We've got a wall problem

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Q. While renovating our kitchen, the contractor found termites and rot in sills and studs, but no active infestation. He replaced the wall up to solid lathe and studs, even replacing stucco halfway to the top of the house, stopping when he found undamaged sheathing and beams underneath it. The stucco was put on to match as closely as possible. Two years later, it buckled over a window adjacent to the repair. The contractor then replaced a sliding glass door, header, and wall to the roof. We also replaced leaders and gutters with industrial size in case water was overflowing. We even had all of the places where the repairs met caulked. The slider developed a crack in the plaster 3 or 4 inches above the door, and a similar ceiling crack in the basement, under the patio doors, was patched and has not reopened. Now the wall is bulging over a first-floor bathroom window. We think the problem may be a water leak that’s getting inside the wall and causing the wall to bulge, or that the house is settling. If it’s a leak, we don’t know how to find it. We don’t want to go to the expense of tearing down the wall and rebuilding, especially if the problem may reoccur. What do you suggest?

A. You could just paint it all and sell to some unsuspecting young couple, like everyone else does, but you sound like you care. Building components are assembled parts of a system, subjected to nature. Based on your description, I would suspect several different problems. The roof overhang, if there is one, may be minimal, so the larger rain gutter won’t prevent water from washing back under shingles unless the gutter is sufficiently below the shingles. Thus, water getting in at the top of the wall may be part of the problem. I always design extended overhangs to prevent that possibility.

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