GLOBAL PROPERTY INSPECTIONS

TECHNICAL BULLETIN

June 1, 2002

TOPIC: Exterior Coverings

This is the sixth in a series of technical bulletins in which an over-all examination of the home

will be discussed as viewed through the inspection process. Some of the items in this series will

not be able to be seen through the visual process of inspection, but will be presented to give a

better understanding of how a home is constructed and items to address during the inspection

process.

So far in this series of bulletins we have discussed the basic components and construction

practices for building a home starting with basic foundations and following through with floor,

wall, and roof framing. In this bulletin we will briefly discuss basic types of exterior surface

coverings, their installation techniques and what an inspector looks for during the course of an

inspection.

Wood Siding

Up until the late 1960’s if a home had actual wood siding on it, the siding material was probably

either cedar wood or sometimes redwood. Because of supply and demand and the expense of

real wood siding the material has been replaced with a composite look alike materials. True

wood siding was available in a “horizontal lap,” varied from 6 to 8 inch widths, and was

available in up to 16-foot lengths. When properly installed and properly maintained (caulk and

painted), true wood siding can last a very long time.

TM

The previous drawing is an example of the various types of true cedar wood siding and of how

they are to be properly lapped, installed and nailed. Life expectancy of this type of siding when

properly maintained (caulked, sealed and painted) can be as much as fifty (50) to sixty (60)

years.

Inspecting Wood Siding

When inspecting wood siding the main thing to look for is proper nailing or fastening techniques.

Was the siding installed properly?

Although not visible, it is difficult to tell whether or not wood siding has been properly nailed.

Nail heads may not always be visible. What to look for are signs of excessive cracking of the

boards.

Composite Wood Siding

Composite siding was introduced to the construction industry in the mid to late 70’s. It is a type

of exterior cladding that is available in many different styles, designs, and patterns. It is made

from wood by-products such as sawdust, cardboard, paper, wafers, and glue. The different

materials are mixed together, coated in resin and formed in a mold under heat and pressure to

form individual clapboards varying from 6 to 8 inch widths and up to 16 foot long or 4X8 sheets.

Some of the 4X8 sheets have been formed to look like stucco.

Louisiana Pacific (LP), Masonite, Georgia Pacific (GP), and Weyerhaeuser Corporation are

among the top four producers for composite siding. All of the manufacturers at one time have

been or are currently under class action lawsuits in regards to the defectiveness of the materials

and the way the products have been produced.

Determining which brand of composite siding can be difficult. Only Louisiana Pacific (LP) in a

limited version stamped their company logo into the pieces.

Weyerhaeuser and Masonite identified their products by ink stamping on the back of their

products making it difficult to identify .

Inspecting Composite Siding

When inspecting composite siding look for signs of improper installation and lack of homeowner

maintenance. Signs of improper installation would be evidence of over-driven nails; signs of the

nail heads penetrating beyond the surface of the material and no evidence of filling the hole,

open butt joints that were not properly caulked and sealed. In doing this procedure, it allows

water and moisture to penetrate the inner surface of the material, which causes the material to

decompose prematurely. Lack of proper installation can also include improper caulking and lack

of painting. If the siding is not painted and kept sealed at regular intervals, water penetration can

occur by wicking back up into the drip edge of the material causing excessive swelling.

Depending on severity, the piece may have to be replaced At best, depending upon exposure,

exterior surfaces that require maintenance like caulking and painting should be evaluated every

five to seven years. If maintained properly composite siding can have a life expectancy of

twenty (20) years. An inspector may not be able to ascertain which particular brand of siding is

present. It may be possible that if the garage walls are unfinished or the gable ends of the attic

are unfinished and accessible, the ink stamp markings may be visible.

Above pictured is an example of swollen drip edges of composite siding due to insufficient

maintenance by keeping the surface painted. This siding will have to be replaced.

In the above example this deterioration could have been prevented had the siding edges been

properly caulked and sealed.

Hardcoat and Synthetic (EIFS) Stucco

Hardcoat stucco in one form or another has been around for over 100 years. Traditional stucco,

AKA Hardcoat is also known as FRP stucco, (fiber-reinforced plaster). System applications are

as follows: the substrate surface or underlayment can be either brick or cement block, plywood

or oriented strand board, (OSB). A layer of asphalt impregnated moisture barrier, AKA tarpaper

or builders’ felt is applied. Metal lathe or wire mesh is applied which actually holds the mortar

to the structure and then the mortar is applied in a one to three coat process. Typically there are

less problems associated with this type of stucco system as apposed to EIFS stucco. Cracking

can occur due to age and sometimes excessive settlement of the home. It is difficult to conduct

moisture tests on hardcoat stucco due to the presence of the wire mesh system. Moisture meters

are used to conduct these tests, which if the moisture probes come in contact with the wire mesh

can result in a positive moisture reading.

The above diagram is an example of a hardcoat stucco system installation. Hardcoat stucco

systems are breathable, drainable and durable exterior finish systems. A moisture barrier is

typically installed inside or underneath the system. These types of systems can be identified by a

solid sound when tapping on the wall. Often times it can be identified on the ends of the system

by exposed metal lathe. It is a very hard system based upon the thickness of the mortar finish.

Synthetic stucco AKA EIFS, which stands for Exterior Insulated Finish Surfaces has been

installed in residential applications since the early 1980’s here in the United States. Synthetic

stucco has been around since after World War II, introduced primarily in Europe to help speed

up the process of recovery and rebuilding after the war.

Synthetic stucco looks great, is easy to shape to create decorative coins and corner keystones on

a home. It is a very good insulating system primarily due to the 1 ½ to 2-inch thick styrofoam

insulation that is incorporated into the system. It is one of the most expensive exterior cladding

systems on the market provided it has been installed correctly. That is the apparent problem; no

one seems to know how to install it correctly. Some of the bigger manufactures of these types of

systems are: Dryvit, Sto, Bonsol and United States Gypsum to name a few. The typical

installation for EIFS is as follows: the systems can be applied over brick or concrete block or

plywood or OSB, just like a hardcoat system. The styrofoam is then applied by either gluing or

mechanical fasteners per manufactures details of the systems. A fiberglass mesh is applied with

a skim coat of mortar and then secondary mortar coat applied over the styrofoam to complete the

finish. All manufacturers of the system recommend proper back wrapping and appropriate usage

of backer rods and caulk at all penetrations. These penetrations to include all outside electrical

outlets and light fixtures, windows and door trim terminations, A/C refrigerant lines or

termination where two dissimilar materials meet.

Above is an example of the appropriate usage of backer rods and efficient use of caulk. This

method of installation should be visible at all window and door terminations and terminations

where two dissimilar materials meet.

Another installation detail often times overlooked is the appropriate usage of flashing material,

especially “kick-out” flashing.

Kick out flashings should be installed to prevent water intrusion by re-direction. Another

important detail is step flashing (shown in the previous drawing along with kick out). These

types of details should be incorporated in all types of exterior finish systems regardless of what

type of system is present. The biggest problem with EIFS systems is that if moisture and water

are allowed to penetrate the surface, it can remain trapped inside the surface causing extensive

damage to wood substrates and framing members.

Inspecting EIFS:

WHEN EVER EIFS SYSTEMS ARE PRESENT ON THE HOME, IT IS STRONGLY

RECOMMENDED TO HAVE THE EXTERIOR OF THE HOME FURTHER

EVALUATED BY A QUALIFIED EIFS INSPECTOR OR CONTRACTOR!!!!!!!!!

When inspecting a home as a General Home Inspector, the areas in the previous drawing are

potential areas for problems associated with EIFS homes.

Brick Veneer

With todays brick homes understand that the homes are not constructed with solid brick and

mortar masonry walls, but what is called “brick veneer.”

The above diagram depicts the differences between the two. Primarily note the presence of or

lack of weep holes and lintels. The weep holes allow for moisture drainage and lintels provide

support without the added number of bricks, thus reducing the total weight.

The previous drawing is an installation detail for a brick veneer surface. Veneer ties are

systematically installed at appropriate locations to help hold the bricks in place and to the framed

wall surface. A moisture barrier has been installed on the wood sheathing.

Inspecting Brick Veneer

When inspecting brick veneer there are several things to keep in mind. Is there any excessive

bowing of the walls? What condition are the lintels in? Are there weep holes Present?

Excessive bowing of a brick veneer wall could be a result of several things. Some of those

possibilities could be and although not visible for inspection purposes, an appropriate sized

footing called a “ledger” must be incorporated into the foundation footing to accommodate the

veneer surface.

Often times what attributes to bowing of brick veneer surfaces is failure of the brick ties. They

can either pull loose from the mortar of the bricks or can pull loose from the wall surface.

The presence of weep holes or a drainage system is very important. New construction methods

now require that weep holes be installed approximately every thirty-six (36) inches and between

four (4) to six (6) inches above grade level as not to create conducive conditions for termites and

other wood destroying organisms.

Rusting lintels can cause expansion of the surface, which does allow cracks to form around the

windows. These cracks can allow excessive moisture to penetrate behind the surfaces causing

problems internally with sheathing and structural wall components.

In this bulletin we have only scratched the surface with the various types of exterior claddings

that can be found on today’s homes. There are other claddings such as vinyl, aluminum and steel

sidings, Hardy Plank, which is a cement based composite siding, as well as wood shake siding.

The information presented in this bulletin has been drafted to cover the basic coverings found on

today’s homes.

This bulletin has been drafted to be general in nature and not technically exhaustive.