My day...

[bruiser]

went downhill quick. I was going to change a broken plug socket on our deck on the outside wall of the chimney. Pulled the rain cover and shroud. Hmmm, what is this? Something didn't look right. Took my screwdriver and probed the wall around the box. Soft. Pulled the socket and the box came with it. D*mn. You've got to be $#^$ing me.

The sheathing, 2x4s, decking and floor joists are rotted. Water rot. No termites. I checked and the wall is soft as far as I could reach. Went to the other side of the chimney, same way. Waiting for the insurance adjuster.

 

[Bob Denman]

:shocked: Holy crap!!
Jim,
Do your Homeowner's policies cover for damage like that? :dontknow:
Up here; they don't... :gaah:

 

[Pineywoods36]

That stinks, looks like that project got bigger....

 

[SDM]

As my dear Dad would say, when I let him know about the houses latest problem, that's the joys of home ownership!!!:roflblack:

 

[spydaman60]

that sux! we went thru the same thing with the sill plate under our deck door last fall. the insurance didn't cover ours. hope you are luckier bruiser!!

 

[PrairieSpyder]

Is that water damage? Or critters?

 

[bruiser]

Bob, we'll see what the adjuster says. We had water damage earlier in the year inside the house on the ceiling and wall above the fire place We had just had a new roof put on last fall and the leak was from the roofers forgetting the flashing around the chimney. Insurance covered it and I think they went after the roofer to recover the money but not sure. From the extent of the damage it appears this current issue has been ongoing for several years. I will get a ladder out in the morning and see how far up the chimney this goes. Either way, with the amount of damage and the fact that it involves structural members, the chimney will probably have to be completely replaced. We really don't use the fireplace that much anyway. It's one of those contractor inserts and is more for appearance than comfort. If insurance doesn't cover it, we're in for a huge repair bill. And it figures. I just got the F3.

Patti, it's water damage. We've had some very heavy, persistent rain this fall, winter and spring.

 

[Magdave]

I have seen that a lot here in the Carolinas. Dry rot sucks. I had a front door with 2 sidelights rot at the bottom in 4 years from new. Could not see it until a windstorm grabed the storm door and pulled the piston off. Further inspection showed both sides rotted 14" from the sill. White paint and brick molding was all that was holding the door up. Good luck with the fix.

 

[ARtraveler]

Sorry to see the issue with the rot. Hope you get it resolved.

 

[GunDoctor]

Been in the pest control industry for 40 years, typical dry root, caused by excessive moisture.


Another Day To Be My Kid's Dad [emoji379]

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

the chimney will probably have to be completely replaced. We really don't use the fireplace that much anyway. It's one of those contractor inserts and is more for appearance than comfort.

Might be time to think about demolishing the entire fireplace and replace with a plain wall. Or do that and replace with a gas fireplace with a flue pipe going through the ceiling and roof. They can be made to look quite attractive.

 

[Bob Denman]

Last year, when we had our back porch replaced; we found that a sill plate was rotted... :shocked:
We were lucky: it was only about a ten foot piece of it, and the contractor was able to get to everything easily.
Good Luck! :thumbup:

 

[bruiser]

It's way worse than we figured. And the more the dig the worse it gets. These are just a few of the pictures i've taken. We have now lost our deck since they had to cut it back to get to the skirt boards etc. There was no flashing installed behind the deck ledger boards. None of the carriage bolts holding the deck ledger boards had nuts behind them. The Tyvek was not installed as far up as is required and the siding was not installed correctly where the chimney and roof meet. All that to say there is a large amount of damage done from the incompetence or greed of the contractor who built the house. No, we did not have the house built. But it was new when we moved in.

 

[Bob Denman]

I'd be in touch with that contractor... :shocked:
If his completed operations coverage happens to cover workmanship; BINGO! :thumbup:

 

[Magdave]

Not sure about NC or how long you have lived there but here in SC every new house comes with a 7 yr warranty. :thumbup:

 

[ARtraveler]

Ouch, and double ouch. That is also common place here. Poorly constructed to either save some cash or due to incompetence.

Hope you can get your situation solved and can go back on the contractor over it.

 

[mxz600]

That is tough bruiser. So sorry to hear of your troubles. Hidden damage is the worst kind. You have that damage going on for years and ends up being very costly.

Good luck, hoping for the best possible outcome.

 

[bruiser]

Well, three days and $2000.00 later the damage is repaired. Now all we need to do is replace what's left of the deck. They had to cut back about a fourth of the deck to give room for the repairs. That may be another $$$$. But at least the main part is finished and they did the job right.

 

[mowin]

Glad to here things got fixed correctly. Get the deck fixed and sit back and enjoy.

 

[bluestratos]

As a project manager for a construction firm I run into this all the time. It takes years to progress but once it the mold takes hold there is no stopping it unless the source of moisture is cut off, then it will go dormant. The mold sends out runners that carry the moisture many feet to either side of the problem so given the right conditions it can consume a lot of material in a few years. Most of the time the problem is associated with poor maintenance or bad details.

I recently did a bank repair that affected significant structural materials including the drag strut supports and a built up beam that spanned 50'. In addition, the glue lam header and column above the non structural window frame (24' Long) was badly damaged. The framing repairs were not all that much it was the finishes that ran the price up. In this case it was "Drivit", a light weight stucco type surface material.

The cause of the damage was water leakage at a door landing that was incorrectly detailed, sloped cap flashings that were installed backwards, penetrations, such as the bolts holding the signage and pour yearly maintenance of caulking joints.

Living in areas wet regions along with wood framed buildings are very likely to have some rot damage over time. When repainting be sure you really cut away the old caulking, clean the area and re-caulk with a quality exterior rated caulking. Replacement materials should go back as pressure treated wood as an extra precaution. Watch for pour deck connections, window caulking, poorly installed gutters and any point that is suspect.

Recent code changes require much more moisture protection during the construction phases which will prove to very effective if installed correctly. The problem is that many of the subcontractors have no understanding of how and why it is used. It requires great diligence by the project manager or superintendent with the experience necessary to ensure the products are install and installed correctly. Most consumers only look a the lowest price and not the experience of those quoting work. This is why so many business and homes suffer with water leaks and the resulting damage they cause.

We do a lot of public agency projects, these are sent out to multiple contractors to bid on and the lowest bid get the work. Most times the lowest bidder is the one that made the biggest mistake and since they are bound by the contract to perform or lose the bid bond they have to either look for change orders to recap the loses or cut corners to cut the cost. Consequently the results are less than satisfactory which follows with more language in the next contract to give the owners some teeth. Unfortunately the specifications are so huge now it would take weeks to read through and given that many bids have about 2 weeks turn around time no one really can absorb the inflation and reflect it in the bid.

Next step, litigate when problems arise. This is very expensive to both the owner and the contractors and no one really wins. The bidding process is broken which leaves an opening for unscrupulous bidders to go in low purposely then fight every inch for change orders and time extension.

Point is know who is doing your work based on recommendations and research. Interview the contractor to ensure they have the correct experience and do not let the lowest price guide your selection until all other things are even. As part of our services we do many custom homes, we are selected base on the above. Most of the time we are sole source as we have a reputation for quality construction and fair pricing. We often set up contracts base on time and materials + markup after first providing a budget. If you know your contractor this will give you the best value every time.


I am always sorry to hear of a home or business owner that is faced with huge costs due to pour workmanship and I am so sorry to hear of your recent problem.