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Professional Home Inspector and Inspection Service

Home Inspections, Atlanta, College Park, Stone Mountain, Roswell, Smyrna, West Point, Grantville, Peachtree City, Stockbridge 

There are many conditions in a home that can go unnoticed below floors, behind walls and above the living space ceilings. When a home is first built some settling can be expected and there can be settling cracks in exterior and interior finishes. Primarily, settling cracks in a new or existing home occur in drywall at the seams and joints. Elements like humidity and sunlight can cause unprotected wood surfaces to deteriorate or rot at a slow rate. However, there are two things that can cause serious damage. Termites and water can destroy wood components in a short time if allowed to go unchecked. Damage to any of the structural systems or building materials by water or termites can be expensive to repair and labor intensive.   

         Home Inspector Atlanta, Georgia and Metro Atlanta 404-755-9556    West Georgia 770-252-6700     Email: info@ppinspect.com       

 Lets start with termites. Whenever I get a call for a home inspection or to estimate a home, building or property for termite damage, the first things that come to mind is that non-treated wood is comming in contact with the ground, improper or defective coatings and finishes are on exterior wood, no termite shield was used at the foundation and wood seal plates, water is getting into the wood components of the structure, improper stucco applications were used, termite treatment is past due or moisture is allowing termites to travel above the soil by way of tunnels and began feasting on the building. Any masonry resting on soil and directly contacting the wood components or the structure will more than likely increase the chance of infestation. It appears that newer homes are seeing more termite damage than older ones. Because of tighter construction using vapor barriers, caulks and sealants, water and air can't get in but high humidity and moisture can't get out of these spaces also. Ventilation in walls and concealed spaces can be poor. (Click on photos to enlarge)

Water is the other destroyer of homes and buildings. Whenever a customer calls my remodeling company Atlanta House Surgeons to repair and replace wood damage caused by water, the four common water problems are roof leaks, plumbing leaks, water intrusion at penetrations like doors or windows and gutter malfunction. The cost to make repairs to these components are low compared to the structual damage and cost of professionals to make repairs. Also, clogged, improper or damaged gutters have been identified as a main cause of settling foundations, cracking in walls and brick veneer.

These are some of the best protection measures I've seen in 35 years  (1).There should always be a complete seperation between wood and masonry using a termite shield and or treated lumber. Even walls and ceilings should have seperation from masonry (2). Any wood materials (floor joist, seals, beams, girders and supports) should be 24 inches from the soil in the crawlspace (3). Any type of stucco has specific concerns: (a) window and door openings allow water in at the crack between the wood and stucco and water intrusion combined with stucco in contact with soil will allow termites to travel up into the home, caulk all cracks at windows and doors, maintain a water tight seal (b) synthetic stucco and scratch coat stucco should not contact soil, it should be 6 inches from the soil also. If your stucco is contacting soil on hard surfaces there are ways to correct the problem. (4). Try to keep the soil moisture content around and under the home below normal. I don't promote chemical termite treatments because of GREEN BUILDING but this is a choice.  

These are some cities in Georgia we provide professional certified home inspections and home Inspector services: Atlanta, Peachtree City, Brookhaven, Smyrna, Stone Mountain, College Park, Stockbridge, Midtown Atlanta, Roswell, Georgia. For a complete list of cities we serve visit our Home Inspector in Atlanta Page. Home Inspection in Atlanta, Home Inspection in College Park, Home Inspector Stone Mountain, Home Inspection in Smyrna, Home Inspector in Peachtree City,  Home Inspection Brookhaven, Home Inspector Stockbridge, Home Inspection Midtown Atlanta, Home Inspector in Roswell, Home Inspection in Grantville, Home Inspector in West Point, ... Georgia.

Depending on the materials and design, a home, structure or building can last a hundred years or more. There are buildings and structures from the past and built today that are designed to last 1000 years. You can see this in many existing structures and buildings throughout Georgia and the US. Sometimes you can find very old buildings at the center of an original downtown area or city limits. There are several old buildings in Atlanta and surrounding cities and town seats. Plantations and farmland are also locations that have very old buildings such as below.

Many types of buildings and structures become historical sites because they were built professionally by craftsman, maintained correctly by repair persons over the years and stood the test of time. These buildings have good foundations on stable and well drained soils, exterior coverings that protect all windows and doors, properly flashed penertrations thorugh walls, floors and roofs, and quality framing elements that resist live and dead loads.

In most cases, a home located on well drained soil, no roof leaks or roof damage, no gutter system malfunctions or plumbing leaks and a basement or crawlspace that is well ventilated should provide first-level water intrusion and termite protection. Georgia has a high termite infestation rate because of weather and soil conditions. Georgia also has a high wood rot classification because of  high humidity. A location with constant rain-sun cycles is ideal for causing damage or wood rot to unprotected and exposed  wood surfaces. All exterior wood components should be protected with oil, latex or acrylic paint or sealers and stains. The constant wet dry process causes decay.

PARIS PRESSLEY REAL ESTATE INSPECTOR
www.ppinspect.com
Email: info@ppinspect.com
404-755-9556 / 770-252-6700
Metro Atlanta/Newnan South Metro

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