Lots of new construction homes are choosing to bling out the front of their house with eye-catching stone veneer (masonry veneer). But are they being installed correctly to keep the exterior wall dry? Every time it rains and the stone veneer becomes wet, it absorbs the moisture. What you can't see is if the water is seeping through the stone veneer and properly draining out the bottom or is it becoming trapped and creating some major rot in the OSB wall sheathing and studs behind? Did the Builder or his sub-contractors install a proper drainage plane, flashing, and weep screed?
From a Home Inspector's viewpoint, when we are looking at the finished home, we can see if the Z-flashing is missing at the top of the stone veneer, if the kick out flashing at the end of a gutter isn't long enough, or if the weep screed wasn't installed at the base of the wall. But we don't have bionic eyes to see any potential water damage occurring behind the stone veneer surface. Trying to explain to our clients what's really occurring when it looks so beautiful from the outside is always an educational conversation. I've found the following to be helpful. Hopefully, these articles will help other Inspectors, Homeowners, or Agents to be able to better understand what they can't see without destructively tearing a wall apart.
Journal of Light Construction has 2 detailed articles. 1 showcases the hidden damage after a Contractor has removed the stone veneer. There are lots of great pictures! The other is JLC's Field Guide, which goes into great detail, on how to properly install it.
Here are the links:
https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/insulation/manufactured-stone-nightmares_o
Another useful free PDF document that is a great resource and installation guide is from the Masonry Veneer Manufacturer's Association. That document can be found in the bottom corner of their home page:
https://ncma.org/manufactured-stone-veneer/
For those of you in the Omaha area that need your New Construction inspected or have an existing home you are trying to purchase and need inspected, check out our website: www.omaha-home-inspection.com and give us a call at 402-330-1701.
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