Leaks, Leaks, and More Leaks!

The Exterior Design Institute (EDI), based in Norfolk, Virginia, is “a non-profit organization founded for the purpose of training and certifying Building Envelop and EIFS Inspectors and Moisture Analysts to promote quality control within the EIFS industry.”

Recently, the authors of this website were certified by EDI to perform building envelope inspections.

The “building envelope”, in simple terms, is the outside of our homes. Water infiltration is the #1 cause of damage to any residence. Moisture enters the home in many different ways. It also originates inside the home, and tries to get out in many different places. Locating and resolving those sources of moisture intrusion quickly can drastically reduce the causes of costly damage to any residence.

When hiring an inspector, consider their qualifications. Have you ever heard the adage “If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail?” If your inspector doesn’t have the proper training to diagnose problems in a house you’re buying or selling, will the inspector be any help to you?

We’re here to help.

Leap Year Quiz – What Do You See In This Picture?

Here’s a leap year quiz for Kansas City Home Inspections. What do you see in this picture?

Just to help you understand what you’re looking at: This is a picture of a roofing section just above a front door of a split level home. The roof intersects with the wall of the upper level of the home.

Notice that the shingles are “wavy”? They don’t lay nice and flat. This indicates that there are multiple layers of roofing materials. If you look closely, just above the gutter, you’ll see two drip caps. This also provides suspicions of multiple roofing layers. Layered roofs won’t last as long as the manufacturer may have indicated. They can’t lay flat on roof decking, and will wear out much sooner than expected because of this.

The siding material is composite wood. Notice how it’s in contact with the shingles? Proper installation of this siding requires that this siding have a 1-2″ clearance from the roofing material. The gap should be protected by metal step flashing, and, hopefully, the siding would be painted on the bottom edge. In this installation, there has been caulking applied to the roof/wall intersection. This is a temporary attempt to keep water from damaging the siding. Too late – the siding is already deteriorating – Notice the cracking in the paint and holes in the siding? Rot has already started in the siding and wood trim (further up the roof).

Also notice the lack of a “kick-out” flashing. The kick-out would be an extention of the step flashing (not visible) that would extend through the siding and divert water into the gutter. Without this, any water running down that caulking will seep behind the siding and into the house structure. The second picture is of the interior on the other side of this wall. Notice the moisture stains on the wall? This type of moisture damage will often lead to mold in the wall and insulation, and rot in the interior structure. Damage can also extend into lower levels as well. (Click here to see an example kick-out)

Anyone notice anything else?

The situation that has been discussed here is very common in the Kansas City area and home inspectors should always point this out. Proper repairs are required by a professional roofer to get the flashing corrected. In this case, a siding contractor would be required to make repairs to the siding, and general contractor may be needed to fix interior wall damage.

Flashing: Its Not Just Something Ray Stevens Sang About

Ethel may not have looked, but good home inspectors do.

Flashing is intended to keep water out of the structure of your home and will undoubtedly be the subject of many future articles on this website.

All too often, homes are built without flashing in needed areas. Flashing is intended to make the exterior building envelope weather-tight to protect the interior from weather. Anywhere water can enter the structure should have flashing.

Lack of flashing above window trim, door trim, any projecting wood trim, wall and roof intersections (and so on) can and will lead to moisture problems later. Wood rot and mold are the most common results of missing flashing. Many home owners try to compensate for the lack of flashing by using caulk and exterior sealants, but unless those are maintained on a regular basis, will fail sooner or later. Often, those sealants even fail in spite of proper maintenance.

Flashing can be inexpensive to install while a house is being constructed, but is much more costly to install at a later date, depending on the location. Damage caused by the lack of flashing can be extensive and much more expensive than the flashing repairs themselves. If you’re building a new home, take the time to talk with your builder to make sure flashings are installed in all the appropriate locations. Some of those locations are shown in the photos below.

 

As I said, lack of proper flashing on the exterior of a home is a common problem in the Kansas City area, and will be the subject of many articles in the future.