Thursday 6 October 2011

Exterior Wood May Be The Unsung Hero In Your Next House Purchase

By Gene Fink


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 is gorgeous, no two ways about that, especially if it is used as a home's exterior. Compared to stucco and other materials, it is a wonder wood isn't used more often. But then again, it may be perfectly understandable because when compared to those other materials, wood is just not that durable in comparison. You may be considering buying a home that has strong wooden accents in the exterior, may it be in the siding or trim, so if you are, here are some ideas that may help you in making that crucial decision whether to buy or not.

First of all, do not associate the appearance of wood with its condition - those are two entirely different things. You may look at a striking piece of wooden trim, but not see the termites underneath waiting to chomp away and ruin the house of your dreams when you're not looking. In this case, what is essential is indeed invisible to the eyes.

The degradation of wood is another important issue to consider. There are some areas that definitely need to be touched physically in order to evaluate them properly. Your best bet, in fact, is to give it a hearty poke with your finger. Remember that you are looking out for soft spots in the wood. Soft areas are indicative of rot in one form or another. Rot in one area most likely means rot in other areas, and this is a clear and present cause for concern. Let's put it this way, my friends - you're better off taking your business elsewhere and going through the rest of your shortlist of houses.

Hang on, as the worst is yet to come - soft spots are not the single worst thing you can find in the wood! If you poke a wooden strip or similar structure and some bits crumble to the ground, then it's about time to vamoose. Such a house has termite problems, and you have NO BUSINESS CONSIDERING IT ANY FURTHER! When looking for a prospective home, termite problems should send you running for the hills. If you still insist on buying the house, you will need to have the house tented in order to annihilate the malevolent little critters and to pay for repairs and further inspections to take care of any damage. Ergo, you are paying more than you should.

Make no mistake, wood can be very attractive on the exterior of a home. But do not ever let striking looks deceive you, because you may be moving into a home already occupied - by hundreds upon hundreds of pesky termites!




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