I’ve definitely found inspectors can be sticklers for details, but I get why—ventilation’s a big deal for indoor air quality and energy efficiency. Sometimes I think the codes are a bit behind best practices, though. For example, I’ve had inspectors focus on fasteners but not even mention duct sealing with mastic, which is huge for preventing leaks. I like your idea about taking photos; I’ve started keeping a checklist based on past feedback, too. It’s wild how much smoother things go when you anticipate their pet peeves...
Totally get where you’re coming from—ventilation is one of those things that’s easy to overlook until it causes problems down the line. I’ve noticed the same thing with inspectors zeroing in on hardware but not always catching the bigger picture, like actual air leakage. Honestly, mastic makes such a difference, but it’s barely mentioned in some code checks. Keeping a photo log and a running checklist has saved me more than once... it’s a bit of extra work upfront, but way less hassle later.
Honestly, mastic makes such a difference, but it’s barely mentioned in some code checks.
That’s exactly what drives me nuts—everyone’s obsessed with the “right” hardware, but nobody seems to care if the actual install is airtight. I’ve had inspectors breeze past obvious gaps just because the spec sheet looked good. Out of curiosity, have you ever had pushback from clients about the extra time or cost for proper sealing? I find some folks balk at the details until they see the energy bills...
