Typical weep screed.
Blocked weep screed.
Probably one of the most overlooked parts of the installation process. Here is what Bruce Hardwood has to say:
Job-Site Conditions
"• The building should be enclosed with all outside doors and windows in place. All concrete, masonry, framing members, drywall, paint and other “wet” work should be thoroughly dry. The wall coverings should be in place and the painting completed, except for the final coat on the base molding. When possible, delay installation of base molding until flooring installation is complete. Basements and crawl spaces must be dry and well ventilated.
• Exterior grading should be complete with surface drainage, offering a minimum drop of 3 inches. All gutters and downspouts should be in place."
Most manufacturers have similar language in their instructions. Fairly simple but often overlooked. I won't even begin to list all the excuses I have heard. Mostly it is very simple to understand. But I will address one of the items as it is something I have seen a few times recently.
• Exterior grading should be complete with surface drainage, offering a minimum drop of 3 inches.
What the heck does that mean? I actually had an installer ask me that. It is a bit vague I suppose. The big thing is the "3 Inches". What this means is that the distance from the bottom of the weep screed to the soil should be 3 inches. The same installer asked "What is a weep screed?' Sadly I think there are a lot of folks in our business that don't actually understand the function of the weep screed.
The simple explanation is that the weep screed allows moisture that is collected in stucco, a way to drain down the exterior of the building and it is then deflected away from the foundation.
A quick walk around the exterior of the building will let you know if there is a potential problem. This is rarely an issue with a new home.
I once looked at a wood floor that failed due to water damage. The problem was that the homeowner hired a concrete guy to pour a patio. He was a friend of a friends cousin or something like that. Well. he did a very nice patio slab but he covered the weep screed. This meant when ever it rained the moisture came down and backed up over or around the plate.
Sadly, a year later, they had a wood floor installed. Of course it failed. No one could figure it out so they called me. What a huge mess.
The concrete guy actually told me that we don't need weep screeds in Southern California. It is just a place for bugs to get in.
The floor company never inspected the exterior of the house.
In this case, it went to arbitration. The concrete guy had to replace the slab 100% on his own and was responsible for 50% of the floor replacement. The floor company had to cover the other 50%.
If you have a subject you want me to discuss please feel free to ask away. I will try not to make it too boring.
If you need an inspection give me a call or shoot me an e-mail. My info is below. Also feel free to call me anytime if you just have a question or two. No charge for that. I am more than happy to share my expertise with anyone. I hope you found this informative. Thanks for reading...John
Contact.
John Tinker CWFI
909-553-2961
bigjtink@hotmail.com
Serving the Desert and Inland Empire.
FAILURE ANALYSIS- TRAINING SEMINARS- MOISTURE TESTING- EXPERT WITNESS
