Wood Frame House with Stucco Siding (square foot, construction, property, bedroom)

[tylerboggs]

I am looking to possibly purchase a wood frame house with stucco siding. The house is located in Northern Arizona and it was built in 1948. The home is a 3 bedroom and 1.5 bath 1,200 square foot home with no backyard and a detached garage. The property kind of looks like a town home with no backyard. The stucco on the outside of the home looks to be in great shape. The home also appears to be in good shape on the inside of the home. The home is located in the Holbrook, Arizona area.

What are some potential problems with a wood frame house with stucco siding ?

[Rakin]

Could that siding be the old asbestos siding used back in the 40's & 50's ? If so it's OK unless you try to remove it.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by tylerboggs

What are some potential problems with a wood frame house
(Northern Arizona,1948, stucco siding) ?

Pretty much the same as with any 65 year old house:
Termites, original construction quality, current condition, and the mechanical systems.
The check list is probably 3 pages long.

[EngGirl]

termites and the condition of wood frame itself. if it wasn't treated, it has limited life period

[Charles22]

The stucco might be the only thing holding the house together. Or, it might be in fantastic shape. If you can get in the crawl space you can check if the sill-plate (the wood that is attached to the foundation) is intact or has deteriorated from water/dry-rot.

Even stucco with cracks in it can be in good condition because there is supposed to be a shedding layer of felt paper behind it that acts like an interior raincoat. You would be able to see from the inside of the house if there was water damage.