Buying a home or condo? Look at these things first...
So, you're looking at purchasing a home or condo? You can save a little bit of time and trouble by looking outside before you get excited about hardwood floors and big closets in the inside. Although I like those things too, having a keen look at your windows, roofing flashing, and how your sundeck is covered can save you lots of time and trouble in the future. It can also rule out a possible purchase before the home inspector is called.
Here's a few things to look for:
Covered Sundecks
A properly covered sundeck is less likely to decay or deteriorate quickly. Wooden structures built without the benefit of a roof will not last forever, even though the wood is treated to resist the effects of the weather. Many of the fasteners used on the deck can contribute to deck failure, especially when the deck is not covered. Nails can rust, they may not be properly caulked, or open to weather and exposure.
Overhanging Eaves
Eaves are the edges or lower borders of the roof of a building, which overhang the walls and cast off the water that falls on the roof. A wide eave overhang has the two-fold advantage of keeping the exterior walls dry, and keeping the house cooler during hot summer months by providing a little extra shade.
Metal Flashing
Metal flashing above horizontal trimboards, the top of windows and the bottom of the windows. Improper flashing is one of the causes of water infiltration into the structure (one of the reasons why condos and houses can become "leaky"). Flashing should always take moisture away from the window, not into the window. Look carefully to make sure the flashing is installed facing downwards away from the structure. Window openings are especially vulnerable areas, because they interrupt the continuity of the drainage plane. To help prevent water intrusion, window openings have to be properly flashed and sealed. Flashing, integrated with the drainage plane, is the key to draining water around openings. Using proper flashing and layering techniques can help combat water intrusion.
To keep water from seeping behind window flashing, the pieces of flashing have to be layered correctly. The sill pan is installed before the window is put in, because it's difficult to flash the sill properly once the window is there. The jamb flashing is layered over the sill pan and extended down past it. The head flashing is installed last, layering over the jamb flashing. In other words, window flashing should be layered shingle style to guide water downward. You should try to inspect a sample of the windows carefully to ensure there is also caulking around the windows and everywhere that water can find its way under outside walls or windows.
Taking around a half an hour to look carefully at these items can save you lots of time, as you look at the various condos available.
I've included a photo of a nicely flashed and built condo, to indicate some of the things that you should be looking for.
