Leaking houses are usually simply fixed but can cost you BIG BUCKS fi the leak is not promptly fixed.  Find it, fix it.  Don't know how.  Get a reputable contracotr to do it for you.  Constructiondeal.com can help you find the right contractor for your situation.

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During a recent Lexington Kentucky home inspection I again found severe damage to the structural framing under the rear door.  It's an all to frequent occurence.that is relatively simply fixed by a knowledgeable door contractor but, if you let it go on to long, you'll need a lot more than a door contractor to fix the damage.

Here's the clues:

The little bit of rotten wood on the door frame and the purple stains in the vinyl floor covering.  Not to mention the reaction of the floor.  When I stepped on it right next to the door, I could feel the squishiness.

The actual COSTLY damage is not here at the door.  It's underneath.  The structural members under the door are rotted so much that some of the structural wood is actually missing.  I won't even bother going into the issue of mold in this area of the crawl space.

If this homeowner had known to pay attention to the little clues, the big clues wouldn't be there and neither would the BIG DAMAGE costing BIG BUCKS to repair.

Due to the construction style (joists extended over foundaton wall) there is no access to this area from underneath to repair it.  The floor covering and subfloor will need to be removed, the damaged wood removed, the structural framing replaced, and then everything put back together.

Make sure you check your home at least once a year for little clues.  Water stains in the drywall, purple stains in vinyl floooring, etc are dead giveaways that YOU have a leak. 

Reputable contractors can fix these small leak issues simply, though it may take a visit or two to determine where the actual leak is coming in to the house.  Water runs and where it shows up is not always the source of the leak.  Finding the source can be tricky.

In another recent Winchester Kentucky Home Inspection, the home had a two story foyer at the front door and the same type of wood rot and mold issues in the crawl space.  The leak was NOT at the door.  It was the window above the door that was leaking.  Not only did the structural damage in the crawl space need to be fixed, so did the water damage inside the wall under the window and on both sides of the door.  That means the drywall had to be removed inside the foyer before the amount of damage could be determined and then repaired.

If you haven't checked your house for water leak clues recently, you should get on it soon.  I hope you find it while it's still a small repair, instead of the

these two homeowner's are going to have to spend to have a reputable contractor repair the water damage in their homes.

Get Educated, B4U Close.  Get a Home Inspection.

Erby Crofutt
B4U Close Home Inspections & Radon Testing
Georgetown, KY
502-570-4054 or 859-797-3873
www.b4uclose.com

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