heads—a tedious undertaking.
Discoloration of siding along the base of the wall
could be caused by any of several factors: (1) siding
that’s too close to the ground, (2) nearby plants that
keep the siding damp, (3) splashback from roof run-
off, or (4) a badly positioned lawn sprinkler. All are
easy fixes themselves, but moisture may already
have caused the underlying framing to rot.
Imitation wood siding that delaminates or
sprouts fungus is probably exterior hardboard
that’s been discontinued because of class-action
lawsuits. Replace the siding.
Chronically peeling paint on the exterior walls
of bathrooms and kitchens is usually caused by
excessive room moisture migrating outdoors.
The remedy is usually to add a vent fan.
Stucco is strong and relatively maintenance-
free, but it will crack if the building shifts (see
“Tattletale Cracks” at right). Loose or bulging
stucco has separated from the lath behind it.
This is a modest repair, unless the problem is
Stepped cracks in mortar joints above doors
widespread. If you see extensive patching, be
and windows usually are caused by rusting steel
suspicious. Loose, crumbling stucco is common
lintels. Support the bricks above the opening
if the base of a wall is close to the soil or in con-
before replacing the lintel.
tact with it. This repair usually requires cutting
Vinyl or metal siding doesn’t require much
back the loose stucco and adding a weep screed
maintenance and protects the structure if it’s
(see p. 173) so water can drip free.
properly installed. However, if there are gaps
Newer homes with rot in the walls may have
between sections or where siding abuts trim, sus-
incorrectly installed “synthetic stucco,” or EIFS
pect a sloppy installation and hidden rot.
(exterior finish insulation system); this is espe-
cially a problem in the Southeast. Have an EIFS
WINdoWS aNd dooRS
specialist certify that the house is sound; this is a
headache you don’t need.
Is there flashing over doors and windows? If not,
Brick is strong but its joints may crack if the
suspect water damage behind.
foundation moves, whether from settling, frost
Examine windows and doors very carefully.
heave, or earth tremors. If a brick veneer half-
Are frames solid? Deteriorated window sashes
wall is pulling away from an exterior wall or if a
should be replaced, which can be expensive. Also
full-story brick facade is bowing outward, the
inspect doorsills and windowsills, which are rot-
metal ties holding the brick to the wall sheathing prone if water collects there.
may have rusted out. Repairs will be expensive.
Carefully inspect doors for fit and function.
This condition may also signal water damage
Look for signs of warping, sagging, or separation
and foundation problems. Eroded mortar joints
between rails and stiles. Examine the jambs of
can be repointed with mortar if the bricks are
exterior doors for damage from abuse, hardware
sound, however.
changes, or even forced entry.
Reading a House
13
Doors and windows badly out of square sug-
P R O T I P
Interiors
gest a house that has shifted and may still be
Armed with your outdoor observations, go inside.
shifting. This can result from poor drainage and
In areas with heavy rainfall and
Start with attics and basements, which are prime
an inadequately sized foundation.
expansive clay soils, it’s best to
places to look for signs of water damage, espe-
Swollen or rotted basement windows will
connect downspouts to solid
cially if they’re unfinished.
need to be replaced with durable all-vinyl units.
drainpipes that carry roof runoff
away from the foundation.
But first you’ll need to attend to drainage prob-
IN THe aTTIC
Flexible plastic drain extensions
lems that have allowed water to collect.
that run along the surface are
Review the notations you made about the roof,
also effective, though unsightly.
aRouNd THe HouSe
chimney, and eaves. Now look for outdoor–
indoor relationships such as missing flashing and
Walk around the house. Although you will be
stains on the underside of roof sheathing.
able to see more of the foundation inside, damp
basements and cracked foundations are often
Water damage is often visible in the attics of
caused by faulty drainage outside.
older homes.
Does the ground slope away from the base of
Water stains around plumbing vents, dormers,
the house? Or would runoff from the roof collect
and chimneys are more likely caused by failed or
next to the building? Is the soil damp or com-
missing flashing. If the wood is damp after a
pacted next to the house? Although drainage may rain, the leaks are active.
seem a minor factor, faulty drainage can cause
Dark brown stains around the chimney that
wet basements and even foundation failure.
smell of creosote are probably caused by cracked
Where do downspouts empty? Is runoff carried flue tile, which allowed caustic creosote com-
away from the house by drainpipes or, at the very
pounds to work their way through mortar joints.
least, are there splash blocks beneath downspouts
Such a chimney is unsafe to use and must be
to direct water away from the foundation?
either relined or replaced.
Mark the positions of foundation cracks on
Cracks in the chimney’s mortar joints may
your graph paper, especially cracks greater than
be caused by an undersize or shifting chimney
1⁄4 in. wide. Also look for signs of foundation
footing—another major cause of flue failure.
settling or leaning around downspouts, water
Ventilation and insulation are vital to a healthy
sources, and areas on the uphill side of the house.
house but are often misunderstood. Attics that
Inspect chimney bases closely, both where
lack adequate ventilation will be excessively hot
additions join the main house and where loads
in the summer. In winter in cold climates, inad-
concentrate on foundation bearing points. If
equately ventilated attics allow rising water
there’s cracking where the chimney base joins the vapor from the living area to collect as frost on
main house foundation or if the chimney base is
the underside of roof sheathing. The frost eventu-
tilting, it may be undersize and need replacing.
ally melts, soaks the sheathing, drips onto
Do bushes or dirt touch the siding? If so, prod the attic floor, and perhaps soaks through top-
the siding and splashbo
ard (also called a water
floor ceilings.
table), using the awl on your pocketknife. If the
Also in winter, inadequately ventilated attics
wood is soft, it may be retaining a lot of mois-
can trap warm air from below, which warms the
ture. Dirt can also be an avenue for termites, so
roof, causing snow to melt and run into
look for the telltale dirt tubes that termites con-
unwarmed overhangs where it refreezes, result-
struct, further discussed on p. 203.
ing in ice dams that can damage roofing and leak
P R O T I P
behind the siding. Adding soffit, gable, and ridge
vents sometimes alleviates these problems.
If you see tar or roof cement
Discolored rafters along the roof–wall joint
slathered around chimney bases,
Bricks and earthquakes and delaminated roof sheathing, coupled with
plumbing stacks, roof valleys,
and other roof joints, assume
stains at the top of interior walls below, are usu-
In earthquake country, brick chimneys may
leaks may have occurred there,
ally caused by warm, moist air migrating upward
break off at the roofline, fall through the roof,
either because flashing failed or
from living spaces. Often, that air escapes via
and harm inhabitants. A structural engineer can
was never installed. Tar can be
holes in the ceiling—whether recessed light fix-
analyze the chimney and suggest remedies,
a functional, though ugly, short-
tures, plumbing and wiring chases, or gaps
term fix, but be sure to replace
such as seismic steel bracing of the chimney to
around the chimney. Once you’ve air-sealed these
old flashing when installing a
the roof or removing the chimney above the
holes, then add insulation to the attic floor,
new roof.
roof and replacing it with metal flue pipe.
upgrade bath and kitchen vent fans, and other-
wise reduce excess moisture in living spaces.
14
Chapter 1
stories. Water stains on interior outside walls,
P R O T I P
especially above windows, may have multiple
causes: missing flashing, gaps between siding
In the attic, walk on the ceil-
and exterior trim, and leaks in the gutters or roof.
ing joists or use plank walkways
Crumbling drywall or plaster and extensive
across them. It’s unsafe to step
mold at the top of walls may be caused by
anywhere else. Wear a hard hat
exterior leaks or, just as likely, by excessive mois-
so roofing nails above don’t stab
ture in the living areas. If the problems are severe,
your head—another good reason
mold may be growing on framing inside the walls.
for that tetanus shot. You’ll likely
In extreme cases, after correcting the sources of
get dirty crawling around, so
moisture, you may need to tear out drywall or
dress down.
plaster and replace studs and plates.
Large diagonal cracks in drywall or plaster
at the corners of doors and windows may
correspond with cracks on the house exterior.
Such cracks suggest structural shifting and
Here, rafter rot, mildewed ceilings, and delaminating roof
foundation distress.
sheathing were largely caused by inadequate ventilation.
Door and window trim that tilts toward a
P R O T I P
common low point suggests failure in the sub-
Air-sealing, types of attic insulation, and
structure (girder, post, or pad) or in the founda-
methods of installing insulation are addressed in
tion itself.
people selling a house often
chapter 14.
spiff it up with a new coat of
paint—except inside the closets.
Water-stained attic floors and discolored attic
FLooRS aNd STaIRS
So it’s smart to inspect clothes
insulation often show roof leaks clearly. If mois-
Squeaky floors may take two minutes to repair
closets if they’re not too clogged
ture is making its way up from living spaces, the
or, if the cause is elusive, two days. Isolated floor
with clothes. That’s also an area
insulation’s underside may be moldy. Pull up
squeaks are annoying but rarely a sign of any-
you’ll often find exposed lead
affected sections and see if water has collected
thing serious.
paint in older homes. If you test
there and caused damage.
Excessively springy floors suggest subflooring
for lead paint, be sure that’s one
structural condition may be an issue if a roof
or underlayment that’s not strong enough to span
area you investigate.
was overloaded.
the distance between joists. Additional layers of
If the roof sheathing is bellying (sagging)
subflooring or flooring should firm things up.
between the rafters, it’s probably too thin and
should be replaced with thicker plywood when
you replace the roofing.
Are the rafters and ridge sagging? If so, you
should hire a seasoned contractor or a structural
engineer to see what the remedy might be. If this
zzzzzz Reinforcing a Roof
condition resulted from too many layers of roof-
Ridgeboard
Rafter
ing, stripping what’s on the roof may be all that’s
needed. However, deformed framing may need
Collar tie
Purlin
replacing or additional support, as shown in
“Reinforcing a Roof” at right.
Brace
Roof trusses must not be cut or modified or
their structural integrity will be compromised. If
you note cuts made to accommodate air ducts
and the like, the truss system should be inspected
by an engineer.
Load transferred
Ceiling joist
WaLLS
to walls below
Most homebuyers repaint or repaper walls to suit
their tastes. Instead of concerning yourself with
paint colors or wallpaper patterns, focus on sur-
faces that suggest underlying problems that may
require remedies.
Tired roof framing sometimes needs additional support
After consulting the notes you recorded out-
to keep rafters from sagging or spreading.
side, study wall–ceiling joints, which also can tell
Reading a House
15
Deteriorating flooring near an exterior door-
sill suggests that rain or snow has soaked the sill
and subflooring. You’ll need to replace damaged
materials and install an all-weather doorsill.
Widespread cracking in tile floors may result
from insufficient adhesive between tile and sub-
flooring or an underlayment that’s too thin and
thus not rigid enough. Repairing it may mean
tearing out the tile and perhaps the underlay-
ment before replacing both.
Cracked stair treads may be worn, undersize,
or inadequately supported by the carriages
underneath. If the problem is widespread,
remove the treads and examine the substructure.
Stairs sloping badly to one side with cracked
walls along the stair suggest a stair carriage that
is pulling loose from wall mountings or other
Any crack that runs through a foundation is serious.
framing members. If the underside of the stairs is
not accessible, repairing the problem can be
complex and costly.
Handrails and newel posts that wobble exces-
sively should be resecured. If balusters are missing,
P R O T I P
it can be costly to have replacements hand-turned
to match. As a cost-saving alternative, you might
To test whether a toilet is
be able to find replacements at a salvage yard.
securely mounted, bend over the
toilet, grab the edges of the bowl
(while wearing work gloves), and
KITCHeNS aNd BaTHRoomS
try to rock it from side to side. If
If there are stained, springy floors around the
the bowl moves slightly, tighten
base of a toilet, the subfloor and the joists below
the toilet nuts at the base—
may be water damaged. The cause of the leak
don’t overtighten or you’ll crack
may be simple—just a worn-out wax ring gasket
the porcelain—and then try
under the toilet. But if damage is significant, you
again. Next, try shimming
may need to pull up flooring and replace it.
the base. If it still rocks, the
subfloor may be spongy and need
Old resilient flooring that’s worn around the
The base of this wall was kicked out by a rotating
replacing.
edges is common and needs to be replaced.
foundation.
Damaged linoleum or vinyl around the base of
cabinets, shower stalls, tubs, and other fixtures
often foretells water damage below. If there’s an
If bathrooms or kitchens smell musty or are
unfinished basement beneath those fixtures, look mildewed, especially at the top of walls, there’s
there for damage. Otherwise, look for water dam- inadequate ventilation. Scrubbing walls and add-
age in finished ceilings below.
ing vent fans will probably cure the problem,
If tiled tub enclosures are in poor repair, test
unless the drywall is crumbling as well (see chap-
the firmness of the substrate behind by pushing
ter 14 for repair information).
with the heel of your hand. If the walls flex, the
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