The Inspector's Notebook

Category: Investing

  • Seeing the Unseen: Thermal Imaging Now Included in Standard Home Inspections

    Seeing the Unseen: Thermal Imaging Now Included in Standard Home Inspections

    Every home tells a story. Some of it is written plainly in the walls, the rooflines, and the flooring under your feet. But some chapters are hidden—in the spaces between wall studs, behind ceilings, and under the surface where the naked eye can’t reach.

    For years, inspectors have relied on visible signs and physical clues to piece together the condition of a property. That’s still the cornerstone of a great inspection. But now, we’re turning a new page.

    I’m excited to announce that thermal imaging is now a standard part of my home inspection process. This technology uses infrared cameras to detect minute differences in temperature across surfaces, helping to identify conditions that might otherwise go unnoticed—things like insulation gaps, moisture intrusion, overheating electrical components, or even air leaks that can affect comfort and efficiency.

    Thermal imaging isn’t x-ray vision, and it doesn’t replace a trained inspector’s judgment. But when used thoughtfully, it adds a new layer of depth to our evaluations. It helps confirm what we suspect, raises questions when something doesn’t seem right, and in some cases, prevents costly surprises for buyers and homeowners alike.

    By incorporating this tool into every inspection, I’m expanding the range of issues I can detect early—without cutting into the clarity and objectivity you count on me for. You’ll still receive the same thorough, InterNACHI-compliant inspection you expect, but now with the added benefit of seeing your home through a new lens—one that can reveal what’s happening beneath the surface.

    If knowledge is power, then thermal imaging is like adding another watt to the bulb. It’s not about finding problems where none exist—it’s about giving you the clearest possible picture of your investment, so you can make decisions with confidence.

    I’m looking forward to putting this technology to work for you on your next inspection. If you’d like to see firsthand what your home looks like in infrared, schedule your inspection today—and let’s uncover the whole story together.

  • Honoring Service: Why We Offer Home Inspection Discounts to Active Duty Military, Veterans, and First Responders

    Honoring Service: Why We Offer Home Inspection Discounts to Active Duty Military, Veterans, and First Responders

    There’s something foundational about service—quiet, often thankless work that keeps our communities standing when life gets unpredictable. If you’ve spent time in the military, worn a badge, or raced toward an emergency when others ran away, you already know what it means to carry that kind of responsibility. At Green Mountain Property Inspections, we believe that service deserves to be recognized in meaningful ways—not just in words, but in action.

    That’s why we offer a standing discount on home inspections to active duty military, veterans, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics.

    Why We Offer This Discount

    Our team includes people with backgrounds in the fire service, construction, and emergency response. We’ve lived that schedule, felt the weight of that radio call, and stood in the cold long after the job was done. We understand that those who serve don’t do it for the perks—but when you’re building a life outside of the job, even a small gesture can go a long way.

    A home inspection might seem like a minor part of the home buying process. But it’s also one of the few chances a buyer has to pause, gather reliable information, and make informed decisions before taking on one of life’s biggest commitments. For those who spend their careers protecting others, we want that part of the process to feel like someone’s watching your back for a change.

    Who Is Eligible?

    We proudly extend our discount to the following:

    • Active duty military and veterans
    • National Guard and reservists
    • Police officers
    • Firefighters (career and volunteer)
    • Paramedics and EMTs

    A valid form of identification or proof of service is all we ask. No red tape, no hoops.

    How to Apply the Discount

    Booking with us is simple. Just mention your service when scheduling your inspection—whether by phone, email, or through our online form. We’ll apply the discount automatically and take care of the rest.

    If someone in your household qualifies, the discount still applies—even if they won’t be present at the inspection. We honor the whole family’s sacrifice.

    It’s About Trust

    We understand what it’s like to operate in environments where trust is everything. In your world, there’s no room for second guesses. We bring that same mindset to our inspections: thorough, honest, and clear. We call out what matters, explain what doesn’t, and always put your safety and peace of mind first.

    We’re not here to sell fear. We’re here to inform, explain, and empower you to move forward with confidence.

    A Final Word

    This discount isn’t a gimmick. It’s our way of saying thank you—not just for the job you’ve done, but for the way you’ve lived it. We believe people who show up for their communities deserve businesses that show up for them.

    So whether you’re relocating, downsizing, or stepping into your first home, we’d be honored to serve you the way you’ve served us.

    If you’d like to schedule an inspection or have questions about eligibility, reach out here. We’re ready when you are.

  • Cool Under Pressure: A Systems Approach to HVAC Maintenance During a Heat Wave

    Cool Under Pressure: A Systems Approach to HVAC Maintenance During a Heat Wave

    Welcome to The Inspector’s Notebook
    Whether you’re a new homeowner, a seasoned investor, or simply interested in understanding the systems that make your home work, we’re glad you’re here. Each post is written with the goal of helping you make better-informed decisions about your home—because a well-maintained house isn’t just about structure, but resilience. Now, let’s talk about cooling systems.

    We tend to notice systems only when they fail

    When the sun bears down and the air outside hangs thick with humidity, there’s one system in your home that becomes not just important—but essential. Your HVAC cooling system isn’t just about comfort during a heat wave. It’s about safety, efficiency, and the long-term health of your home.

    If you’re reading this in the middle of a sweltering Vermont summer, you’re not alone. Heat waves push cooling systems to their limits. Unfortunately, that’s also when these systems are most likely to fail. As home inspectors, we see the aftermath of deferred HVAC maintenance more often than we’d like—and it’s usually during the hottest week of the year.

    So, let’s shift the equation. A little preventive care now can mean a cooler, safer, and more affordable summer. Here’s what every homeowner should know.

    1. Air Filters: The Hidden Chokepoint

    It is easy to dismiss air filters as replaceable parts, like light bulbs or batteries. But this view ignores their role in maintaining system equilibrium. A clogged filter reduces airflow, strains the blower motor, and risks ice forming on the evaporator coils—often cascading into a full-system shutdown.

    What to do:
    Change your filters every 30–60 days during periods of heavy use. If you have pets or live in a high-pollen area, shorten that window. Don’t wait for symptoms—act proactively.

    2. The Outdoor Unit: An Engine Exposed

    The condenser is often treated as a sealed, invulnerable box. But this metal structure, typically out behind the house or beside a deck, is constantly interacting with its environment. Grass clippings, leaves, insects, and even neighborhood construction dust can obstruct its function. When airflow is impeded, pressure rises. And when pressure rises, failures follow.

    What to do:
    Cut back vegetation to maintain a 2-foot perimeter. Gently clean the fins with a hose. Avoid using high-pressure jets, which can damage the delicate coil surfaces. And above all—turn off the power first.

    3. Thermostats: More Than Set-and-Forget

    The thermostat is not just a dial for temperature; it’s a regulator of demand. Poorly programmed or outdated thermostats contribute to short-cycling, uneven wear, and inefficient cooling. A system that constantly ramps up and down is not just less effective—it’s operating against its own lifespan.

    What to do:
    Use programmable or smart thermostats to reduce strain during peak hours. 78°F while home is often a healthy balance between comfort and energy savings. Higher when away. This isn’t just about comfort—it’s about slowing entropy.

    4. Ductwork: The Unseen Highways

    Cooling systems move air, but not all air is moved equally. Leaky ducts send conditioned air into attics and crawlspaces—unoccupied zones that gain comfort at your expense. This inefficiency is not felt as a jolt, but as a slow bleed in performance and energy costs.

    What to do:
    If you notice rooms that won’t cool or hear whistling noises, have your ducts checked. Professional sealing and insulation can correct unseen loss and restore proper system balance.

    5. Annual Tune-Ups: An Ounce of Prevention

    Many systems fail not because of a single event, but due to accumulated neglect. HVAC systems in particular suffer from what might be called invisible decay—refrigerant leaks too small to notice, electrical components weakening under thermal stress, or microbial growth in damp coils. These issues compound over time, until the entire system fails—often on the hottest day of the year.

    What to do:
    Schedule a professional HVAC inspection once per year. The best time is before a crisis. The goal is not just to repair but to observe the trajectory of wear. You want to be ahead of failure, not behind it.

    A Final Note: Maintenance Is a Form of Intelligence

    To maintain a system is to understand it. It is also to respect its complexity. HVAC systems are not simple machines. They are interdependent mechanisms governed by physics, time, and environment. To treat them casually is to ignore the way small causes produce large effects.

    So if you haven’t checked your filters, walked your condenser, or thought about your thermostat settings recently—do it now. Not out of panic, but because systems deserve stewardship. And in the middle of a heat wave, that stewardship just might keep your home cool under pressure.

    At Green Mountain Property Inspections, we see HVAC systems at every stage of life—from brand-new installs to units on their last legs. If you’re unsure about your system’s condition or need a second set of eyes, we’re here to help.

    Stay cool, stay safe—and don’t forget to change that filter.

  • Beyond the Inspection: Cultivating Long‑Term Confidence in Your Home

    Beyond the Inspection: Cultivating Long‑Term Confidence in Your Home

    When I sit down after an inspection — headphones off, laptop at the ready — I’m left with a realization: true peace of mind isn’t a clean report sent over email. It’s a cultivated confidence, earned over time, through understanding the living systems that make a house a home. That’s the deeper work we pursue at Green Mountain Property Inspections.

    1. From Static Reports to Dynamic Understanding

    An inspection report is often seen as a static snapshot: “Here are the issues, here’s what’s broken, here’s what needs fixing.” But homes aren’t static. They breathe, shift, and age. We advise clients to ask, “How will this change six months from now? A year? Five?”

    This mindset shifts the conversation:

    • Budgeting for resilience rather than repairs.
    • Planning preventative upgrades — sealing a vulnerable foundation crack now saves you from major structural fixes later.
    • Recognizing patterns in moisture, settling, or wear that hint at emerging problems.

    It’s about equipping you not just with a list, but with foresight and control.

    2. Investing in System Literacy

    We demystify the jargon of framing, moisture intrusion, load dynamics, and airflow. A report doesn’t just say “ventilation is inadequate.” It explains:

    • Why that matters — in terms of air quality, energy bills, and mold risk.
    • How you can address it — whether via simple filter changes or mechanical upgrades.
    • What a responsive monitoring routine looks like — a seasonal walkthrough, a checklist for gutter clearance or attic humidity.

    We want you to see your home as a network — each element interlinked — so small adjustments ripple into lasting improvements.

    3. Building a Collaborative Journey

    Our approach isn’t “inspect-and-dash.” It’s assess‑and-align. You’re in this with us. We invite you into the process:

    • A live walkthrough where questions aren’t just welcomed — they steer the narrative.
    • A report that speaks your language — no scare tactics, no fluff — just clarity and honest thresholds.
    • Follow‑ups that aren’t optional — post‑inspection check‑ins ensure you’ve translated insight into action and feel supported throughout.

    Much like mentors in science or coaching in high‑stakes teams, we seek a conversation that extends beyond a single meeting.

    4. Seeing the Home as an Ecosystem

    At Green Mtn., we view each property as layered: structural, mechanical, environmental, behavioral. A cracked foundation isn’t just a puzzle of concrete—it’s a sign of drainage issues, soil movement, vegetation pressure. A noisy HVAC system isn’t just a nuisance—it’s a clue to energy inefficiency, filter neglect, or duct leakage.

    Approaching homes this way transforms how you invest in them. You stop fixing parts and start nurturing systems. You budget not just for repairs but for resilience.

    5. Why This Matters More Than Ever

    We live in a time of climate shifts, aging building stock, and tightening energy standards. The line between a good inspection and a strong investment is whether you’re prepared for what the future demands. A home that fails us is rarely because the inspector missed something—it’s because no one taught us how to listen to what the house is already telling us.

    In Summary: Turning Knowledge into Confidence

    The value of our inspections isn’t in what we find — it’s in what you gain:

    • A sense of systems, woven through foundation, framing, ventilation, and more.
    • A timeline of attention, where you know what to watch now and what to schedule later.
    • A trusted partnership, in which you come prepared, informed, and supported from walkthrough to closing.

    Our aim is to help your home give you peace of mind — not uncertainty. And that peace is built over time: through clarity, context, and continued commitment.

    Want to keep growing that home‑confident mindset?
    Reach out any time. Schedule a seasonal check‑in inspection. Let’s talk about your long‑term home gameplan — grounded in insight, guided by expertise, and inspired by your goals.

    Stay tuned to The Inspector’s Notebook for field‑tested wisdom on building safety, sustainability, and strategies that endure.

  • What to Expect During a Home Inspection: A Step-by-Step Guide

    What to Expect During a Home Inspection: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Understanding the Real Role of Inspection in the Survival of Your Investment

    At first glance, the home inspection seems like a formality—another line item in the long list of boxes to check before closing. But that interpretation misunderstands what the inspection actually is: a critical filter in a system prone to failure.

    In a market driven by emotion, marketing, and negotiation, the home inspection remains one of the last opportunities to engage with reality—to observe the physical structure in its current evolutionary state and determine whether it’s viable for long-term habitation.

    This guide isn’t about soothing your anxiety. It’s about sharpening your awareness.

    Step 1: Why the Inspection Exists at All

    Let’s start with a basic truth: every home degrades over time. Systems fail, materials decay, and short-sighted renovations introduce unseen vulnerabilities.

    Yet buyers are expected to make massive financial commitments based on walkthroughs and listing photos. That’s a recipe for misalignment between perception and consequence.

    The home inspection exists to introduce a constraint of truth—a friction point where marketing yields to material conditions. It’s not just about finding defects; it’s about surfacing signals from a complex system.

    Step 2: The Inspection Day — What Actually Happens

    When an inspector arrives, they are entering an ecosystem: a dynamic structure where multiple interdependent systems—electrical, structural, thermal, and hydrological—interact in both predictable and emergent ways.

    The inspector observes, probes, and documents. But unlike a diagnostic in medicine, this inspection is constrained. We don’t cut into walls or unearth buried pipes. Instead, we interpret surface signals—indicators of deeper health or risk.

    The inspection typically unfolds like this:

    • Exterior systems: grading, drainage, siding, windows, roof, and foundation. These are the boundary defenses—the home’s interaction with its environment.
    • Interior systems: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, structure, insulation. These form the infrastructure of comfort and survivability.
    • Vulnerable zones: attics, basements, and crawlspaces. Often neglected, these areas reveal the truth most clearly.

    Step 3: What the Report Actually Represents

    The inspection report is not a list of problems. It’s a map of constraints and choices. Some issues are immediate hazards. Others are slow-burn liabilities that will compound over time.

    A good inspector won’t just tell you what’s wrong. They’ll contextualize each issue—is it systemic or isolated? Functional or cosmetic? Indicative of a pattern or merely a fluke?

    This is the real value: not a red light or green light, but a better-informed decision matrix.

    Step 4: How to Think Like an Owner, Not a Shopper

    Many buyers approach the inspection looking for reassurance. But the mature response is something else entirely: embrace what the inspection reveals as your early relationship with the home’s entropy.

    You’re not just buying a house. You’re entering into a stewardship role with a decaying structure that will demand vigilance, maintenance, and eventually replacement.

    Viewed through this lens, the inspection is an act of orientation—a calibration of expectations. It won’t eliminate risk, but it can make your risks legible.

    Step 5: Final Thoughts — Reclaiming Agency in a System Designed for Passivity

    Real estate transactions often push buyers toward passivity: “Trust the process,” they’re told. But that only works if the process is trustworthy.

    The home inspection is one of the few places where you can slow the momentum, ask hard questions, and uncover inconvenient truths. It’s not a hurdle—it’s a rare opportunity for agency.

    If you’re buying a home, don’t use the inspection to feel better. Use it to be smarter.

    If you’re buying in Vermont and want an inspector who treats your investment with the seriousness it deserves,Green Mountain Property Inspections is here to help.

    We don’t do checklists. We do clarity.