Closer Look Inspections, Inc.

If you’re considering buying a home — especially here in Florida — understanding the plumbing system and potential hidden risks can save you thousands of dollars down the line. We often find that one topic causes a lot of questions around inspections, negotiation, and long-term ownership: when a home needs to be repiped because of aging or defective plumbing material. In many Florida homes, the culprit isn’t just old pipes, but specifically Polybutylene (often called “Poly” or “Poly-B”) plumbing. In this article we’ll explain: What “repiping” a home means and why it may be necessary What Polybutylene plumbing is, why it became such a problem, and how it affects homes How plumbers access the areas of a house in order to run new plumbing (what you’ll see during repipe work) How the fact of a repipe (or the need for one) affects the home-inspection process How this knowledge gives you, the prospective buyer in Florida, a strong advantage What Does It Mean to “Repipe” a Home? When we talk ...

When you walk through a house, the ceiling overhead often feels invisible. Yet hidden above is one of the most critical systems governing comfort, energy efficiency, and the health of the home: the attic insulation. We often see how attic insulation—or lack thereof—can make or break both home performance and buyer confidence. In Florida’s climate, attic insulation plays an especially pivotal role. In this article, we’ll explain what attic insulation actually is, why homes need it, the different types used (and how effective each is), how insulation considerations influence the inspection process, and ultimately how knowing this gives a prospective home buyer (or current homeowner) a real advantage in Florida. Why Is Attic Insulation All That  Important? At its core, insulation is any material placed in a building’s envelope to slow down the transfer of heat (or cold). Insulation does not “block” heat entirely, but resists it. In U.S. building science, we use the term R-value to qua...