MA Home Inspector – Important and Relevant Question(a)

Home Inspectors working in Massachusetts will present a list of Important and Relevant questions to their client, according to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice.   The home inspector client may wonder about the significance of the question and answer.  First the question.

 

(a)   Does the dwelling have a history of seepage, dampness, and/or  water penetration into the Basement and/or Under Floor Crawl Space? If  so please explain.

For discussion purposes, the topic of this question is, damp basement.

Blog Topic: Damp Basement

A couple of significant issues are; health and storage of belongings.  The basement is part of the home, and thus should be maintained in a healthy manner.  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regulations includes a condition of dampness named Chronic Dampness.  Contact the local City/Town Board of Health for official information on Chronic Dampness and home owner responsibilities with respect to chronic dampness.

Chronic Dampness means the regular and/or periodic appearance of moisture, water, mold or fungi.

An interesting article from LIVESTRONG.COM, The Health Effects of Basement Mold writes “Damp basement environments allow mold to thrive and send reproductive spores into indoor air.”   Read the article for more information.

Tolerances to dampness vary by individual.  It is up to the home inspector client to determine the significance of a Damp Basement with respect to the purchase of the home.   There is no legal obligation for the seller or seller’s representative to answer this question, according to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice.

A  common use of a basement is the storage of belongings. “Moisture is a real threat to anything that you put into storage.” according to Climate Controlled Storage Units.org .  Moisture levels in Massachusetts will vary with the seasons, and thus the moisture levels for seasonal storage items.  Consider your basement storage requirements and the effects of a damp basement.

What is the value of a dry basement?

Massachusetts home inspectors are prohibited from estimating repair costs.  Home Improvement Contractors typically only give a quote to the home owner.  There is no substitute for health. Consider indoor air quality tests and consult your physician.  With respect to storage items, one way to determine the value is the cost to rent the equivalent basement square footage storage area, plus the travel costs associated with the frequency of moving items in/out of storage on an annual basis.

It is up to the home inspector client to determine the significance of a Damp Basement with respect to the purchase of the home.   There is no legal obligation for the seller or seller’s representative to answer this question, according to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice.

MA Home Inspector

United Inspection Service provides an electronic form to expedite the process of a written question and response.  Visit the Required Handouts page on the United Inspection Service website to download a copy of the form.

Arlington MA Home Inspection

Home inspectors working in Arlington MA are required to perform a home inspection to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. A copy of the standard will be provided to the client by the home inspector.

MA Home Inspector

The MA Home Inspector Standards of Practice is written for the professional home inspector. United Inspection Service has created some easy to read Consumer Information Sheets illustrating what is included and excluded in a Standard MA home inspection. Clear client communications (3c) are one of our core values. See the easy to read one page consumer information sheets for each of the systems in a MA Home Inspection.

Visit the Arlington MA Home Inspection web page from United Inspection Service for some useful information about homes in Arlington MA and our Massachusetts Home Inspection.

• Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice
• Home Inspection Photographs
• Recommended Questions to Ask the Seller/Seller’s Representative
• Flood Zones
• Lead Paint
• Hazardous Waste Release
• and more on the web site…

Contact United Inspection Service at 508-788-1447 or email unitedinspection@live.com for your Massachusetts Home Inspection. Website: www.unitedinspection.com