Building Material Issues
As a homeowner, you face the potential of having one or more problems arise in your home. While some deterioration in the condition of your home is expected as a result of aging, some building materials have been determined to be faulty or defective due to their design, installation or both.
The most common building material issues present in North Florida are exterior insulation finish systems (EIFS), more commonly known as synthetic stucco, and Louisiana-Pacific siding, both of which are discussed below. Additionally, please find links to other serious problems regarding building materials.
Note that Chinese Drywall has not been an issue in North Florida. The concern arose in South Florida where Chinese drywall was heavily imported. Much of that drywall contained an unknown chemical that indeed was corrosive and/or toxic (not all drywall from China is/was contaminated). Contaminated Chinese drywall has been tracked in homes built from 2001-2007 in South Florida. For more information see http://chinesedrywall.com . Although it is not likely to find homes in North Florida containing contaminated Chinese drywall, all of our inspectors, as a precaution, check for the signs that indicate the presence of said product. The few cases that have been discovered in North Florida were exclusively found in custom-built homes.
The most common building material issues present in North Florida are exterior insulation finish systems (EIFS), more commonly known as synthetic stucco, and Louisiana-Pacific siding, both of which are discussed below. Additionally, please find links to other serious problems regarding building materials.
Note that Chinese Drywall has not been an issue in North Florida. The concern arose in South Florida where Chinese drywall was heavily imported. Much of that drywall contained an unknown chemical that indeed was corrosive and/or toxic (not all drywall from China is/was contaminated). Contaminated Chinese drywall has been tracked in homes built from 2001-2007 in South Florida. For more information see http://chinesedrywall.com . Although it is not likely to find homes in North Florida containing contaminated Chinese drywall, all of our inspectors, as a precaution, check for the signs that indicate the presence of said product. The few cases that have been discovered in North Florida were exclusively found in custom-built homes.
Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS)/ Synthetic Stucco
Some synthetic stucco homes look fine from the outside, but there can be problems hiding beneath the surface. The problems arise primarily from small cracks and caulk joints around windows and doors that can let water leak in behind the EIFS. Left unattended, these leaks can cause the wood underneath to rot, literally causing your home to rot from the inside out.
Getting your house tested is part of the solution, but the key is making sure the testing is done right. An inexperienced tester may know to test around the windows because they know water is likely to come in there, but they may not know to test in other locations where the water can travel and settle afterwards.
First, a surface scanning device is used to check for moisture. If these readings indicate a potential problem, more intrusive testing is done with a device known as a moisture meter. Roof flashings are inspected, sealants are checked around doors and windows, and grade level back wrapping is inspected for termites and moisture. Any moisture level above 19% is considered high; above 30% is considered saturated.
If you have any concerns about your home, you should call us right away, because ignoring potential problems will only multiply their severity and the cost of repairs. For more information regarding synthetic stucco visit http://homebuying.about.com/cs/syntheticstucco/a/eifs_facts.htm
Getting your house tested is part of the solution, but the key is making sure the testing is done right. An inexperienced tester may know to test around the windows because they know water is likely to come in there, but they may not know to test in other locations where the water can travel and settle afterwards.
First, a surface scanning device is used to check for moisture. If these readings indicate a potential problem, more intrusive testing is done with a device known as a moisture meter. Roof flashings are inspected, sealants are checked around doors and windows, and grade level back wrapping is inspected for termites and moisture. Any moisture level above 19% is considered high; above 30% is considered saturated.
If you have any concerns about your home, you should call us right away, because ignoring potential problems will only multiply their severity and the cost of repairs. For more information regarding synthetic stucco visit http://homebuying.about.com/cs/syntheticstucco/a/eifs_facts.htm
Louisiana-Pacific Inner-Seal Siding
Louisiana-Pacific has been held responsible for manufacturing faulty siding that was found to prematurely deteriorate under normal weather conditions. To determine if there is a problem with your siding, look first for possible maintenance problems, such as cracked or missing caulking; cracking, peeling or fading paint (especially along the bottom drip edges); damaged siding or trim; and damaged or blocked flashings, gutters and downspouts. Pay particular attention to the condition of the caulking and paint on the bottom drip edges. Those are points where moisture is most likely to penetrate. Also, check for mold, mildew and fungus. Although such growth does not necessarily signal that there is a problem with the siding, they are symptomatic of moisture or humidity from which all wood needs to be protected. For more information see http://www.siding4u.com/failing-siding-help.php .
If you do not think you have L-P siding or if your lap siding was made by L-P and it looks fine, you still may want to have it professionally inspected. A thorough and regular inspection of your home’s exteriors is good preventive maintenance, regardless of the kind of siding you have. Our home inspectors check siding as part of our routine home inspection to see if anything seems out of the ordinary. If you want to schedule a special siding inspection, please contact us.
Links for Other Building Material Issues
Polybutylene Pipe - http://www.polybutylene.com/poly.html
Lead-Based Paint - http://www.epa.gov/lead/
Water Heater Dip Tube - http://diptube.info/
Masonite Siding - http://ehow.com/about_5375139_masonite-siding-problems.html
Georgia Pacific Siding - http://www.toolbase.org/Home-Building-Topics/Mold-Moisture/moisture-problems-engineered-wood
If you do not think you have L-P siding or if your lap siding was made by L-P and it looks fine, you still may want to have it professionally inspected. A thorough and regular inspection of your home’s exteriors is good preventive maintenance, regardless of the kind of siding you have. Our home inspectors check siding as part of our routine home inspection to see if anything seems out of the ordinary. If you want to schedule a special siding inspection, please contact us.
Links for Other Building Material Issues
Polybutylene Pipe - http://www.polybutylene.com/poly.html
Lead-Based Paint - http://www.epa.gov/lead/
Water Heater Dip Tube - http://diptube.info/
Masonite Siding - http://ehow.com/about_5375139_masonite-siding-problems.html
Georgia Pacific Siding - http://www.toolbase.org/Home-Building-Topics/Mold-Moisture/moisture-problems-engineered-wood