Professional Mold Inspections & Environmental Testing in Marlborough, MA

Beware the condition of old porches!!! It is common to find homes, condos, and multifamily buildings in the Boston metro area with porches that are original to the building's construction (sometimes as old as 1900 - or older) and have been poorly repaired or not repaired at all. Many of these still have the original stone footings and brick pier supports. We often see severe settlement, deterioration of the masonry supports, rot to framing, sloping decks, posts out of plumb, poor joinery, and the list goes on and on. Here's the thing to be very cautious about when buying a condo or multifamily building with one of these porch systems: if there is too much wrong or damaged, then the entire porch may require replacement. We've all read those stories of collapsing porches, and you'll want to keep in mind that most contractors will not want to touch a porch structure that is dilapidated without complete replacement - because now their name will be on it , and they don't want anything to go wrong after they leave. So beware ! Porches are not always "repairable" - they might need replacement. In the photo here you can see there have been multiple makeshift repairs, and the beam is so rotted, it is barely there anymore (there was even a bird's nest in there!). Make sure you have your inspector look carefully at the porch (or deck) system on any home you are buying - because it could be a serious safety hazard and an expensive repair.