Leakage stains

Hello, briefly, doing up house for sale had inspection done by Amica roof OK, but stains on some walls, ceilings, dormers, and skylight no portion is wet plan to buy a reliable moisture indicator
if readings at these locations are low, meaning negligible moisture, can I use some spray to cover the stain areas and then paint the room?

is there a potential for stains to come back again? an alternative might be to rip out every stain area, look for source which now may be stopped, and then put everything back lot of effort and money

any special technique to repair around skylight and dormer? the house is three storeys

Thank you

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 11/07/2017 08:45 AM EST

Kilz or Zinnser BIN 123 are stain blockers that work to cover stains from leaks

Each product line has a number of products. They have original versions that stink but are wonderful at blocking stains. They have water cleanup versions.(not latex...they have shellac in them as the blocking agent) that are less noxious but not as good at blocking stains

These products not only blocks stains, but are good primers for difficult to paint surfaces (kitchen cabinets, metal, ceramic wall tiles)

Try this link for a download that talks about the propertries of primers: http://thecraftsmanblog.com/choosing-the-right-primer/

On another note, do purchase moisture meters. your clients and E&O insurance company will thank you.
For the best pricing and product selection go to http://inspectorshop.net/
More exactly http://inspectorshop.net/product-category/moisture-meters

Now this is the old line home inspector in me asking...... but .......when you mentioned that the areas were dry, I wondered if it had rained recently...just wondering
There are many leaks that only show up with moisture after long rains, rains from a different weather direction, or from snow and ice.

Thank you. Specifically, if all areas ceilings, skylight are dry to the touch, and also record negligible moisture, is it reasonable that the spray work will be acceptable to the buyer's inspector without asking for a tear down?

Regards

That is a very different question. The initial question I thought you were asking is strictly a stain question.
This is shifting to a damage and hidden damage question.

If I were the buyer, I would not accept that with that many stained areas that none of them have damage.

I would want the areas opened and checked and then all appropriate repairs made.

Thanks again intention was not to hide anything, but to do an ethical, economically acceptable, repair

Regards

Nice Post...

This post is right in the ballpark with a Christmas Eve call I received. House has mold in the attic. Buyer asked for mold to be remediated. Homeowner sprayed Clorox on attic. They called me to convince buyers that it was OK for them to do that instead of hiring a professional treatment company. Clorox is not a good/adequate/effective mold treatment and creates toxic fumes. I do not say that bad things are good for any amount of $

So, my answer .....do what the people want. Correct the venting problem that created the mold conducive conditions, Hire a professional and do the job the correct way, using an approved product in the prescribed manner.

"When it comes to moisture, mold and damage. Correct the cause of the problem and then make the environment healthy and safe".

That should be the prescription whenever EVERY inspector finds mold. Simple, short, sweet, kind and true

Dan Howard wrote:This post is right in the ballpark with a Christmas Eve call I received. House has mold in the attic. Buyer asked for mold to be remediated. Homeowner sprayed Clorox on attic. They called me to convince buyers that it was OK for them to do that instead of hiring a professional treatment company. Clorox is not a good/adequate/effective mold treatment and creates toxic fumes. I do not say that bad things are good for any amount of $

So, my answer .....do what the people want. Correct the venting problem that created the mold conducive conditions, Hire a professional and do the job the correct way, using an approved product in the prescribed manner.

"When it comes to moisture, mold and damage. Correct the cause of the problem and then make the environment healthy and safe".

That should be the prescription whenever EVERY inspector finds mold. Simple, short, sweet, kind and true

Nice. Always fix the cause not the symptom

Most people would recommend you paint over and in fact use kiltz to seal it first. I disagree with that using kiltz since if the leakage comes back it will not be able to go through it because of the sealant and would most likely keep the water on the inside part of the wall. just paint it. if you have an issue next time it rains the stain will come back. guarantee you.

Hello Green,
It would be better had you posted some pictures but I would suggest you search for Home Inspectors In My Area and get the walls rechecked because if the stains are due to dampness-moisture these may come back after a few days.

Green,

I would highly recommend getting another inspector to take a look in the attic.
As an inspector I would try to get in the attic where the water stains/damage is in the house. Just because the outside is dry doesn’t mean that it is completely dry in the attic space. Like the other posts have said as well, you want to make sure there is no mold.
Once you know that the leak is gone and the areas that have been damaged from water are dry I would recommend using kilz to paint over the stains. Water stains are extremely hard to cover with normal paint, kilz is great at getting rid of that.

Thanks

I'd love to know the outcome of this. I think that's the unfortunate part about being a home inspector is that we are visual only, and many times we do not hear the end result of things we find.