STRUGGLING WITH VENTILATION INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS LATELY
At the end of the day, some compromises are inevitable. As long as you’re keeping the integrity of the space and not creating a safety issue, I’d call that a success.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve started to lean the other way after a few too many “compromises” that ended up biting me later. Had a 1920s bungalow where we tried to sneak by with minimal changes—kept the original grilles, did some creative rerouting, all that. Looked great, but two years down the line, we had condensation issues in the attic and a persistent musty smell in the back bedroom. Turns out, the airflow just wasn’t cutting it.
Sometimes I wonder if we get too sentimental about preserving every detail. I mean, I love old trim as much as anyone, but if it means living with mold or drafty rooms... maybe it’s worth letting go of a little bit more? Not saying gut everything, but I’ve started to appreciate when an inspector pushes for a real fix instead of a patch job. The quirks are fun until they start costing you sleep (or money).
