Gibsonguy

Hi, Where is the staining of the rim joist located in relation to the garage door? Is it right above? Perhaps there is moisture trapped in the air space behind the brick veneer which trickles down to unproperly flashed garage doors. Is the flashing allowing for drainage of the brick wall above it? It is also hard to see if there is cracking in the stucco where moisture could penetrate, but it looks like a big crack running just above the garage doors. Tough to see from the pics. Take your time, and put it all together.

Hi guys, Just my 2 cents, but doesn't anyone use maxi vents? Up here in Montréal they are the norm when reshingling roofs, and seem to work well.

Hi Steve, Pyrite (sometimes called fool's gold) is very simply a rock with some iron in it. It was readily available and very cheap to obtain in the Montreal region (mostly on the south shore of the island) before there were big problems that started to develop. When the backfill comes into contact with water, it oxidizes (rusts) and it expands much like the paint bubbling up on your car when it rusts. This causes pressure under the slab (or against the foundation wall) when drainage is poor. For Ambrosia, this is probably too little too late, however be wary of circles in the slab floor that look "patched" These are almost always tell tale signs of pyrite testing, and therefore be disclosed by the owner. Ian Towers Inspectrum Inc.