Last week I posted an update on Diamond Pier footings, and since then I've had a number of people ask me whether or not Diamond Pier footings are approved for use in this city or that city. The best way to get the most accurate, up-to-date answer to that question is to contact the building inspections department for the specific city and ask.
Read More
We get brown water stains on our siding over the winter, but they mostly go away over the summer. Will you perform an inspection for those stains only (not a whole-house inspection)?
Read More
Moisture intrusion can happen with any type of siding, and it's always an expensive repair when left unchecked.
Read More
Barry Eliason, owner of Stucco Pro, a St. Paul company that tests for water problems in stucco houses, said he hasn't seen "a single home that is less than 20 years old that doesn't have a significant area of moisture intrusion."
Read More
Today the focus will be on inspecting your own siding, broken down by the most popular types of siding in the Twin Cities.
Read More
The current battle of paintable composite siding boards has given rise to quite the rivalry between LP SmartSide and James Hardie... the front line of this battle is taking place in the Twin Cities because this is one of the top remodeling and building markets in the nation.
Read MoreThe sellers of the home questioned the accuracy of my report and hired another company to re-test the house. This other company did their testing from the interior rather than from the exterior as I had done. Their report to the home owners? “Every place we tested was dry”.
Read More
"Decks generally fail for one of two reasons. The deck falls off the house, or the guard rails fall off the deck."
Read More
For this third part, I'll be discussing a home that had the stucco completely torn off, and the entire house re-sided with fiber cement siding.
Read More
stucco repairs can be categorized as "minimal", "moderate", or "full replacement". In last weeks blog post, I discussed a retrofit stucco repair which I consider "minimal"... not to be confused with "minor".
Read More
Moisture testing on relatively newer stucco houses (mid 1980s - late 2000s) has become standard practice when buying a home in Minnesota, and a lot of those tests reveal problems with moisture intrusion.
Read More
Over the years, the most common question I get is, "So how does this window compare against Andersen, Marvin, or Pella?" You won't normally hear unbiased opinions on these windows, because typically the person doing the writing has a particular window they are trying to sell.
Read More
In "Window Replacement: Part 1," we talked about glass packs and U-factors. Now let's talk about materials windows are made of and what install method is best for you.
Read MoreTime for window shopping? Get ready for the product that was absolutely made for the kitchen table sales pitch. Windows are a salesperson's dream, chock full of parts and pieces that can be handed to the homeowner, moving sashes to display operation, and a light kit to show the effectiveness of the new glass, featuring a heat lamp powerful enough to singe your corneas!
Read More
Many salespeople that come to your house for a “free in-home estimate” (translation: high pressure sales pitch) will go on to tell you that their product is the best and show you “kill pages” on all the rest.
Read More
My latest beef with new home builders is poor water management at the exterior of homes, which is mostly about three different things all done at the same time: concentrating a lot of water to one location, no gutters, and no consideration of gutters in the future.
Read More
A better solution is to have the downspouts discharge into yard drains, which most commonly consist of black corrugated 4" tubing. Connecting a downspout directly into an underground drain can allow for ice to back up though, so don't do this.
Read More