Rotted Sills (inspector, more expensive, contractor, room)

[karnij7877]

So, I am a buyer and I had a home inspection done for a house. Most of the basement was finished, but in the boiler room (unfinished), the inspector discovered some rotted sills on the wall which happened to be just beneath the deck. What I am wondering now is how worried should I be about the possibility of other rotted sills lurking behind the finished walls? The house was built about 25 years ago and pressure-treated wood was not used. The lawn was graded away, so that shouldn't be an issue. I wonder if the deck may be holding water against the house, or perhaps the gutters on the back weren't cleaned. There were no obvious cosmetic issues (cracks, etc.) that would lead me to believe there was an issue, but I don't know much about these things. Thanks in advance for any advice!

[MikeJaquish]

Originally Posted by karnij7877

So, I am a buyer and I had a home inspection done for a house. Most of the basement was finished, but in the boiler room (unfinished), the inspector discovered some rotted sills on the wall which happened to be just beneath the deck. What I am wondering now is how worried should I be about the possibility of other rotted sills lurking behind the finished walls? The house was built about 25 years ago and pressure-treated wood was not used. The lawn was graded away, so that shouldn't be an issue. I wonder if the deck may be holding water against the house, or perhaps the gutters on the back weren't cleaned. There were no obvious cosmetic issues (cracks, etc.) that would lead me to believe there was an issue, but I don't know much about these things. Thanks in advance for any advice!

It is a very good bet that the deck was not properly flashed where it meets the house, and water from the deck is running against the wall.
There are various ways to flash a house to keep water from the deck from penetrating.

And, where I am, it is quite often poorly done, or was done with cheap thin aluminum that doesn't hold up, or omitted entirely.
Usually, the deck needs to be pulled away from the house, rotted wood replaced, and proper flashing added. It can be a real pain on some decks, and not a big deal on others.

[399083453]

Another reason why basements should never be finished. It makes all these repairs so much harder and more expensive.

Get an estimate. Like the other guy said, sometimes its no big deal, sometimes it is. Without seeing the house, we cant guess.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by MikeJaquish

It is a very good bet that the deck was not properly flashed where it meets the house, and water from the deck is running against the wall.
There are various ways to flash a house to keep water from the deck from penetrating.

And, where I am, it is quite often poorly done, or was done with cheap thin aluminum that doesn't hold up, or omitted entirely.
Usually, the deck needs to be pulled away from the house, rotted wood replaced, and proper flashing added. It can be a real pain on some decks, and not a big deal on others.

This was my first thought too. Missing or improper deck flashing. It's a common problem out here, but we get loads of rain in Oregon. It can be a big deal like the house I listed a few years ago where the lack of flashing was funneling water down the interior walls, or it can be as simple as pulling out a couple of boards, flashing and replacing rotting boards.

OP get a contractor in to give you a quote and if there is an inspector that has a thermal imager, hire them to see if they can find water running down the walls.

[WhoFanMe]

From what I understand, carpenter ants love rotted boards, did you see any evidence of this during the inspection?