rotting wood: Was This Staining Outside Indicative Of A Problem Inside?
- 05/26/17 03:18 AM
Was this staining outside indicative of a problem inside?
Why yes!
Looking up these foundation stains were directly under a third-floor, bathroom window. The two bathrooms abutted and shared a single drain stack which ended in the basement.
The siding was new, but these stains were old and had two colors, indicating they happened more than once.
Seeing these stains I suspected a plumbing problem indoors.
Looking inside I saw what appeared to be previous leaking, and an unprofessional repair. So I ran the water in both bathrooms at the same time, and for a while.
The sill plate (the board on top of the foundation) was … (10 comments)
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rotting wood: Can Pressure-Treated Deck Wood Rot?
- 01/12/17 03:01 AM
Can pressure-treated deck wood rot?
In short, the answer is yes.
Given enough time pressure-treated wood, even that rated for ground contact, will deteriorate and rot.
The bases of every post of this deck had rotted.
My pen is sticking into this one, and I could have pushed it further.
How long does it take to rot?
That depends on the grade!
If an inferior grade is used on decks, particularly if the wood extends below the surface of the soil, it will rot in only a few years.
Grades start at .25, and the wood will be labeled with the grade. The best grade (marine) will have a … (12 comments)
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rotting wood: When Wood Siding Is Too Close To The Ground
- 11/28/16 03:09 AM
This is what happens when wood siding is too close to the ground.
It gets wet, it rots, and it attracts termites!
Wood siding should be 4" or so from the ground whether that be soil or solid surface. Six inches would not be too far.
The further the better. When it is higher from the ground splashing water onto the wood is minimized.
The wood is not sitting in a moist or wet condition, so it is not wicking moisture.
And termites are less inclined to try to reach it with their mud tunnels.
But if wood siding is too close, even siding that has been … (7 comments)
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rotting wood: The Leaning Alcove
- 04/07/16 08:59 PM
Not entirely described in the photograph, I noticed the leaning alcove from the outside.
Then, when indoors, the floor going toward the door had a definite slope to it.
It is perched on a deck. It appeared to have been built much later than the house.
There can be only one reason why it would lean so much.
It lacks support. But why?
Resting on a deck, which was built very near to the ground, and in a shady yard, rot would be an issue.
And even termites.
If termites are attracted to the deck, they would therefore be attracted to the house.
But being so close to … (9 comments)
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rotting wood: When The House Rests On A Foundation Wall And Looks Like This ...
- 03/01/16 05:07 PM
When the house rests on a foundation wall and looks like this ...
From the outside I could see this house had problems - poor grading; leaky gutters; downspouts that were broken or missing; rain water regularly inundated the house around the foundation wall; a porch and a deck that were attached to the house to allow water into the structure. It was a mess.
I could have taken a zillion photos just like this one.
But redundancy is not more instructive.
One could almost hear the termites at work munching down at their Valhalla banquet.
It was a sight to behold. I thought I heard … (21 comments)
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rotting wood: When The Screwdriver Isn't Just For Screws
- 03/26/15 06:57 PM
When the screwdriver isn't just for screws.
Not that I haven't seen this before. It's just fun when you can use tools in different ways!
The inspection on this house saw repairs on every single column in front of this house. There are eight such columns.
Very recent "repairs" on each one were most evident. The "repair" material was soft to the touch, squishy when tapped on, painted unprofessionally, and obviously covering up rot. I could have stuck my finger inside the columns in many places.
It looked to this home inspector like every repair on EVERY column was stopgap, would … (69 comments)
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rotting wood: "You Home Inspectors Make Things Up!"
- 03/14/15 07:37 PM
That's what the very disturbed voice over the phone said, "You home inspectors make things up!"
My answer, "No sir. That's incorrect. Why are you calling?"
"My deck is made of wood that doesn't rot! You said the deck is rotting! I was told it would last forever!"
"Is this the inspection in Happytown VA? Did you not see my report?"
"No. I only needed to hear about it."
This is a phone call based in ignorance and a lack of initiative toward understanding. I have gotten such phone calls before. This was an easy one to deal with.
"Are you … (39 comments)
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rotting wood: And This After The Proclamation Of "Termite Free"
- 01/31/14 08:18 PM
My clients, Marine friends of my son, are being transferred to Quantico VA from California. They were unable to come to be present at the home inspection.
I am very uncomfortable when clients aren't present. It means I have to be more careful with photos and explanations that would not be necessary if they were present.
And necessarily, since they aren't present I have to be extra careful. They aren't present!
The house features a screened porch off the master bedroom.
Very nice feature!
But inside it I noticed some weird moisture, and could not determine where it was coming from.
… (20 comments)
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rotting wood: When You Install New Windows, It's Important To Caulk Them Well
- 03/26/13 08:42 PM
New window installation is a very common home improvement, and when you install new windows it's important to caulk them well.
At least I think so.
The feature list on the house proudly proclaimed that it had efficient, new windows recently installed. To me that is always a great feature.
So imagine how proud I was so see such fine caulking on this recent new window installation!
And all over the house!
The caulking was beautiful - smooth, small bead, very clean. They even used the right caulking - not the clear silicone so popular today!
It filled all the gaps … (24 comments)
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rotting wood: Be Sure To Check The Back Side (I'm Not Referring To People, People!)
- 10/20/12 11:43 PM
When you are on a home inspection and the feature list says to look at particular things, be sure to check the back side (I'm not referring to people, people!).
Yes, the features included a "beatifully refurbished and painted deck!"
OK, very nice. Let's have a look.
When I hear or see the word "refurbished," I am going to check out everything!
Now let's see, the "refurbishER," um:
1. Didn't notice this while caulking and painting it.2. Ran out of caulk.3. Thought the bare wood needed to breath.4. Was sure that since this is on the BACK SIDE nobody would notice … (19 comments)
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rotting wood: Beauty And The Beasts
- 03/11/11 10:56 PM
Once in a while you can walk around a house and see something really beautiful, and hope isn't the problem you think it might be. But try not to think out loud, something like, "We'll have to check that when we get inside."
This patio is a beauty. It is solid. No gaps. No moving bricks. No mortar deterioration. Angled slightly away from the house.
It is a beauty.
So why was I thinking out loud?
Because I am not a termite guy! But I talk to them. And they tell me that around here 90% of the time, when termites … (94 comments)
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rotting wood: Built In Termite Invite
- 12/04/10 11:47 PM
When first walking around the rear of a house, I saw a shed. At first glance it looked home made but okay!
Well, so then I noticed the collapsing roof.
... And the wood siding that is right on the ground, a big no no.
... And that it wasn't touching the house so lots of water would be getting inside.
... And that the door doesn't close properly, or even open very well.
But ASIDE from all that, hey, we have a shed!
I'm thinking garden tools, lawn mower, weed whacker, that sort of thing!
So I looked … (36 comments)
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rotting wood: Past Is Prologue
- 08/31/10 10:10 PM
An interesting email came the other day. It was from a former client, for whom I had done an inspection four years ago. His house at that time was only two years old. All the window trim on the house was beginning to rot.
My comment at that time was that this was a lot of rot developing in only two years, and that it would get worse. I also suggested that since it was on nearly window that the problem was likely due to improper installation. At that time I was unable to see what could have caused it, but … (41 comments)
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rotting wood: Replace Your Air Filter Regularly! OR The Mystery Of the Rotting Door Trim
- 08/03/10 10:04 PM
Sometimes things are found during home inspections that should not be there. And the reason has to be investigated. This can be a regular Hardy Boys mystery sometimes and can be a lot of fun!
It has been dry and on a patio not otherwise wet I saw the water you see here and the rotting wood. Whatever this problem was, it had been happening for some time. This part of the house is on a slab. It would be unusual, but not impossible, for water to be coming from under the door. There was no water source nearby. So what … (79 comments)
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rotting wood: We Don't Need No Stinkin' Flashing!
- 07/19/10 11:27 PM
Apparently the roof was leaking. So two things were done to "solve" the problem. A new layer of shingles was laid over the first (not always the best solution). And instead of placing flashing where it was needed, a few tubes of caulking were expended to stop any leaking!
Note: CAULKING IS NOT FLASHING!
This is what I saw from behind this house. Before I went inside I knew what we would be dealing with. This is a big red flag!
It is obvious that the roof sheathing is rotting. And from repairs on the siding it was obvious that … (31 comments)
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rotting wood: "I'm Calling To Say You're An Idiot"
- 03/01/10 10:43 PM
On inspections, I often leave my card and write something on it.
Sometimes it says, "The ice in the bin was not made by your ice maker, shame on you." But that was another story in another post.
Usually it just says, "Please call me with any questions." Not all home inspectors would invite this. I do.
This practice has gotten me other inspections in the past with either the sellers or agent of the property I inspected.
This time it got me a call.
"Is this the inspector?" "Yes. This is Jay." "I'm calling to say you're an idiot!"
This … (28 comments)
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rotting wood: The Long Arm Of The Law
- 01/28/10 06:32 PM
Arriving early at a home inspection in a condo development, just after sun up, I did my usual walk around to check out the general upkeep of the units. It was very cold.
This gives me information about the condo association and how on top of maintenance it is generally.
I was met by a lady standing on her lower-level patio. She saw the sign on my car and thought to take advantage. She said her column was rotting at the bottom and would I mind looking at it.
"Why is it rotting? My neighbor's column on the balcony above … (14 comments)
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rotting wood: Flat Roof, Snow Cover, Lots Of Rot
- 01/01/10 10:58 PM
A roof is best looked at from the roof. There are times when binoculars are the best alternative to that. But for the most part being up on the roof is the best way to assess it.
But only when it's safe!
I ended the year with a late afternoon, New Year's Eve inspection of a country store with an attached warehouse.
The roof was flat and not that high, 20' or so.
It was easily accessible.
There were two problems:
From underneath I could see many areas of rotting, broken wood, with various holes through the under layment. It had … (10 comments)
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rotting wood: Going Postal
- 10/06/09 09:54 AM
Not often does do I have the opportunity to go back to a house following a home inspection. I inspected this particular house just a couple of weeks ago. And, in addition to its problems, it had high radon, requiring remediation, which the sellers had to accomplish. So my clients asked me back to do a follow-up radon test.
When I arrived the front porch, which had many problems noted on the inspection report, presented itself!
So I looked around!
First, I looked at the newel posts on the front guardrail. Both had been rotting, high and low, and one … (11 comments)
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Was this staining outside indicative of a problem inside?
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