But Far From Nice! When performing a home inspection for you, we will become be your eyes and ears and can show you some things otherwise gone unseen or noticed! This example is of this lovely cupola on top of a kitchen addition. It appears to be just fine, right? Well a closer inspection shows a lot going on up there.
Back in the day, cupolas were used to allow more light into the center of a space or to add necessary ventilation. Today – they are more than likely just used for ornamentation, such as the one shown above. This one is topped off with a copper weathervane and WOW, it look great! This adds a nice little touch to an otherwise regular looking roof.
However, what lurks on the surface? Or even better – what lurks inside??? A quick examination shows that this cupola is “nice from far but far from nice!”. When one sees gobs of white caulk – that is a sign of things splitting open and moving around and an attempted “repair”. It’ll keep water out for a while but why is it there in the first place? Yes, that cornice above the moisture reader? That’s predominantly white goopy caulk! Who’d ever think that latex caulk could be used in such a way!
A quick read from our trusty-dusty moisture reader shows that this portion of the wood cornice not only accepts the meter prongs very readily, it also shows that there is reading of more than 40% moisture. Yikes!!!! The flashing for the roofing material is nonexistent and the there is no overhang. Meaning all the water is making its way down the walls of the cupola via the wood trim.
From the ground – one may not notice such things and that is one of the reasons why you are paying for a home inspection. Ann Arbor Inspections will show you what needs attention and what may be involved for a remedy. Meanwhile, I’m going to Google “Caulk Cornices” to see what is out there!