The Report contains categorizations of Major Concerns (red), Moderate Concerns (orange), and Minor issues (blue). The colors and classifications are done for illustrative purposes and convenience. All issues should be considered and evaluated equally. 

The Red category is for major concerns. This includes issues with a system or component that may have an adverse impact on the value of the property, or that poses an unreasonable risk to people or property. 

The Orange category is for items that are not functional or will lead to further defects if not addressed. 

The Blue category is mostly routine maintenance that is due now and that new owners should do periodically.

The categorization is not intended to determine which items may need to be addressed per the contractual requirements of the agreement of sale of the property. All items of concern to you should be addressed as you deem necessary. I recommend that you read the entire Inspection report, including the InterNACHI SoP and the limitations tabs to fully assess the findings of the inspection. Please call us for any clarifications or further questions.

This house is positively the most impressive home I've ever inspected. I've inspected mac-mansions that left me cold and had more issues at their one-year warranty inspection period than this one has after 4 decades. This house has character, flair and elegance that under-states and over-delivers. It is pretty and unpretentious, does not say "look at me", yet you cannot stop looking once you start. She offered one pleasant surprise after the other. I'm blessed to had time to study this magnificent home. Best of luck to the new owners.

At the top of foundation walls are sill plates and band boards. It is common for the cavities at the sill plates between the joists to be covered with insulation. This restricts visibility to the sill and band. It is not in the scope of home inspections to remove and replace insulation, hence anything behind the insulation was not inspected.

The windows are single fixed pane, however they have detachable inner window panels which make them double pane by effect. This configuration is as effective in insulation as newer double-panel sashes but they do lack the reflective capabilities of newer windows.

Heating equipment is boiler and hydronic coils. Oil tank is buried. Ignition system is Beckett pump and ignitor, Honeywell controller.

It is a three-zone system with single Taco-brand circulator for the hydronics, and a separate one for the hot water cistern. All plumbing for distribution to zones were proper with shutoffs and drains. 

Boiler is used to heat domestic hot water in a cistern system. 

Overall, the system appears in good condition. 

This is a low efficiency boiler, approximate 60% AFUE, meaning about 40% of the heating energy is lost. High cost of heating oil makes this an important consideration. When this boiler is in need of major repair, consider upgrading to more efficient equipment. For more information, refer to www.energy.gov/energysaver/home-heating-systems/furnaces-and-boilers.

This is FYI for understanding the dynamic of your domestic hot water system. System size is 60-gallon. It consists of an indirect water heater to supply the hot water used in kitchens and bathrooms. It is actually not a water heater at all -- it is just a storage tank of heated water along with a thermostat and an external pump. These indirect water heaters are great for winter but less so for summer. Here's why. Consider summer use. 

Water from the indirect heater storage tank is circulated through the boiler to be heated. The boiler has its own water tank. As the boiler runs, the water-to-water heat exchanger in the boiler heats water for the indirect storage tank. It keeps circulating the water through the boiler and storage tank until the set point is reached in the cistern then the thermostat switches the boiler off. 

These indirect water heaters are constructed with good insulation methods so the heat loss is low, however, boilers are not so efficient; in a few hours of not running it will have lost most if not all its latent heat. That water will have to be heated again for the next domestic hot water heating request. 

For more information on boiler efficiency, refer to www.energy.gov/energysaver/home-heating-systems/furnaces-and-boilers.

The fireplace in the basement recreation area has hardly been used. The firebox is slightly rusted as expected but otherwise in perfectly usable condition. The flu is exceptionally clean. The damper is a bit stiff to operate but workable.

The bedroom fireplace is similar to the basement fireplace except for this one the damper is rusted and does not close fully. This will cause energy lost both in summer and winter. Recommend fixing the damper to close properly. Consider using fireplace inserts for best use of heat energy.