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Winter conditions make tracing water leaks & rot easy (C) Daniel Friedman Building Exterior Repairs
Home Page & Index to Articles

This page provides our index to articles about inspecting & repairing all components of building exteriors & also about building sites.

These articles explain how to find, diagnose, and repair building exterior defects on residential and most commercial buildings, including chimneys, decks, drives, exterior paint and stain, gutters, patios, rot, mold, or termite damage, exterior stairs and railings, wall siding and trim, windows, doors, & walks.

From choosing an adhesive to water entry to winterizing a building, we explain how to diagnose & cure troubles on the building exterior. This article series explains how to find, diagnose, repair & prevent building exterior building & building site defects for most building types and properties.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Guide to Diagnosing & Repairing Building Exterior Defects, Failures, Leaks, & Other Problems

Wind damaged vinyl siding (C) Daniel Friedman

Building exterior troubleshooting from A to Z:

Building exterior troubleshooting topics explained include attic condensation, chimneys, environmental hazards, vinyl siding defects, masonite or other hardboard siding, exterior paint failures, lightning protection, above ground and buried oil tanks, septic systems, termites, proper use of vapor barriers, and structural rot.

We explain how to identify, diagnose, repair or prevent building defects and environmental hazards associated with building exteriors, site conditions and the building envelope. Links on this page direct the reader either directly into an in-depth article on the topic or to our collection of such articles.

To find what you need quickly, if you don't want to scroll through this index you are welcome to use the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX to search InspectApedia for specific articles and information.

Scroll down to see detailed articles on building exterior component inspection, diagnosis, and repair, chimneys, vinyl siding, hardboard siding, synthetic stucco, lightning protection, paint failures, oil storage tanks, roof leaks, slate roofing, asphalt shingle roofing, and septic systems.

This includes explanation of causes of building exterior defects, how to spot them, how to repair them, and how to prevent them.

Building Exteriors: Identification, Inspection, Troubleshooting, Repair

Early Classic Revival Architecture (C) Carson Dunlop Associates Greek Revival Architecture (C) Carson Dunlop Associates

Photograph of a damaged masonry chimney.

Photograph of  peeling paint on a building exterior - can you diagnose this failure by eye?

oil tank perforation and leak indoors (C) Daniel Friedman

Roof slope definitions and illustrations (C) Carson Dunlop Associates

Photograph of  a conventional septic tank during installation.

Deteriorated serpentine stone exteirior, discussed by Powers cited at InspectApedia.com

Flood lines in a crawl area (C) Daniel Friedman

Above: mud-dirt flood line on the heating furnace in this home is a sure indication of a history of flooding.

Guide to Inspecting, Diagnosing, Repairing Skylights, Windows & Doors

Steel casement windows with lead putty glazing (C) Daniel Friedman

See WINDOWS & DOORS - home, for our complete list of articles on building skylights, doors and windows, including the topics listed just below.

Synthetic Stucco, EIFS Siding Products, Failures, Litigation, Services

Photograph of EIFS synthetic stucco building interior.

EIFS is an abbreviation for "Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems" or "barrier", a synthetic stucco material which is usually applied over a system of solid foam insulation board and synthetic fabrics to form a stucco building exterior surface.

There have been substantial building failures and costly damage at many EIFS covered buildings, primarily because the EIFS-covered building exterior may leak into the building walls but the foam insulation used beneath this stucco method may not allow moisture to escape from building cavities.

See SIDING EIFS & STUCCO for details about this topic.

Readers should also see STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION.

Hardboard, Composite, List of "Masonite"-type Siding Failures & Claims Information, Hardboard Siding Failure Diagnosis, Repair, Proper Installation

Photograph of deteriorated hardboard siding.

For full information on hardboard siding, see SIDING HARDBOARD IDENTIFICATION & CLAIMS.

Hardboard, Composite, "Masonite"-type Siding: failure and leak inspection, siding repair, siding litigation, hardboard siding class action lawsuits and settlements are listed here:

Note: Some construction writers are of the opinion that Fiber cement building siding, originated by James Hardie Products (HardiePlank®) is a more durable alternative to hardboard siding. Other fiber cement siding product lines include Maxi-Panel, Maxi-Plank, Cemplank, & FortaFiber.

VAPOR BARRIERS - on and in buildings; needed behind vinyl siding

Vinyl Siding Failures, Diagnosis, Repair, Proper Installation

Photograph of - damaged vinyl siding

Vinyl siding used as building exterior wall cladding has its own installation requirements, inspection methods (which should look for failure-related installation errors such as improper detailing of J-channel around windows, as well as its own reporting and repair requirements.

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2022-09-05 by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - do cedar shakes need replacing

@John Silva,

Yes, at least some areas may need replacement. IF there are water leaks into its walls .

On 2022-09-05 by John Silva

Should i replace shingles on my house? I am thinking of replacing these shingles with vinyl siding. Is it a good idea?

Cedar shakes siding repair (C) InspectApedia.com JohnSilva

On 2022-09-05 by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - home inspection needed before buying a house

@Aslam,

When you are ready to make an offer or have made one, "subject to buyer's approval of the results of a professional home inspection ", then have an inspection performed.

On 2022-09-05 by Aslam

@InspectApedia-911, I am looking at 50+ houses; how would I get an inspection done on 50 houses? It would cost way too much. I am trying to narrow down my options before proceeding with 2-4 houses.

On 2022-09-05 by InspectApedia-911 (mod)

@Anonymous,

Yes but ... you should not proceed to buy a home without a complete home inspection, covering ALL topics, performed by an independent home inspector who has no conflict of interest (such as recommendations by the real estate agent).

Else you have no idea of what work is needed nor in what order.

With that information you can decide what topics need an actual repair cost estimate so that you have a more-accurate understanding of the actual cost of the home.

On 2022-09-04 by Aslam

@InspectApedia , I am a new home buyer. Can I just contact the seller's agent and ask them whether I can send an inspector to the house? Or should I accompany the inspector? I have never done inspections on the house before, if you can shed some light, that would be awesome.

On 2022-09-04 by InspectApedia (mod) - repair estimates depend on results of home inspection

@Aslam,

From one photo, it is impossible for anyone to give you an estimate on the repair costs for this home, both in general and for those specific areas you've circled.

Without a thorough onsite inspection, there is no way to know what may be involved, both interior and exterior, including potential water leaks, rotting wood, roof issues, ventilation and insulation concerns, wiring and plumbing upgrades, among many potential areas of need.

For example, we don't know whether that entry deck is completely rotted and needs to be replaced or whether it's simply needs minor repairs.

In addition, the costs of materials and labor can vary greatly based on the location of the home, so again, impossible to estimate from a picture alone. It generally costs more to make repairs that are high off the ground such as that upper roof edges because one has to work from ladders and scaffolds.

A very thorough onsite inspection of the home is needed in order to assess the damages and then seek estimates from local professionals to get the potential range of repair costs.

You need to set priorities for the repairs. Things that are causing rapid expensive damage, that are unsafe, or that flat don't work reliably are your top priorities.

In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor services, nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

More about us is at ABOUT InspectApedia.com https://inspectapedia.com/Admin/About_InspectApedia.php

On 2022-09-04 by Aslam

How much would it cost to repair the exterior of this house (Attached image)? What type of repair would it need? I am trying to bring the house in decent condition.

Home exterior repair needs (C) InspectApedia.com Aslam

On 2021-09-29 by inspectapedia.com.moderator

@Jesse Bridges,

There isn't one single structure for that purpose, and not all buildings have rain protection of the front entry.

Perhaps you're referring to an entry porch and entry porch roof.

On 2021-09-28 by Jesse Bridges

What is the name of the structure that protects your from the rain as you go into the house? It's an A framed structure - part of a 2 family unit

On 2021-09-07 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - leaks because siding was not installed correctly

@Matthew G,

Your private inspector is suggesting spending thousands of times more in a proposal that may not be necessary.

Certainly if there's a leak at the bottom of siding, it seems questionable that you would need to remove all the siding from a building. That's the kind of advice that's tempting when you're spending somebody else's money and not your own.

What I mean to say is that it's really worth getting an accurate diagnosis of the problem before we start throwing money at it.

It doesn't sound very precise to simply say there's a leak, pull all the siding off.

On 2021-09-07 by Matthew G

I have LP Smartsiding that was not installed correctly, doesn't overhang foundation enough, and now we have leaks in 2 rooms. House was built in 2021 and the builder can't find the source of the leak. They're proposing cutting off 5 inches around entire house, installing flashing and a trim board along bottom of house. Our private inspector recommends removing it all and installing correctly instead of bandaid fix from builder. Thoughts?

On 2021-06-02 by mak.church (mod)

@tina, Please see the below articles which address your question:

ELECTRICAL WIRE CLEARANCE

GAS METER CODES & CLEARANCE DISTANCES and

GAS PIPING CLEARANCES, CODES & DEFECTS

Let us know if you have additional questions.

On 2021-06-01 by tina

what is the safe distance between a 2inch gas line and electrical line. Can they be 3 inches apart at a joint?

On 2020-10-12 by danjoefriedman (mod) - best adhesive for covering glass block

I think the answer depends in part on how large is the glass block area to be covered. If it were a smaller area, I might use a mortar or stucco mix

On 2020-10-11 by AlexEnergy5

What is the best adhesive for covering glass block on the exterior with aluminum sheathing? Is there another better way to cover glass block on the outside of a house (other than 2 coats of good quality paint) ?

On 2020-08-11 6 - by (mod) - Hardieplank is buckling

Barry

Thank you for your generous comments.

Often buckling is from improper nailing (too-tightly butted siding sections against vertical obstructions for example) combined with moisture uptake, but absent a site investigation that's mere speculation.

You might find a suitable onsite inspector who is familiar with Hardieplank and who can document the situation clearly by checking among the inspectors in our page top EXPERTS DIRECTORY.

Sorry I'm not available for field work - retired and quarantined from COVID-19

but if specific reports are available or technical questions arise, I'll be glad to offer limited pro bono assistance as we may both learn something.

On 2020-08-10 by Barry Schenof

I'm a real estate lawyer in Washington, DC (who happened to study architecture for a year). A long-time client owns a shopping center in nearby Virginia. Recently, a large portion their exterior was reclad in Hardieplank. The job was finished in February 2020. There are now portions of the boards that are waiving.

We are looking for someone to advise about what is a practical fix. There are more details I can provide by phone or otherwise. Would you be available to assist or can you recommend someone else? Your expertise is jaw-dropping along with your unselfishness in sharing it with the public. Barry Schenof 202-316-0200

On 2020-05-10 - by (mod) -

I'd start by a careful inspection outside to look for a leak source.

That tear-drop shape and tan color suggest a leak from above in just that location.

On 2020-05-10 by zogos@outlook.com

Hi
Hope you can help. I attached a photo of one of the stains on our rendered wall. There's a few more of these. How do I deal with them? look forward to your reply. Cheers

Tan teardrop shaped stain on wall (C) InspectApedia.com Zoe

On 2020-03-2 - by (mod) - 1952 Massachusetts home has fiber board exterior sheathing

Mike:

What kind of fiberboard?

Fiber cement board can be very durable while all-wood-product fiberboard is not durable, particularly close to ground where it is subject to rain splash-up or in other locations where, believe it or not, it gets wet.

What was the original siding on your 1952 MA home?

See FIBERBOARD SHEATHING IDENTIFICATION

On 2020-03-20 by Mike

Looking at a house built in 1952 in Massachusetts, which has fiber board exterior sheathing. Was this a good option in 1952? Is it likely still viable as is?
Thanks,
Mike

On 2020-02-20 - by (mod) -

Luke that is one option, yes.

On 2020-02-20 by Luke

Do you use 2X6's for outer walls and plywood and siding over the plywood

On 2019-11-23 - by (mod) - front threshold landing level with interior floor

What your local code inspector requires may vary by country and city and jurisdiction. However is quite common for the walking surface of the landing to be the same as the walking surface of the interior floor. Typically the door threshold is slightly above that level.

Where there's a concern for water entry or for snowfall blocking the ability to exit door where a storm door or main door swings out, the local inspector may permit a step down but that's generally not the case. If you could attach a photo that would be helpful

On 2019-11-23 by Frog

We have a brand new cement landing for the front door of our house. The cement was poured right up to the door threshold and now we can't replace the old door with a new one because of how the cement was poured.

Also given that the cement is right up to the threshold there is also a fear that when it rains that water will come in thru the front door since its threshold is level with the cement. Is there some general specs that outline how many inches below the door threshold the cement should be poured or some best practice?

On 2019-11-13 - by (mod) -

Public / Exterior

Using the "Search the InspectApedia website" search box and button just above,

a search for "stair step riser height" finds what you want:

STAIR RISER SPECIFICATIONS

On 2019-11-13 by Public Staircase

Steps & Riser


...

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Or see EXTERIORS of BUILDINGS FAQs - questions & answers posted originally at this page

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EXTERIORS of BUILDINGS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to EXTERIORS of BUILDINGS

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