The photo above looks like a nice, decorative gable end vent - right?  Wrong!  It's a totally unnecessary and preventable water leak that caused thousands of dollars of damage.

There is a big difference between a non-functional decorative vent and an operable one.  A decorative vent has no holes in it and therefore doesn't allow any water to enter the house.  It should also be mounted over the finished stucco.  An operable vent has openings in it to allow hot air to escape from the attic but is designed to prevent water from passing through it.  It should be mounted to the gable end plywood with roofing felt behind it.

The vent pictured above was an operable vent installed with no hole in the gable end plywood behind it.  It allowed no air to escape from the attic but allowed plenty of water to pass through it and collect against the plywood behind it causing wood rot.  To add insult to injury, the vent itself was constructed of wood and it rotted too. 

I had to remove the vent, cut out the rotted wood and stucco over it, re-frame the opening, cover the opening with plywood, patch the stucco, and repaint the entire gable end with a waterproof, elastomeric paint... and that's before addressing the interior damage.

 

Do you have any gable end vents on your house?  Are they slowly rotting the wood beneath them?  If you have any doubts, call the office at 561-795-2551 and schedule an inspection.  Ignorance is NOT bliss!

Till next month...

Sincerely,

So that you can enjoy this holiday season, and many more to come, I'd like you to consider the following safety tips from the good people at This Old House so you can have a wonderful, uneventful holiday season.

• Live Christmas trees carry lots of mold spores. If anyone in your house is allergic, wash the tree off before bringing it inside and consider treating it with a mildicide.
• Dispose of unfinished alcoholic drinks left by your guests promptly before curious small children or pets get to them.
• Keep chocolate out of reach of your dog(s).
• Don't overload an electrical receptacle with multiple strings of lights.  Limit it to 15 amps maximum.
• Never put candles on flammable materials.  Trim the wick to 1/4" before lighting and blow the candle out once it gets down to 2".
• Clean the oven before putting in the turkey, keep all food at least 3" away from the flame/burner, and put a sheet pan underneath to catch drippings.  This will avoid smoke hazards.
• Lots of guests using a toilet can lead to clogs and overflows.  Check the toilets frequently and use a toilet auger at the first sign of slow draining.
• Ask your guests NOT to feed your pets human food or bones no matter how much they beg.  This will avoid "accidents" or choking.
• Ask you guests staying with you to keep their prescription medicine up high on top of a dresser or locked away so curious small children or pets can not get to them.
• Always hang lights from a ladder with a buddy to steady the ladder.  Never stand on the top rung.

Most importantly, have a great holiday!

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I'd like to thank all of my clients for the trust they have placed in me to repair, remodel, and add onto their houses this and in past years.  I'd also like to thank my many sub-contractors who have made me look so good to my clients with their outstanding workmanship.  Lastly, I'd like to thank the other business owners in the community who have referred me to their clients, relatives, and friends after getting to know, like, and trust me.  You are all greatly appreciated.

Todd Perry