The roof surface looked level everywhere except that one dip near the ridge (featured photograph). What would case the dip in the roof surface? From the attic, I was able to see that a small area of the roof deck… Read More
Category Archives: Case Studies
What Can We Tell from These Photos? (Case Study 20)
When evaluating moisture damage in an attic there may be conditions that appear to contradict each other, such as, those seen in the featured photograph and Figure 1. However, a closer and more thoughtful examination indicates that the different appearances… Read More
Poor Handling of Roof Runoff
Basement walls not only support the floor framing above, but also retain earth and groundwater from the basement area. A basement wall commonly retains earth backfill and groundwater by spanning vertically between the basement floor and the wood framing above… Read More
Damage from an Explosion Within a Dwelling
An explosion generates sudden, excessive air pressures. Excessive air pressures produce a wave of air that moves outward in all directions (radially) away from the origin of the explosion. The pressure from the wave of air decreases in magnitude as… Read More
Why is the Brick Veneer Laying on the Ground?
In the last technical post I discussed the structural basics of brick veneer: what holds it up, what holds it on, and what help does it provide. In this post I look into why the brick veneer above fell off… Read More
What is Brick Veneer?
What is brick veneer? And why is it laying on the ground in the featured photograph? Brick veneer is in essence a masonry siding, which has been set separate, that is, with an air space (commonly called a cavity), from… Read More
Was the Fallen Plaster Ceiling Damaged by Water?
We were informed that a portion of a plaster ceiling had fallen (featured photograph). The question was, “Was it related to a previous water incident?” The account of the water incident indicated that it occurred on the floor directly above… Read More
A Baffling Issue (at 1st) with a Raised Patio Deck
When we get reports of a raised patio deck pitching down, sliding glass doors in the patio walls binding, and doors not latching anymore, we begin by measuring the pitch of the floor and walls to help determine what is… Read More