Blog & Home Inspection Insights

Active leaking at the base of an original cast iron main waste stack in a Weymouth basement, rust blobs, and a coat of spray paint over all of it.

Several three prong outlets in a Chestnut Hill condo had no ground behind them. What the plug shape does and does not tell you.

A Boston triple decker with an apparent 200 amp main service and individual 60 amp feeders to the upstairs units, and why that gap matters to a buyer.

New main panel and subpanel in a Medfield basement, with original fabric covered wiring still running out of them and bare conductor visible in places.

A blistered spot on the lower wall of an oil storage tank in a Sharon basement released oil when I touched it. What that means and what I told them to do about it.

A deck carried by a beam set into the home's concrete foundation. What I could see, what I could not, and why I told the buyer to watch that one point.

On a flat section at the top of a Brookline slate roof, a small square of membrane was sitting over an opening straight through to the living space. That opening, not the slate, is what feeds the ice dam below.

Dark roof streaks, algae, and moss do not all mean the same thing. Learn what visible roof growth can reveal, what it cannot prove, and how to avoid damaging asphalt shingles during cleaning.

A masonry chimney is part roof detail, part weather-exposed structure and part venting system. Here is what buyers and homeowners should evaluate before heating season.

Roof leaks often begin where shingles meet chimneys, dormers, and walls. Learn what flashing does, what a Massachusetts home inspection can reveal, and when a qualified roofer should investigate further.

HVAC equipment can work in a properly conditioned attic. A vented Massachusetts attic creates a very different environment for condensing equipment, ducts, drainage, ventilation, and the roof above.

I inspected a 1920s bungalow this week with a beautiful old front porch. Like a lot of antique porches, it was substantial, well built, and still performing after roughly 100 years, but it also showed age-related settlement and older support conditions that deserved a closer look. The goal with these structures is not panic or cosmetic patching. It is understanding what is still working, improving what has moved, and preserving the original character with the right restoratio

Crawlspace columns must transfer building loads to adequate bearing below. Learn what inspectors evaluate, why improvised supports matter, and when structural investigation is appropriate.

Foundation anchorage connects framing to the foundation, but requirements and visible conditions vary by age and construction. Learn what can be evaluated without turning an inspection into a code certification.

The Inspections Plus home inspection process starts long before they arrive to the inspection. They offer in depth guidance, consulting and inspection work.

A dryer can exhaust through the roof, but the duct route, termination, damper, cleaning access and lint accumulation all matter. Learn what inspectors evaluate and when correction is appropriate.

A real field case involving slab movement, wall cracking and poor water control. The visible evidence supported concern, but the cause, concealed extent and repair required further investigation.