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Exteriors, Landscaping, & Siding - Inspection, Repairs, Product Failures ExteriorAPedia © Enter your search terms Submit search form   Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com

This website explains to find, diagnose, repair & prevent building exterior defects in most building systems.

How to find, diagnose, and repair building exterior defects in most building systems. See links at page left or scroll down. 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. Topics include attic condensation, chimneys, environmental hazards, vinyl siding defects, masonite or other hardboard siding, exterior paint failuires, lightning protection, above ground and buried oil tanks, septic systems, termites, and structural rot. proper use of vapor barriers, 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. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

• Age of a House How to Determine the Age of a Building from Visual or Documentary Clues
• Abatibi Siding Class Action Lawsuit Claims hardboard siding failure description & contact information for attorneys
• Attic Condensation and Ice Dam Leaks - Detection and Correcting Venting and Condensation Problems in Buildings
• Boise Cascade Siding Class Action Lawsuit Claims hardboard siding failure description & contact information for attorneys
• Chimneys fire hazards, heating flues, woodstoves, coal stoves, & fireplaces: chimney inspection, defects, safety concerns, repair methods
• EIFS Synthetic Stucco building wall cladding installation defects, leaks, damage, class actions - links list
• Environmental hazards: allergens, EMF, lead paint, lead in water, leaks, moisture, venting, mold-contamination, MVOCs, radon, toxic gases
• Hardboard siding Boise Cascade, Georgia Pacific, Masonite, etc: siding failures, inspections, class actions

Paint Failure Diagnosis - on Building exteriors, alligatoring cracking peeling paint, diagnosis, repair, types of paint failure, causes, paint failure references, diagnostic checklist, paint failure prevention

• Plant Disease and Insect Clinic NC Coop. Extension

Roofing & Flashing Failures, Defects, Inspection, Repair for owners and buyers

• Lightning Protection & Lightning Strike Risk Assessment, Protection System Information & Services what are the chances of my home being struck by lightning? how to prevent lightning strike damage at homes, lightning arrestor system inspections.

The Oil Storage Tank Information Website: Buried or Above Ground Oil Tank Inspection, Testing, Cleanup, Abandonment of Oil Tanks Oil Tanks Above Ground, UL Standards, guidance for home owners, buyers, and inspectors

Septic System Information Website - Extensive, Detailed Consumer and Industry Information on Septic System Inspection, Testing, Maintenance, Repairs, Alternative Designs for on-site waste disposal

• Sewage and Septic backup contamination in Buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources
• Stairs and Railings: A Checklist for Stair, Railing, Landing Safety Inspections
• Termites/Rot: Rot, fungus, Termites, Carpenter Ants, Powder Post Beetles, & other Wood Destroying Organisms
• Vapor Barriers on and in buildings; needed behind vinyl siding
• Vinyl Siding defects, inspection, repairs

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

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.

In a nutshell, leaks into the structure of an EIFS-covered building can cause major mold, rot, and structural damage because water leaks into the structure from installation defects (very common), holes, or damaged siding. The product manufacturers say that if their materials are installed according to their specifications there will not be problems with this synthetic stuco method. We have rarely found a building at which the demanding and detailed product specifications have been followed during installation, and in my OPINION, the specifications may be just too demanding for many installers. EIFS siding material has been the subject of failures and litigation.

The photographs above are of an EIFS building exterior showing the attractive EIFS finish in the left photo and a typical wall leak at an improperly installed window sill in the right-hand photo. Further invasive inspection found rot and damage in building walls at multiple locations where penetrations or absent flashing or caulking had led to leaks.

At another EIFS building we investigated and one which was in litigation, the EIFS installation contractor defended a defective EIFS installation (no caulking, no sealants, no flashing) by arguing that the prime contractor was responsible for those details and that his contract excluded those details. He was "just hired to apply the stucco system". In view of the fact that "application" of the particular manufacturer's stucco system called for numerous sealing details, not one of which was followed, this was a ridiculous argument. Damages were substantial.

EIFS, Synthetic Stucco, Dryvit, Sto wall type system failure investigations, EIFS leaks, building rot from siding leaks, EIFS defects-caused mold damage, EIFS siding inspection and repair methods are discussed at the links to articles, attorneys, associations, and product manufacturers listed at this website.
[If you are an EIFS manufacturer, installer, or EIFS inspector, contact us to add listings - there is no fee.]

• Master List of EIFS Resources Synthetic Stucco articles: attorneys, claims assistance, EIFS inspection procedures, EIFS installation details etc. are provided by articles linked to from this list of synthetic stucco articles, product manufacturers, associations

[Thanks to Michael Leavitt, an professional home inspector, for help with the EIFS resource links.]

Hardboard, Composite, "Masonite"-type Siding Failures, Diagnosis, Repair, Proper Installation

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

• Abatibi-Price Hardboard Siding Failures
• Boise Cascade Hardboard Siding Failures: examples and documentation
• Siding Links to other websites and articles: EIFS, Georgia Pacific Siding, Louisiana Pacific Siding, Masonite and other Hardboard Siding failures, Siding Book

Vinyl Siding Failures, Diagnosis, Repair, Proper Installation

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 windwos, as well as its own reporting and repair requirements.

Vinyl Siding Article review & comments about moisture & vapor barriers   Vapor Barriers Need For and Role of Vapor Barriers Beneath Vinyl Siding

Technical Reviewers

Particular thanks are due to experts and also consumers who read these articles and suggest corrections, changes, and additions to the material. Content suggestions, technical corrections and content critique are invited for any of the content at our website.

• Daniel Friedman - principal author
• Michael Leavitt at Michael Leavitt & Co. Inspections, Inc., Orem, Utah 801-225-8020 [Assistance with list of EIFS resources]
• Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution.

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Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab

Environmental Inspection, Testing, & Diagnosis On-Site IAQ, Gas, Air Testing, Mold Investigation, Sick Building Diagnosis, Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation - indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan addressing removal of environmental and other hazards and prevention of their recurrence.

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