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Stucco stains cause repair pains with flat-roof homesBy Barry Stone Dear Barry: We have a problem with stains on the outside of our home, and past attempts to eliminate them have met with little success. The building has stucco walls and a flat roof. Dark stains, shaped like icicles, come down from the roof edges whenever it rains. We’ve had the building power washed, but the stains just get worse every year. Now that we’re selling the property, this has been listed as a defect in the home inspection report, and the buyers want us to do something about it. What can we do? Alan Dear Alan: Stucco stains often appear on buildings where flat roofs are designed without overhanging eaves. Dust and debris tend to collect on roof surfaces during dry weather. When the rains come, some of this accumulated dirt is washed away. On homes with eaves, dissolved roof residue drains onto the ground or through the rain gutters, without posing any problems or even being noticed. On buildings such as yours, this sooty mixture can run onto the stucco walls, resulting in unsightly stains. The common solution for this kind of drainage problem is to install gutters and added flashing, diverting water flow away from stucco surfaces. To determine the cost for this type of repair work, consult a licensed roofing contractor. Dear Barry: I’m in a desperate situation. My home was recently inspected for termites, and not only are there many termites in the attic, but the inspector also found rotted wood at the eaves. I have no cash reserves to take care of these problems and would like to sell the property “as is” probably at a loss. What should I do? Jeannette Dear Jeannette: Problems with wood destroying pests are among the most common of building defects in Florida, but it is not always necessary to rectify these conditions as part of a sale. In many areas, the majority of homes have termites to greater or lesser degrees. Rotted wood, resulting from fungus and moisture exposure, is to be found more often than not with most wood frame structures. Therefore, the infestation in your building does not constitute an unusual circumstance. If you wish to sell the property as is, your primary obligation is to afford the prospective purchasers full disclosure of existing defects. Simply provide your buyers with a copy of the termite report so that they will have total knowledge of the situation. As long as they are fully informed, it is their choice to accept the property as is. Additionally, it would be wise to provide them with a home inspection report. This will protect you from liability arising from undisclosed defect related to the many other aspect of the building. The one problem that might arise with this approach is that the buyers mortgage lender may require a termite clearance as a condition of the loan. In that event, you would need to negotiate with the buyers to have them pay for the repairs. To write to Barry Stone, please visit him on the web at http://www.housedetective.com. [an error occurred while processing this directive] |
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