How To Look At A House
McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of
site-built, mobile/manufactured and modular homes
Do windows in a house have to open to pass a home inspection?
Friday, July 16, 2021
If the windows are designed to be openable, then the inspector will test a representative number of them—but not all. If they are found immovable, difficult to open, or damaged, those defects will get noted in the report. An inspector’s report does not issue a pass-or-fail judgement. Only the homebuyer decides whether a house failed inspection, and each buyer has their own level of tolerance, after which a home is unacceptable.
Also, bedroom windows must be openable to a specific minimum size for use as an alternative emergency exit from the house. Go to our blog post What is an egress window? for more on this.
And, we recommend reading Does a home inspector test all the windows in a home? and Are openable windows required to have window screens? Will windows with no screens pass a home inspection? and What are the common problems you find inspecting windows? and Why are window security bars dangerous?
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To learn more about windows, see these other blog posts:
• What are the small slots at the bottom of the outside of my window?
• Why does condensation form on the outside of some windows and not others in the morning?
• How can I tell if a window or glass door is safety glass?
• What are the code requirements for safety tempered glass for doors?•
• What is "low-E" window glass?
• What does ANSI 297.1 on glass mean?
• How difficult is it to change a window to french doors or a sliding glass door?
• What is causing a foggy haze on my windows?
• What do those numbers on the manufacturer's stickers in new windows mean?
• Why is pressure washing double pane windows an expensive mistake?
• How can I tell if a window or sliding glass door is double or triple pane (insulated) glass?
• When is safety glass required for windows at stairs and stair landings?
Visit our DOORS AND WINDOWS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.
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