious soil around the property. When a downspout extension reaches the impervious soil, the water will fall off and away from the structure depending on the grading. 

However, when there are no or short downspout extensions, the water is likely to get caught up in the softer backfill soil, which can redirect the rain water directly to the foundation. The water then deteriorates the materials and cracking starts to happen.