Blog & Home Inspection Insights

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.

Inspection photos preserve useful visual context, but a still image is not a diagnosis. Learn how to connect each photograph to the report's location, narrative, recommendation, and limits.

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.

Older homes often show slope, cracks, repairs, or uneven framing. Here is how an experienced Massachusetts home inspector reads those conditions in context and knows when closer structural review is warranted.

A new home has not had decades to age, but it still passes through a complex multi-trade construction process. Learn when an independent inspection is most useful and what buyers can evaluate before closing.

Attic frost is usually not a roof leak. Learn why frost forms in Massachusetts attics, what damage it can cause, and how to solve the real problem.

Moisture is not one defect with one repair. Learn how water enters Massachusetts homes, what visible evidence can and cannot prove, and when further investigation is needed.