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HOME HAZARDS These potential hazards are not meant to be all-inclusive but merely highlight common problems found in homes and are to be used as an introduction to the issues discussed. Hardboard Siding Hardboard siding (wood composite siding) can become defective by absorbing moisture (usually from the base of each piece of lap siding). The beginning stages are indicated by the appearance of overdriven nails (the nailheads are sunk into the siding). Eventually the siding swells and rots. Termites can follow. Not all hardboard siding is or will become defective, particularly if caulked and painted on a regular basis. The deadline to file a claim for Georgia Pacific siding was :Jarratt 1/1/01 and Catawba 1/1/07. Call 1-888-882-5246. The Louisianna-Pacific Inner-Seal settlement (the most common in Georgia) involves siding installed between the mid-80s and 1/1/96. The deadline to file a claim was 1/1/03. Call 1-800-245-2722. Masonite claims originate from siding installed 1/01/80 to 1/15/98 and the deadline to file a claim was 1/15/05. Call for Masonite claims at 1-800-330-2722 or visit their website at www.masoniteclaims.com. Temple-Inland Forest Products is not undergoing litigation but the company will comply with the Voluntary Product Standard and if defects appear in your Temple siding within 25 years of installation, Temple-Inland will issue a cash refund for a prorated portion of the purchase price of the siding. Visit their site at www.temple.com. How do you know what type of siding you have? If you know who the original builder was, they should have a record of the manufacturer of the siding. If not, many of the websites have photos that can be helpful. A small piece of the siding may need to be removed and mailed to the manufacturer for verification. On some siding, the reverse may be stamped or stapled with an identifying label. The amount of the settlement and the determination of each claim differs for each manufacturer. Polybutylene Pipes From 1978 to 1995, up to 10 million homes were built with poly pipes. Polybutylene is a gray plastic water pipe used inside the home and a blue, gray or black plastic pipe outside the home connected to the water meter. The problem with poly is that the interior walls of the pipes and fittings may break down and fall apart. They may fail without warning. Although the manufacturers have never admitted that poly is defective, they agreed to fund a Class Action settlement with $950 million. Contact the Consumer Plumbing Recovery Center at 1-800-356-3496 or log on to www.pbpipe.com. Failure can take 10 to 15 years in many cases. The timeline to file a claim is: 10 years from installation for a leak in the yard service and 13 years from installation for a leak in the interior pipes of a single family home and 16 years from installation for a townhome (or before 1/31/09 whichever comes first). Radon Radon is a colorless odorless radioactive gas that occurs naturally and comes from the breakdown of uranium. Inside a closed environment such as a home, the gas can become trapped and build to more dangerous levels. Currently, the only known health effect associated with radon is an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Georgia is not one of the areas known for having extremely high radon belts. Georgia does have several rock formations that generate potentially dangerous levels of radon. Radon test kits are available and many home inspection companies offer radon testing. The EPA recommends that radon mitigation take place if the radon level is 4pCi/L or higher. The mitigation could be as simple as sealing off cracks or as costly as adding a pipe in the slab to vent radon out. Lead-Based Paint As of 12/1/96, any home that was built prior to 1978 must adhere to the Lead Based Paint disclosure laws. All owners of homes built prior to 1978 must disclose to their purchasers or tenants that there is a potential for lead-based paint in the house. The purchaser has the right to have the home tested within 10 days and all purchasers and tenants must sign a disclosure statement and be given a pamphlet concerning the dangers that lead-based paint can cause. Lead poisoning can cause major health problems, especially in children under 7 years old. It can damage a child's brain, nervous system, kidneys, hearing or coordination. It can affect learning. It can cause behavior problems, blindness or even death. It can cause problems in pregnancy and affect a baby's normal development. To permanently remove lead hazards, you must hire a lead abatement contractor. Abatement methods include removing, sealing, or enclosing lead-based paint with special materials. Just painting over the hazards with regular paint is not enough. Synthetic Stucco Synthetic stucco, or EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finishing System) is basically a type of styrofoam sheeting glued and nailed to the structural sheathing (usually plywood) on the home's exterior, with a factory or field-applied fiberglass mesh installed over the outer surface, then finished with two to several coats of the stucco-like material. Properly installed the system is waterproof. Therein lies the problem. The coating is not only waterproof on the outside, but waterproof on the inside. If any water gets behind the coating through a breach, it cannot get out. As long as the system is properly installed, it's effective. The most common source for water entry is at joints between sections of the material and dissimilar materials, the bottom edges of the foam not sealed, windows and doors not being flashed nor caulked and gaps around decorative trim like quoins and pediments. Water intrusion can lead to swelling, loosening and buckling of the foam substrate, cracks and general deterioration of the foam and coating. Continued water intrusion can lead to water stains on interior walls and eventual decay of the structural lumber in areas of the leakage and, of course, termites. Hardcoat stucco or masonry stucco is "real" stucco which is troweled on a metal mesh screen. It breathes better than stucco. How do you know if you have hardcoat or synthetic stucco? You can't tell by looking at it. Try removing an exterior light fixture to see how it was installed. Proper installation techniques include the following: The styrofoam must be installed 6 to 8 inches away from the soil. All windows and doors must be back-wrapped by wrapping mesh around the bottom edge of the styrofoam. There should be expansion joints at every corner and at each story of the house. There should be no seams at the windows or door corners--corner mesh should be used. Proper flashing and caulking is essential. Visually inspect the house for signs of rot around windows, doors, gutters, downspouts and other openings. If you see damage, water intrusion may be advanced and you will need to repair it quickly. If your damage is limited to minor leaking, all you may need to do is caulk and seal around windows, some experts say. An October 1997 change in the building code requires that synthetic stucco siding not extend below ground level (just like wood siding). Most pest control companies will not provide a termite bond if this condition exists. It is helpful to find out the manufacturer of the synthetic stucco used on your home from your builder. Even if you see no damage, consider getting an inspection by a qualified stucco inspector trained to assess moisture intrusion. Depending on the home size and number of stucco sides, prices can vary from $200 to $1500. Make sure the inspector has a moisture meter. Take readings on areas around doors and windows. A reading of less than 20% is good news and probably means the only action necessary is making sure all windows and doors are caulked. If the readings are between 20-30%, the inspector should probe the wall by penetrating the sheathing with a probe meter. After the inspection is done, the inspector should seal all the probe holes with matching caulk. The inspector's report should contain basic information such as the type of stucco, the test equipment used, installation details and exact locations of readings and moisture content of the probed areas with specific recommendations concerning problem correction. Insulated Windows Insulated, "Thermapane" or Double-pane windows are very common in Georgia especially in homes built since 1992. A common problem with these windows is the "fogging" that can result when the seal breaks between the two panes of glass and moisture seeps in. Presumably this occurs when the glass expands and contracts as the window heats up and cools down each day and throughout the seasons. Manufacturers have made great improvements in today's insulated windows, but many older windows still exist. Some manufacturers provide a limited warranty that includes replacement if the windows fog. Unless the window has a manufacturer's label (lift the window and look underneath the lower sash), only your builder would know where the windows were manufactured. Bear in mind that in most cases only the glass has to be replaced, not the whole window. The fogging of insulated windows can be a controversial topic during an inspection negotiation due to disagreement as to whether this is an aesthetic/cosmetic problem or a defect. Termites Termites are terrible in Georgia. You probably know that a seller of a property must have their property inspected and pay for any treatment that is necessary prior to closing. Those costs can be astronomical and it’s a terrible time to find out that you have termites when you’re trying to sell your home. You might think that you would see evidence of termites before it’s too late, but many times they have infested your home long before you would ever see them. To insure yourself of no surprises, pay for an annual termite bond and inspection. There are many termite companies that offer just a treatment bond and not a damage bond. With a treatment bond, the termite company is only liable for treating the affected area and you are responsible for any damage or replacement. A damage bond is like an insurance policy—if termites (or other wood infesting organisms) destroy all or part of your home, the termite company will pay to repair or replace the damage as well as treat it. Prepare to pay more for this type of bond—it’s worth it. The initial treatment may cost $400-$1200 and involves trenching around your house as well as drilling holes in the garage slab, any patios and basements so that chemical can be inserted. Don’t worry, the holes will be filled and the trenches covered up when they are finished. (You can opt for a Sentricon system if you want to avoid the chemicals, but this is more expensive, but sometimes necessary.) Annually, the termite bond must be renewed which involves an inspection and typically a payment of $100-150. Many termite companies are no longer offering termite damage bonds on stucco homes (whether they be hardcoat stucco or synthetic). Call me for recommendations of reputable termite companies who offer a damage bond. For more information contact: Joli Tripp
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