The Hidden Damages Under Your Cladding (Why You Need an Inspection)

When it comes to building maintenance, the saying “out of sight, out of mind” can be downright dangerous. Under the seemingly innocent cladding, some hidden horrors may be lurking. That is why you need an inspection.

Many contractors are out there offering assessments, but without a baseline understanding of your building’s condition, it’s impossible to know what needs attention.

Think of it like maintaining your car: when you get a new (or new-to-you) vehicle, you check the fluids, check the brakes, inspect for wear, and get a baseline on its health so you can plan future maintenance. Similarly, an inspection provides that baseline for your building, giving you a roadmap for preventative care and, ultimately, a more valuable, long-lasting property. And while reserve funds might be tight, it’s better to budget for maintenance now than to wait until small issues turn into costly nightmares.

Watch the webinar on this topic here.

Case studies

Here are 10 spookiest damage cases we’ve seen recently, and they might make you think twice about if you really don’t need an inspection.

Case 1

Typical elevated walkway with some posts and beams.

Does your walkway look like this?

The beams were pressure treated, and we didn’t realize they were damaged until we knocked on them, and heard hollow sounds. And when we opened it, this was what it looked like…

Hollow beams.

Case 2

The before & after pictures of opening the vinyl siding.

Vinyl siding looks nice, and vinyl is very easy to look under. These pictures show that there are leaks at the utility panel, but we didn’t expect the sheathing damage and missing insulation at the 2^nd floor.

Left: Sheathing damage. Water damages the corner of the roof. Right: Utility meters.

Case 3

Left: The deck looks fine from the outside. Right: After opening, it looks terrifying.

The deck looks terrible after opened. It's basically all gone.

So how would you know if there was something wrong with the deck?

You might feel the “bounciness” on your deck at some point, and there might be stains on siding. That is when you want to have an inspection performed.

Case 4

Removing a few pieces of siding will reveal extensive damage.

Case 5

These pictures show that poor WRB install leads to lots of water damage and gyp damage.

Case 6

Walkway soffits were stained with rust marks, revealing leaking deck and rusty structure of walkways.

Case 7

This is a tile and stucco project, but there is water damage underneath and deck beams are mushy.

Case 8

New windows were installed (left) but it turned out they were done wrong. Therefore, there was lots of water intrusion underneath (right) and then being painted over.

You might wonder why your windows leak since the unit above put new windows in. After the inspection, the truth is revealed.

Case 9

The before and after pictures of opening a corner of the stairs.

Case 10

The before and after pictures of opening a corner of the balcony.

Since the horizontal flashing wasn’t installed right, there were leaks all over the place. This was only three years old, so a warranty inspection was done before the warranty ran out. This is a very popular square design for new townhomes, and we have seen several failures with this design before.

Ways to Avoid These Horrors

Are the cases above horrifying? Don’t freak out! Here are some ways to avoid these horrors.

• Have invasive inspections done every 5 years. If you haven’t had one done, now is the time. Budget $5k for a small inspection in next year’s budget.
• Stay on top of your maintenance guidelines – cleaning, sealants, painting, warranty provisions, etc.
• Keep an eye on your building with your visual DIY guide for inspection – catch small issues early
• Get your Reserve Studies to a healthy place so surprises aren’t horrific.

DIY Inspection Guide

This is the guide showing where to find water damage that might be hiding beneath the surface.

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An inspection could save you from some frightful surprises lurking under your cladding. To truly protect your building, it’s all about understanding two things: knowledge and budget. Inspections aren’t just about protecting your building—they’re about safeguarding your investment for the future.

So now take a minute to reflect. Do you know what condition your building is in? Do you have the funds to fix it?

Schedule a free call with your building doctor today to better plan out your inspection. You can also make an appointment to have a wellness check for your building, just like you have the annual health check for yourself.