You need to be very careful before committing to the purchase of a house. If
the house has wood and brick on the exterior, you need to consider the following
issues.
Wood Issues
Wood is a beautiful material, particularly when it is used on the exterior of
a home. Compared to stucco and other materials, it is a wonder wood isn't used
more often. The reason, of course, is wood simply doesn't hold up as well as man
made materials. If you are looking at a home with a heavy emphasis on exterior
wood siding, trim and so on, here are some things to watch out for when
evaluating the opportunity.
1. The first thing to realize is the appearance of wood has almost no
relevance to the condition. A perfectly good looking piece of wood trim may be
infested with termites or rotting and you will never know by just glancing at
it. When inspecting wood exteriors, never trust your eyes.
2. One of the biggest issues with wood is degradation. When looking at
particular areas, make absolutely sure you physically touch the wood. In fact,
you are probably best off giving it a fairly good poke with a finger. In doing
so, you should be looking for soft areas. Soft areas are indicative of rot in
one form or another. Finding rot in one area should make you very concerned
about finding rot throughout the structure. Put another way, you may want to
start looking at other homes on your list.
3. Finding soft spots in wood can be troubling, but there is something worse.
If you poke or squeeze a piece of wood and dust or bits fall off, run for the
care. This type of degradation is often a sign of termite problems. Termite
problems should be a huge red flag for any prospective home. If you buy the
house, you are going to have to tent it to kill the bugs and pay to inspect and
repair the damage done by the evil little bugs. In short, you are buying a
minor, but expensive, nightmare.
Make no mistake, wood can be very attractive on the exterior of a home. Just
make sure you don't rely solely on a visual inspection of it when deciding on
the merits of the house.