Using these criteria, many more products could be named that are currently being used in residential construction such as other forms of plastic water supply pipe, “particlecrete” - simulated slate roof tile, and EIFS stucco. The Home Inspector is responsible only for identifying these items, not trying to judge their relative efficacy or durability.

Some of the components that can be currently classified as “exotic” are:

1. Composite roofing made to simulate tile or slate;
2. Composite (not wood) siding or any kind of pressed board siding;
3. Polybutylene plastic , (PB), piping;
4. PEX plastic manifold-type plumbing supply pipes;
5. CPVC plastic water supply pipes
6. Exterior Insulated Finish Systems of all types, aka: EIFS simulated stucco;
7. Metal roofing made to simulate clay tile;
8. High efficiency furnaces or water heaters – In particular, their combustion chambers and their plastic exhaust vent pipes;
9. Any other gas appliance that uses a plastic pipe for exhaust venting;
10. Spray foam roofing.

In your market place you may have other products in common use that qualify. Don’t be bashful about asking your home inspector to identify these products. Although the home inspector is not responsible for predicting how well these products will perform, s/he should alert the consumer and Realtor® to their existence.

The dichotomy concerning exotic materials is that they can be serviceable at the time of the inspection, but the home inspector has no basis on which to make a judgment about their durability. Indeed, some of these new products have a history of failure and corresponding class action law suits against the manufacturer.

A Home Inspector shall inspect a home’s visible and readily accessible components for “material conditions” or “material facts” and report them to the buyer as it affects:

• Value,
• Desirability,
• Habitability, or
• Safety of the dwelling.

Material Fact - A fact that would be important to a reasonable person in deciding whether to engage or not to engage in a particular transaction; an important fact as distinguished from some unimportant or trivial detail.

A Home Inspector makes his/her judgments about the condition of the components of a home based upon a visual evaluation of the durability and serviceability of each component.