WOODn’t it be nice if we could get exterior wood surfaces to grow and repair themselves? We could create truly “living homes” as well as “lived-in” homes. Unfortunately wood doesn’t work like that. Within hours of being cut it starts its return to the earth and quickly becomes food and shelter for other plants----and for insects as well. We call these insects “wood destroying insects” but in fact they are merely doing their job. They carry little signs that say, “If you don’t want me to eat your house----don’t make it look like food and/or insect habitat.” Of course we only pay limited attention to these “signs.” We unknowingly encourage the circle of life. We cannot stop this cycle----but we can slow it down significantly with the proper precautions and good building practices. The person that installed the siding detail around this deck barrier obviously was not reading the signs. Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Click on the Rose 
to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)
all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.
Charles, and I thought it was bad when I find "trees" growing out of the gutter which hasn't been cleaned in years! This is definitely "a sign" one might not want to ignore!
Well, you could always build a treehouse. Talk about a living home!
Sarah, yup---if it looks like this on the "outside" it is guarnteed to be worse behind the siding.
Bob----how about hollowing out the inside like they used to do with the giant redwoods.
My personal favorite is IVY that has penetrated the siding and is now growing INSIDE the garage. Really? You didn't think to pull the weeds inside the house before you listed? Really?
But I thought "green" houses were all the rage!! LOL
Jenna, yes---it can fill up fireplaces, crawl spaces, attics etc.
Nancy---we can just paint the house to match :)
If it continues to grow someday it will just take over the house. It's a plant attack.
What a lovely planter . . .
Carl & Ceil----everything just doing their job
Richard---for a while----maybe I will go back and take a fall picture in a couple of months :)
Charles - I have worked in real estate offices, where we refer to "wood destroying insects" and other destructive enties as "Wood Destroying Orgasms."
Sometime people think that they can just skeat and save a few dollars when they should be paying attention to what is really going on.
I'm always amazed where trees will grow. Here in Maine we have to take care of these things annually. It does not take long here to end up with trees in the gutters or vines up under the shingles. I guess you could say it gives it that "woodsy" feel.
I have to think some of my Gutter Clog spilled over and got caught by that wall.
Boy does that stuff work well!
Get Yer Wall Garden! Call now! Billy Jays
Charles...
Wood is organic, and was once a living thing, and these plants should make short work out of destroying this deck.
Charlie,
Even that slimey green lichen can sure turn wood to toast fast.
I always think it's a bad sign when the gutter's turned into a garden.
Liz
Within hours of being cut it starts its return to the earth
Hmmm, that's a great advertisment for steel framed homes with vinyl siding if I ever heard one.
Myrl, I had to read that twice to make sure you actually wrote what you wrote----I have used the term before but would never have had to kahunas to write it down :)
Don, maybe they are growing firewood
Kristen they will grow just about anywhere if there is food and water
Jay, that thought had occured to me too :)
Richard, for sure
Steve, all that stuff is designed to keep the wood wet to start the digestion process
Elizabeth----but they looks so pretty :)
Tammy steel framed homes are coming---but not because it isn't affected by water. It too must be as protected as wood.
Woodn't it be nice if we were older and we didn't have to wait so long... Opps! Wrong song. Yes, Lack of maintenance is the #1 prob that I find on many homes that are built from "sustainable growth" forrests...
Charles, don't you know? iPhone 4 has an app for that.
Michael, I would have to include my own house in that
Kate, does it work? :)
Charles,
It's so true. It really amazing how quickly thing can revert if left on their own. Soil-ent green!
Don
Don, I remember that movie :)
CB, don't know. we have stucco. Do you know how the trex products are wearing?
Kate, I would give them a "qualified" OK----some are faring better than others----with a couple of different recalls----Louisiana-Pacific (go figure) in particular. But even Trex brand had a recall----still better than wood IMHO.
One of our boardwalks at Red Rock uses Trex. I guess if it hasn't melted after a few 108 degree summers, it is pretty good stuff.