10 Residential Inspection fire marshal, or both, for detailed These materials are designed to 2 information. serve as a weathertight, decora- tive skin and, in warm climates Building Exterior Additional information on the should be light in color to reduce evaluation and treatment of his- After the site inspection has been heat absorption. Inspect exterior toric building exteriors is present- completed, systematically inspect claddings as follows: ed in the Secretary of the Inter- the building’s exterior for its con- ior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, � Exterior wood elements. dition and weathertightness. available full text online at Inspect all painted surfaces for Begin either at the foundation http://www2.cr.nps.gov/tps. peeling, blistering, and check- and work up or begin at the roof ing. Paint-related problems and work down. Examine the When universal design is a part of may be due to vapor pressure - quality and condition of all exteri a rehabilitation, consult HUD pub- beneath the paint, improper or materials and look for patterns lication Residential Remodeling paint application, or excessive of damage or deterioration that and Universal Design for detailed paint buildup. Corrective mea- should be further investigated information about entrances, sures for these problems will during the interior inspection. doors, and decks. vary from the installation of Determine the building’s architec- moisture vents to complete tural style and note what should paint removal. Mildew stains be done to maintain or restore its 2.1 on painted surfaces do not integrity and character. See Foundation Walls hurt the wood and may be Chapter 4 for assessing structural and Piers cleaned with a mildew components of the building. remover. Foundation walls and piers in In regions of medium to high All wood elements should small residential buildings are seismic activity, buildings with be checked for fungal and usually made of masonry and irregular shapes (in either plan or insect infestation at exposed should be inspected for cracking, elevation) may be especially vul- horizontal surfaces and exteri- deterioration, moisture penetra- nerable to earthquakes. Examine or corner joints, as specified tion, and structural adequacy. See the building for such irregulari- for wood structural compo- Sections 4.3 and 4.4. Wood posts ties, and if present, consider con- nents in Section 4.7. and columns and concrete foun- sulting a structural engineer. Check the distance between dations and piers should be the bottom of wood elements In hurricane regions, examine inspected in accordance with and grade. In locations that screen and jalousie enclosures, Sections 4.7 and 4.9. have little or no snow, the dis- carports, awnings, canopies, tance should be no less than porch roofs, and roof overhangs six inches. In locations with to determine their condition and 2.2 significant, lasting snow, the the stability of their fastenings. Exterior Wall Cladding bottom of wood elements Then examine the following four Exterior walls above the founda- should be no less than six critical areas of the exterior to tion may be covered with a vari- inches above the average snow determine their condition and ety of materials, including wood depth. strength: roofs, windows, doors, siding or its aluminum and vinyl � and garage doors. Aluminum and vinyl siding. substitutes, wood or asbestos Aluminum and vinyl siding In locations where wildfires can cement shingles, plywood with may cover up decayed or occur, some jurisdictions have and without a medium density insect-infested wood but restrictions on the use of flamma- (plastic) overlay, stucco, brick or otherwise are generally low ble exterior materials. Check with stone masonry, and an exterior maintenance materials. Check the local building official or the insulation and finish system. for loose, bent, cracked, or Residential Inspection 11 A second layer of shingles has filled the for- mer gap between roof and zsiding, causing the siding to deteriorate. Shingles are cupped and beginning to fail as well. The stucco is beginning to erode on this structure due to a poor roof drainage detail. A longer scupper would solve this problem. broken pieces. Inspect all caulked joints, particularly around window and door trim. Many communities require aluminum siding to be electrically grounded; check for such grounding. � Asbestos cement shingles. Like aluminum and vinyl sid- ing, asbestos cement shingles may cover decayed or insect- infested wood. Check for loose, cracked, or broken pieces and inspect around all window and door trim for signs of deterioration. � Stucco. Check stucco for cracks, crumbling sections, and areas of water infiltration. Old and weathered cracks may be caused by the material’s initial shrinkage or by earlier building settlement. New, sharp cracks may indicate movement behind the walls that should be investigated. Refer to Section 4.5 for prob- lems with masonry walls. It is difficult to match the color of stucco repairs to the original stucco, so plan to repaint sur- rounding stucco work where sections are mended. 12 Residential Inspection Brick or stone veneers. Exterior walls of older buildings protected from the weather. Inspect veneers for cracking, usually contain no thermal insula- These doors should be rated mortar deterioration, and tion. Examine behind the cladding for exterior use. spalling. Refer to Sections 4.3 when possible to determine the In warm climates, jalousie and 4.5 for the inspection of presence of insulation, if any, and doors may also be in use. Check above-ground masonry walls. assess the potential for insulating these doors to make sure the Exterior insulation and finish the exterior walls. louvers close tightly and in uni- son for weathertightness. systems (EIFS). EIFS, also Where mildew and mold are evi- Some buildings use glass known as synthetic stucco, has dent on exterior cladding or framed doors of fixed and been in widespread residential where interior walls are damp, operable panels that have use since the early 1990s. It there is the possibility that con- wood, vinyl-covered wood, and generally consists of the follow- densation is occurring in the aluminum frames. Check the ing product layers (moving out- walls. Moisture problems general- track of these sliding doors for ward): insulation board, mesh ly occur in cold weather when dents, breaks, and straight- and base coat layer, finish coat, outside temperatures and vapor ness. Check the glides of oper- and sealant and flashing. pressures are low and there are a able panels for wear and check EIFS was originally designed number of water vapor sources the sealing of fixed panels for as a nondraining water and within the building. The presence weathertightness. Note the moisture barrier system. A of moisture may be a result of an degree of physical security drainage-type EIFS that allows improperly installed or failed offered by doors and their water and moisture to pene- vapor barrier, or no vapor barrier locksets and pay special atten- trate the surface and then at all. If condensation is suspect- tion to pairs of hinged and drain away has been developed ed, an analysis of the wall sec- sliding doors. more recently. Most existing tion(s) in question should be Doors also should be EIFS in residential applications made. This analysis will provide inspected for the exterior con- is installed over wood framing the information necessary to dition of their frames and sills. and is of the nondraining type. make the needed repairs. Water leakage and consequent Check doors that are not pro- rotting of the wood framing tected from the weather for the have become serious problems 2.3 presence of essential flashing in many installations, especial- Windows and Doors at the head. ly at wall openings such as Glazing on exterior doors windows and doors, where Windows and doors are the most should be examined as de- inadequate flashing details can complex elements of the build- scribed in the following section allow water seepage into the ing’s exterior and should be on windows. The interior condi- wall interior. inspected from the outside as tion and hardware of exterior Manufacturers of EIFS differ follows: doors will be examined during in their installation methods. � Exterior doors should be the interior inspection. Inspecting existing EIFS is diffi- examined for their condition, In hurricane regions, check cult because it is a proprietary overall operation and fit, and exterior doors, and especially product and there are no stan- for the functionality of their double doors, for the presence dard construction details. Use hardware. Door types include of dead-bolt locks with a throw a trained specialist to check hinged, single and double length of no less than one inch. for concealed water damage doors of wood, steel, alu- � Windows should be inspected and rot. minum, and plastic with and for the exterior condition of without glazing. Check wood their frames, sills and sashes, and plastic doors that are not and for overall operation and Residential Inspection 13 older sashes should be exam- ined especially carefully since this is often the most vulnera- ble part of the window and its repair is time consuming. Examine glazing tapes or strips around glass panels in steel or aluminum sashes for signs of deterioration such as hardened sealant or poor fit. Check metal sashes for weep holes that have been blocked by paint, sealant, or dirt. Weep holes are usually easy to clean. Check windows that are not protected from the weather for the presence of essential flash- ing at the head. For windows close to the ground or easily accessible from flat roofs, note the degree of physical security pro- vided by the windows and their locks. In hurricane regions, check all windows and glass doors that are not protected by shut- ters to determine if they have been tested for impact resis- tance to windborne debris.