Critical Issues With Water Damage

Sometimes, particularly with first-time homebuyers, the more obvious cosmetic home concerns, such as landscaping, painting and flooring overshadow the more critical issues, such as water damage, which can have serious consequences and cost quite a bit to correct or repair.

Surveys found structural damage, plumbing systems and water seepage are three of the most commonly found defects in older homes for sale.

Some Examples Of Water Damage

Some of the water problems to keep an eye out for during the inspection include: · Water seepage and wet basements. If you have small cracks in the foundation and porous walls, heavy rains can potentially build up against the foundation and ultimately leak into your basement and could eventually cause serious and costly structural concerns. How do you alleviate the problem? Make sure those foundation cracks are sealed. Also, surface water run-off should drain away from the house. Direct gutter downspouts away from the foundation. · Roof leaks. The biggest problem area is the flashing, the areas where the roof plane changes, like at a chimney or plumbing vent. Regularly check your flashings. Check the interior of your roof at least once a season. If you have constant leaks in the attic, damage or mold growth in the insulation can occur.

· Poor water pressure. This can be a sign of water service supply deficiencies or costly piping upgrades. First you should determine if the problem might be caused by blocked faucet aerators, partially closed or defective faucets. If you have old galvanized piping in your house, the issue might be interior corrosion or deposit build-up. The best thing you can do is replace the blocked sections of pipe. And perhaps the biggest water issue these days is mold, which can cause panic in homeowners and is prompting the number of insurance claims and amount of jury awards that are on the rise. Mold has been around for years and is commonly found in homes. But while often harmless, too much of certain kinds of mold in a home can be dangerous. Mold always indicates excessive moisture and the source should be corrected immediately.

Mold Damage

The following steps should be taken to prevent mold growth: · Wash mold off hard surfaces and then dry them completely. Absorbent materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, may have to be replaced. · Keep drip pans in your air conditioner, refrigerator and dehumidifier clean and dry. · Use exhaust fans or open windows in kitchens and bathrooms when showering, cooking or using the dishwasher. · Place vents for clothes dryers and bathroom exhaust fans outside the home. · Remove and replace flooded carpets and drywall. · Maintain low indoor humidity, ideally between 30-50 percent relative humidity. Humidity levels can be measured by hygrometers, which can often be found at local hardware stores. · Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products. · When painting the home, add mold inhibitors to paint. · Do not carpet bathrooms. If the problem persists, or if anyone in the house is susceptible to mold and mildew, have the problem evaluated by an expert in mold/moisture intrusion.

Market INsider

Avoiding Window Leaks

These days a lot of homeowners are replacing their old windows with vinyl windows using the retrofit style of window frame. This is particularly true in the west. The number one argument that I have heard against using the retrofit method, is that it is susceptible to water leaks.
That's true if you don't do it properly. But, if you do a complete tear out of your old window down to the studs, you're going to have water leak issues there as well if you don't install the new window properly If you are installing retrofit frames against a stucco house, you want to put a thick bead of sealant right on the outside face of the old window frame, all the way around. Latex caulk should work fine, but if you want to spend a little more to get the best sealant available, use 100% silicone. Depending on the number of windows you will be doing, this extra cost can add up. You pay approximately $1 for a tube of acrylic latex caulk, and $4 or more for a tube of 100% silicone. You are going to use 1-3 tubes per window, depending on the size. So you can see how it could add up.
Here is a trick to save a little money; The most vulnerable part of your installation is the top of the window, because gravity will have the water running down from the roof to the ground. It's not likely that water is going to find it's way through the sides or bottom. So, carry two caulking guns, and load one with the silicone, and the other with the acrylic caulk. Run the silicone across the top of the old frame, and caulk the sides and bottom. Then, put your new window into the opening and have a helper hold it firmly in place while you plumb and level it, then screw it into place. After you have the window completely installed, your final step should be to caulk where the retrofit lip meets the stucco You now have a double barrier against water infiltration. After about a week, check the sealant around each window for signs of cracking. Because stucco is usually uneven, there could have been gaps that were larger in some areas than in others. If you don't force the caulk into the gap to completely fill it, the caulk can sag before drying, causing a crack to form. Simply recaulk over any cracks that you see. You can check the silicone on top as well, but because silicone dries like a rubber substance, you shouldn't see any cracks there.

I pull out all the stops to sell your home.
Lonnie Snyder
REALTOR ®
Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound
Phone: 206-406-2710

Lonnie Snyder is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Washington's Kent, Renton, Newcastle and South Bellevue.