THE EXTERIOR of Your Home

 

The exterior of your home. This is another part of the envelope that is your home's covering. It is basically the coverings that keep out all of the outside things that you don't want to come in.  The exterior cladding ( house coverings ), windows, eaves, and exterior doors are some of the main components listed in the exteriors.

 

The basic types of cladding in our area are the ever-popular stucco, masonry like brick or block materials, and standard siding.

 

All of these types are prone to general cracking and should be sealed regularly. You will see this commonly come up on the report as anything over a 16th of an inch should be sealed to prevent premature weathering.

 

With your masonry, composite, wood, and vinyl exterior siding you're typically looking for installation issues, moisture damage as well as the openings that should be sealed.

 

With stucco, block, and other masonry covering. It is important to look for types of cracks and openings along with moisture-related conditions as well.

 

Cracks in straight lines are typically considered general on most occasions. It is when you find diagonal or stair-step cracks that can indicate settlement or other related issues.

 

Paint is ever so important for the look and sale of a house but it's never part of the price. We look for thin, faded paint along with weathered and missing areas. All exteriors should be properly painted with a thick coat to prevent related conditions over time like moisture intrusion, rot, and pest issues. Most standard paints last up to 10 years before needing to be updated. Also, many of the HOA's are requiring this as well.

 

With windows, you basically want to make sure the exterior trim is proper with no gaps that can allow for water intrusion to the frame. This is quite common, especially with the new vinyl windows.

 

You're always going to pay attention to if there's any moisture between the pains or rambling that's visible. This is typically an indication that the interior seal has gone bad, and the windows will need repair in time.

 

There are all types of flashings on the exterior of your home as well. Most of them are not visible to the standard observer. These areas we just wanna make sure these are trim and flush to prevent pest intrusion and ensure proper shedding of water. We find plenty of times when the bees, mice, and other things want to live in these openings when they are present.

 

As far as your eaves go. I recommend just taking a walk around the house and looking up. You're looking for cracking wood, stains or other indications that the roof may be in need of repair. This is one of the first locations where you can see signs of deteriorated underlayment before you get a bigger leak inside of the home. This is also one of the number one places that paint is missed.

 

Thank you, as always for reading  We are truly trying to keep your homes happy and healthy as well as make the sale of the house as simple and headache-free as possible. Remember inspections don't cost you money they save you money™️.