Originally Posted By: wcampbell This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
In this picture in the result of water damage. the siding is about 6-7 inches off the ground. The bottom of the siding showed a very high moisture content with my protimiter. The area about 2 feet to the left was dry. The area about 4 feet to the right was dry. On the other side of the wall is a kitchen sink with no signs of leaks. The plumbing is ridged copper. The weather at the time of inspection was dry. Any takers??
-- This Ole House-Home Inspections
William A. Campbell TREC # 6372
Serving the Texas Coastal Bend
(361) 727-0602 (home)
(361) 727-0055 (office)
(361) 229-4103 (cell)
Originally Posted By: gbeaumont This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi Will
there's something wrong with your picture upload so I can't see what you're asking about, but seeing as you said there is a sink behind it, is there a window above the damp ??
Originally Posted By: dvalley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Will,
The siding nails/fasteners are rusting right through. I'll bet that there is water entry at the very top of this wall. If you say that the interior side of the wall is dry, then the moisture must be entering from the top of the wall. Did you inspect the roof/wall intersection?
The only other diagnosis I can think of is that there is alot of moisture build up behind the wood siding in the cavity.
This is post and beam construction, am I right.
Originally Posted By: ltrower This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Will,
Is it possible that the problem could be caused from the outside? From the picture it is hard to tell if that is mulch at the base of the foundation.
Are there some plantings that are being watered by a sprinkler and is hitting that area of the wall?
My call was a possible pin-hole leak in the sweat connections of the plumbing. 
Plumber made a cut in the siding and gave the client a $50 bill for not finding a leak.http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/usrimages/Loop001.JPG
-- This Ole House-Home Inspections
William A. Campbell TREC # 6372
Serving the Texas Coastal Bend
(361) 727-0602 (home)
(361) 727-0055 (office)
(361) 229-4103 (cell)
Originally Posted By: psabados This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Will,
One would think that with that kind of exterior damage that the water would have wicked into the interior. Insulation in the walls? Im assuming that the supply lines were installed in the walls, and not exposed under the sink.
Originally Posted By: wcampbell This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I have not been back to the house since the plumbers made the cut. Plumber said no leaks. I assume that the Insulation is fine from their comment. I asked my clients agent if they were expecting me to pay the $50, and he said no. Just wanted to let me know that the plumber gave it the thumbs up. So, we agreed that if something developes later then it is on the plumber not me.
Originally Posted By: dvalley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Will,
There is definitely moisture inside the cavity behind this wall. Those nails are rusted from continuous moisture contact. If I were unable to detect the source, I would have suggested to my client to have one of the exterior panels removed to find the moisture source. These panels can be nailed back on very easily.
What Igor is referring to, is the flashing that is installed horizontally at the T1-11 (wood siding) seams, where they meet. Let me give you a pic of z flashing...
http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/usrimages/zflashing.jpg
Originally Posted By: gbeaumont This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi Will
I don’t know why I could not see the pic yesterday but I can today
The reason I asked about the window is the last time I could not find the source of moisture in that type of situation it turned out to be a lack of flashing around the window, on the one that I was looking at water was running down the siding until it hit the window then was tracking in behind the siding and producing rot under the window the funny thing was that I could detect no moisture at the top or sides of the window.
When eventually it was stripped out there was evidence of water penetration at the window header and down the studs and the bottom of the studs had rotted out to a height of between 12"-18" and also taken out 8 feet of sill plate
BTW it was only sorted out when the buyers agreed to pay the costs of stripping and repairing it if I was wrong (luckily I wasn't)
Originally Posted By: jonofrey This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I thought our job was to call out what we see. If you comment on possible causes you put yourself out on limb (not our job and not required). If you suggested a pin hole leak in something that you could not see that’s your bad. Had the customer wanted you to pay for the plumber you should have coughed up the cash. Luckily for you they did not.
Igor, is Will not rookie enough for you to jump in his sh*t or are you losing your touch?
Originally Posted By: kbliss This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Will
I cant really see the complete area, but I know Ive seen a lot of this problem where the soffit is very narrow and the home does not have gutters and that causes the rain water to splash back onto the siding and cause wood rot.
Originally Posted By: wcampbell This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
David, I know what “Z” Flashing is. I have installed “miles” of it. What I meant in my responce to Igor was that I failed to think of that possibility.
John, I feel that if we are going to make a call on something then the client is going to ask “why do you think it got this way?” Are we to answer “Duhh,I don’t know”? What I gave was a “Possible Cause”. I never said “Mr. Client there is defintly a water line leaking in this wall.”
Gerry, thank you for your responce as well. I am going to try and back out there today.
Originally Posted By: jonofrey This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
wcampbell wrote:
My call was a possible pin-hole leak in the sweat connections of the plumbing. 
Will, sorry for interpreting your statement above as a written part of your report. I guess I am used to the term "call" meaning an observation made by a professional inspector normally included in the report.
wcampbell wrote:
John, I feel that if we are going to make a call on something then the client is going to ask "why do you think it got this way?" Are we to answer "Duhh,,I don't know"? What I gave was a "Possible Cause". I never said "Mr. Client there is defintly a water line leaking in this wall."
I would avoid pinpointing (pun intended) a cause. I disclaim verbal statements made during the course of an inspection (you probably do to) in my inspection agreement. I think I would have been more general. I like David's assessment. His statement relates to what he can observe in your photo.
Obviously I do not think that Duhh.. is an appropriate response to a client question. However, if your first quote above does not say
wcampbell wrote:
"Mr. Client there is defintly a water line leaking in this wall."
Then I guess you and I are not speaking the same language.
After all, the plumber went out to the residence for a reason. It seems that the reason for his visit was directly related to a suggestion somehow made by you.
Originally Posted By: wcampbell This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Ok ya’ll, here are some more photos that I went back and took. I checked out the Z-Flashing, it’s good. I checked out the roof/wall , it’s caulked. The windows are caulked. Sorry Igor, I couldn’t find any dog poop anywhere.
However, I did go over and ask the neighbor if the grass had been real high in the past, thinking that possibly, maybe if the weeds were grown up for a while...it could have caused wicking to the siding.
Nope, they kept it mowed.
But the neighbor did tell me that at one time, the owner had told him that 5 years ago the place had been vandlized by some kids and they tore up the plumbing and the owner walked into a 2" flooded house.
Now that doesn't explain why the siding is STILL WET.
-- This Ole House-Home Inspections
William A. Campbell TREC # 6372
Serving the Texas Coastal Bend
(361) 727-0602 (home)
(361) 727-0055 (office)
(361) 229-4103 (cell)
Igor, that one escaped me 
