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YOU make the call-----"safe" or "out"? (to lunch)

The building codes are pretty clear about required clearances from finish grade to untreated wood materials such as siding. It is VERY common to see concrete flat-work like sidewalks and driveways poured over the top of wood siding---and other types of siding for that matter. (Even installation instructions for cement-board siding requires the same clearances from finish grade that wood siding does.)

Home Inspectors have begun to go numb (you know like a 24 hour ice-cream head ache) calling this detail out and yet it continues to happen over and over again. This is especially frustrating in new construction where one would hope that there are jurisdictional inspectors that are paying attention as well.

Because this is not a direct safety issue, it is not what jurisdictional inspectors are looking for on their final inspection. All they basically care about is whether hand-rails and smoke alarm/detectors are in place or not. That the siding is going to rot behind the sidewalk in ten years is of little interest to them. As a result the Home Inspector gets to be the "bad guy."

Take a look at the installation of this concrete block retaining wall.

Wood siding should not be installed concrete structures

In the picture it is hard to tell that the siding isn't butting into the blocks and then caulked. While even that scenario would not be a proper installation, in this case, the blocks are ON TOP OF THE SIDING----with the gap caulked. How long before the wood behind this block wall rots away or provides a pathway for wood destroying insects into the structure? Perhaps never, perhaps next week. Aside from this obvious question is the fact that it doesn't meet current requirements almost anywhere on the planet---nor does it make common sense.

At the bottom of the wall we can see where the siding is sitting right on top of the patio surface. These kinds of contact points stay wet ALL THE TIME in the North West----and decay/rot happens relatively quickly. Current requirements call for a minimum of 6" of clearance.

Siding in contact witht the ground

Repairs will be difficult and way more expensive than having done it right the first time---

-----what call would you make?

Charles Buell

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed) all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

Posted by Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector on 07/23/2008 10:48 AM

Comments (17)

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Originally posted at: Seattle Home Inspector's Blog: YOU make the call-----"safe" or "out"? (to lunch)

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17 Comments on YOU make the call-----"safe" or "out"? (to lunch)

JUL

2008

Charles, I would point out shoddy construction techniques now but it would be expensive to even repair in the present or as you pointed out inevitably in the future.

Good point, but I bet the buyer has already measured for the curtains and doesn't really care about "little" things like those defects. They'll be completely shocked in 3 years when there is wood rot and moisture intrusion. THAT's when they'll care and may even call you to ask how you could have missed such an obvious defect. You'll kindly point out that it was in the report and they'll wish that they had followed your advice to begin with.

Some things will never change.

Gary, these scenarios are always difficult.

J Brandon----you've got that right!

Charles, This is why ALL report software have canned comments to repeat these issues over and over each time.

Yikes - This project wasn't cheap either!

Shoddy construction is everywhere. I toured houses today and saw the worst paint job on kitchen cabinets. If I were a home inspector, what should I say? The house was $199,000 and the one who buys it will not even know it is a sorry paint job. Just mention that it wasn't built to your standards but it will be good for a few years. Then everyone will love you!

This is why it is important to have that home inspected. I see just as many items in a new home as I do in an existing home. What happened to pride and good workmanship.

JUL

2008

David, it still gets old though doesn't it?

Carol, you are right. Other than this the workmanship was excellent throughout.

Barbara, well the painting would have to be pretty bad for it to make the report----I might say something while walking around, but typically painting falls under the cosmetic----unless the sprinkler heads are all painted over:)

Carl and Ceil, I think it has to do with the trades not talking to each other and not knowing the requirements of the other trades.

I see that mainly at front porches. I tell the seller but he or she seldom cares. They might nod their heads.

Looks like something that ol' Bubba would do... What were these guys smoking?

Steve, they "don't care" because they don't want to re-do it.

Michael, this is worse than Bubba. To me "Bubbaness" implies a certain lack of "intelligence"----this work is done by smart people on expensive homes and has more to do with ignorance and just plain not giving a damn:)

Charlie,

I am with you. I do not really buy into the "Bubba" theory. Sure I see some things done by handymen that are poorly conceived. On the other hand I see more problems the result of builders taking short cuts, licensed roofers who know that probably nobody will see where they took a short cut and even more of the same in the crawl space -- scraps left everywhere by licensed contractors. I think Bubba is a scape goat for many things that he might not be guilty of. The problem is that, although common sense might be involved to some degree, building and repairs are not purely common sense. For example, the need for an expansion tank at a water heater in a closed system goes well beyond common sense, even the whole TPR drain going down is beyond that. Common sense ties in with the people who route it the wrong way. They think of the tank having a full head of steam so that will go up. Fact is, they do not really understand that the TPR is designed to release water to keep that big head from building in the first place.