Performing an inspection Friday for an Agents son. He has already had one inspection, but the son’s mom (my Agent) is disgusted with the HI’s report. She said he was talking the whole time and didn’t even mention the gas has escaped in the windows. Aparantly the inspection was done from some old book. Anybody have an idea what books were available some years ago where you could do inspections from? I wonder if this one came from a Mad-Libs?
She said she wants me to redo the inspection because she knows I will do it right. She doesn’t want me for her sellers, but knows I do the job right for the buyer.
I have seen comments here before, but would like to know if there are any accurate ways to really tell if a window seal is broken, outside of some fogging between the glass, or if fogged, recommend evaluation by a qualified glazier?
you can usually see some dirt on the window if you can not wipe it off from the inside and the outside then It is in the Middle .
It usually shows in the lower corners of the widows but bad ones can be over a larger part of the window .
Look close at all windows .
I do not tell the client on windows what to do as many will just live with the sael gone .
The insulation value does not drop very much but they can look bad
Good luck Roy Cooke .
If it is fogged or has condensation inside it you don’t need anyone else to evaluate it. You just did. Simple as that. Its lost the seal. I am not going to tell you that putting a piece of ice on the glass for a few seconds will cause the condensation to form inside because someone will come along and say that is ridiculous or takes too long. Often the window glass is too dirty or stained to tell if it has lost the seal. I will mark the glass with a Sharpie pen in one corner and give the customer (regardless of who that is) the total number of window panes and locations. I will usually tell them too that when there are significant number of windows with broken seals it is often just a matter of time before the remainder will fail. There is a fairly predictable life expectancy (usually one day after the warranty expires). I tell them to have the window replacement company check the remaining windows too because there is often a significant period of time between when I get there and the repairs are made. Many things can and do happen in this time lapse. I have never had to buy a window in almost 12 years and do not plan on starting. Oh yeah. sometimes you won’t see fogging but will see white powdery flecks in the bottoms of the panes. This is the dissicant they put in the splines around the edges to trap any errant moisture when made at the factory. This too is a clear sign of a seal failure.
Take along some ice cubes. Put one against the glass and if condensation forms between panes, the seal is gone. If there is no other trace of the seal being bad then it is up to buyers to replace or not. I agree with Roy, the insulation value doesn’t drop much and don’t even go down the road about the gas leaking out. Most gas is gone shortly after the windows are installed.
I have heard this many times but never from any one who has used it .
I do not have time and do not think it would catch any more then a good experienced HI would see with his eye .
Roy Cooke
Roy,
Around here, even though we have a prevailing breeze (15-25mph) almost continually . . . dust and dirt are not much of a problem as we are next to the ocean. Consequently, it is difficult to determine broken seals without checking for condensation inside unless the obvious fogging is visable. I use the ice whenever I’m in doubt and I agree, it can be time consuming.
Agree, but most windows with broken seals you don’t even need the ice, but on those few that are questionable it is worth the extra effort. Generally I only end up using the ice on a couple, the rest are no-brainers.
You can also use a thermal imaging camera to detect failed seals on a single story home. Won’t work for a two story home as you’ll pick up the sky’s reflection.
Doesnt using ice take you out of the visual inspection part of it?
I check for condensation, white streaks, and dust or dirt at the bottom of the window. This has worked for me so far, not to say that I could have missed some though.