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Pacific Northwest Home Inspections (King of the House) -- Wood Decay

By
Home Inspector with King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. Home Inspector Lic #207

Okay, I admit it, there is wood here. But what a mess it is. Take a look at those joists that are being beaten by our weather here in the Pacific Northwet. When you see these you realize why an inspector likes to see a deck with a sub-structure built of pressure-treated lumber. When an inspector sees a deck like this -- heavy  fungal growth, and obvious saturation by water, there is little choice but to probe the wood in a few places. That way, when you find the rot and tell them to have the wood replaced, you have evidence supporting your recommendation. And, of course, when it looks like this, you can bet that there will be some wood decay or rot.  Wet wood rots. It is that simple. In this case the deck was about four feet of the ground -- too high to be fun if it came tumbling down. In some ways all this fungus is pretty, but it is not what you want to see under your deck or the deck you are inspecting. 

Thanks for looking.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Posted by

Steven L. Smith

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Comments (5)

Jim Albano
Prudential Damiano Realty - Little Falls, NJ
Team - Jean-Marie Vantuno / Realtors North Jersey Real Estate
Steve, as always - some great pictures of things you come across out in the field. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and information. Great Stuff!
Mar 18, 2008 01:32 PM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector
Glad it interested you Jim.
Mar 18, 2008 01:41 PM
Sean Allen
International Financing Solutions - Fort Myers, FL
International Financing Solutions

Nope .... That sure don't look too pretty. I think it is about time for the owner to have it done right.

Sean Allen

Mar 18, 2008 01:43 PM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector
So Steve is that a new surface over the crappy old joists?
Mar 18, 2008 05:52 PM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Charlie,

It was not new. It might have been newer...as in put in five or six years before. But it had its own problems too.

Mar 19, 2008 01:48 AM