Stucco & EIFS Inspection Specialists

Chester County Home Inspections is on the front lines of protecting home buyers with our menu of inspection services. If you’re considering purchasing a home with hard coat stucco or EIFS siding, it’s imperative to order a stucco inspection. Don’t take a chance on purchasing a home with moisture or structural damage. Schedule online now or call (484) 212-1600. We serve Chester, Berks, Montgomery, and the surrounding counties of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania, Epicenter of Stucco Moisture Problem

Reported in the article “Rotting From Within” from the Philadelphia newspaper The Inquirer, thousands of families in Southeastern Pennsylvania who have bought homes since the start of the 2000s housing boom, have experienced damage from moisture intrusion. They’re often left with a hefty price tag of repairs, adding up to the tens of thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Note: We offer this service through independent stucco specialists. We can schedule this on your behalf when you elect this service, or we could simply provide those vendor contacts on request so you could schedule directly with them. Inspection fees through our scheduler is an estimate of their service fees. That service fee will be removed from your order with us when your stucco inspection has been scheduled.

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Pennsylvania Stucco Moisture Inspections Chester County PA

What Types of Homes are Susceptible to this Damage?

  • EIFS homes
  • Hard coat stucco homes
  • Veneer brick homes
  • Veneer stone homes

Chester County Home Inspections owner Edwin Dunckley points out it’s not the product that is the problem — shoddy workmanship and not following manufacturer’s directions for installation is. Taking shortcuts and neglecting to install flashing and weeps, which harmlessly direct any water that gets behind the stucco or EIFS to the exterior, are often the culprit.

EIFS Inspection

EIFS Inspections Chester County PA

Damaged stucco and EIFS are difficult for homeowners to spot because they don’t become visually apparent on the surface of the siding until after years of damage underneath the siding has occurred. During a regular home inspection, we look for telltale signs that point to a probable problem that needs to be investigated further.

  • Flashing missing over windows
  • No sealant between the end of stucco and the window frame or trim
  • Evidence of water at the corners of windows and the tops and bottom of doors inside the house

Invasive Stucco Inspection

The presence of these signs means it’s imperative to order an invasive stucco inspection to verify moisture intrusion and the extent of the damage. This two- to three-hour inspection includes the following:

  • The stucco testing specialists drill two small pencil-size holes an inch apart in the siding around windows, doors, and other selected key areas on the siding.
  • They insert a probe that measures resistance between the two points; the wetter it is, the lower the resistance will be.
  • They fill the holes with a matching caulk, making the spots inconspicuous.

Testing results are tabulated and plotted for each side of the house to show the extent of moisture intrusion. If the test shows moisture damage, then remediation is the next step. In order to avoid conflict of Interest, Chester County Home Inspections does not offer remediation, but does offer recommendations upon request.

Call Us for All Your Home Inspection Needs

In addition to stucco and EIFS inspections, we offer a range of services for buyers and sellers:

Stucco & EIFS Inspections Chester County PA

Every prudent buyer should have a home tested before signing on the dotted line. Schedule online now with Chester County Home Inspections for an EIFS or stucco inspection or any other services. Contact us at (484) 212-1600 for more information. We serve the counties of Chester, Berks, Montgomery, and Delaware.

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