Stucco, LP, Poly what?
Are these really bad products or just a lot of hysteria? Probably
a little of both. Some things can be dealt with and some can't.
Sometimes it doesn't matter what the truth is anyway. If enough
people perceive it as a problem you will have a problem when it comes
time to sell your home.
Synthetic Stucco
There has been much press about stucco homes
ever since NBC Dateline aired a feature story in the spring of 1999
The first thing that one needs to know is
exactly what "stucco" is. Is all stucco the same? Exactly
which stucco has been having the problems?
Of course the synthetic stucco manufacturers have their side of the story. http://www.eima.com/
The real cement stucco has probably been given some undeserved stigma due to
the problems with synthetic stucco. Go to their site to understand the
difference better. http://www.concretehomes.com/
The other problem with synthetic stucco is that the foam board behind the
stucco can be a easy conduit for termites to enter your home. If the
stucco and foam board extend below the earth, the tell tale mud termite tubes
can go undetected. That's why pest control companies now will require the
stucco to be cut at least 6 inches above the grade. This can be quite expensive,
might not look very nice and maybe harm the integrity of the system.
Summary:
There's still a lot of controversy out there about synthetic stucco. The
most important thing is to make sure you get a complete stucco inspection so you
know if a water problem exists. Then it's important to make sure you do
annual inspections to identify and repair problems before things get bad.
Real stucco is much different from the synthetic stucco but I would take
the same precautions.
How about resale value? Right now stucco homes probably are selling at
a discount to brick homes. So you probably can buy them at a discount.
When you go to sell you'll probably have to sell at a discount. The
hysteria seems to have settled down quite a bit and it seems like more people
are much more rational about the situation.
If I loved a home, I definitely would consider
stucco but only after getting a good inspection. I would want to know
exactly what the problems were and where the potential problems could develop.
We have a great stucco inspector that we can refer you to. She will set
you straight about all the issues and tell you what needs to be done.
Polybutylene Pipes
There's still not a clear consensus about
whether or not polybutylene is a real problem or not. If you're trying to sell
your home which has polybutylene you're probably in denial. Agents will say only
the underground service line is a problem. They'll say there's a 17 year
warranty on the pipes so that if something leaks, you're covered. Others will
say there's no problem if the fittings are copper. I'm providing a few
links so you to make your own judgement. Pictures of poybutylene are at the
bottom of this page.
My personal opinion:
A friend of mine had a polybutylene pipe burst in the middle of his wall.
It was quite a mess. He recovered some money from the class action lawsuit
but who needs the hassle. Also, how can you make up for the loss of many
personal items such as family pictures? To collect from the class action lawsuit
you first need a leak to occur. A leak in an upper floor can really cause a lot
of damage throughout a house, especially if it happens when you're away for a
few days. I just would not buy a house with polybutylene. If I did,
I would make sure that the price reflected the cost of getting the pipes
replaced with copper. Plumbing Express is a company that specializes in
this. Cost for retrofitting a house ranges from $5000-$10,000.
If you don't do this, you'll have a difficult time when you go to sell your
home. It's a shame that this product was used so much in order to save a little
in the cost of a new home.
There are some wood fiber siding products that have
been deemed to be defective and have class action suits against them, Louisiana
Pacific(LP), Masonite, and Georgia Pacific. There are a lot details as far
as what sort of settlement is available so you need to go to the following links
to read the details.
Many times when any of these sidings have been well maintained, ie. painted well
along the drip edge, there never is a problem. Usually the first
indication of problems will be seen by looking up at the chimney chase.
This area is usually the most exposed and the first to deteriorate. Look
at how much the bottom edge of each board has swollen up. Compare it to some
boards that are really protected from the elements.
Summary:
There
is a lot of things to be aware of when buying a home. Knowing what to look
for is a big help. We're not experts in everything but we can usually
steer you in the right direction. That is why it's so important to have
your prospective home inspected by a professional.
If you are not
certain whether a home has a particular product or not, you might want to insert
a special stipulation into your contract stating that if it does have a
particular product, you have the right to terminate the contract.
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