"Better safe than sorry, right?"
Totally agree with this. Inspectors usually aren't nitpicking aesthetics, but unfinished plywood can definitely catch their attention—especially if it's near sinks or appliances. Had a buddy who thought he'd skate by with bare plywood counters, and the inspector flagged it as a moisture hazard. Ended up delaying his whole project by a week. Not fun.
Honestly, a quick coat of water-based poly is a solid move. If you're really pressed for time, even a simple wax finish or butcher-block oil can do the trick temporarily. It won't be perfect, but it'll show you're aware of moisture issues and taking steps to address them. Inspectors appreciate seeing proactive measures, even if they're not picture-perfect.
Good luck tomorrow—I'm sure you'll be fine!
Haha, inspectors and moisture paranoia...been there. Honestly though, poly's great, but if you're really desperate, even some leftover primer or paint can buy you goodwill. When we first moved in, I slapped some random leftover paint on plywood shelves under the sink—looked awful, but inspector just nodded approvingly. Guess ugly beats moldy in their book? Anyway, hang in there, you're probably stressing more than the inspector will.
Haha, your paint-under-the-sink story reminds me of the time I panicked and duct-taped some plastic sheeting over a suspiciously damp patch behind our fridge. Inspector barely glanced at it, just nodded and moved on. Makes me wonder—do inspectors genuinely overlook these quick fixes, or are they just silently judging our DIY desperation? Curious if anyone's ever had an inspector actually call them out on something obviously slapped together...
I've wondered about that too. Maybe inspectors mentally flag these quick fixes but only speak up if it's a serious safety issue? Has anyone actually had an inspector circle back later about something minor they initially ignored...?
"Maybe inspectors mentally flag these quick fixes but only speak up if it's a serious safety issue?"
Honestly, I think inspectors probably just have too much on their plates to mentally track every minor fix-up. When we bought our old Victorian, the inspector pointed out a wonky cabinet hinge but shrugged it off as cosmetic. Never heard a peep about it later, even though he returned twice for other stuff. Seems like minor issues might genuinely slip their minds unless they're glaringly unsafe or blatantly obvious...
