Vines on Your Exterior Walls: Friend or Foe?

Ron's Painting

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INTERIOR • EXTERIOR  • FAUX FINISHING in Southwest Florida.

Serving Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero and Cape Coral, FL.

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Vines on Your Exterior Walls: Friend or Foe?

Do you really enjoy the way your home looks when vine foliage grows on the outside walls?  Many homeowners do because it really adds character to the exterior of any home.  Unfortunately, it also causes a lot of hidden problems.

When vines and other similar-type foliage grow up the exterior walls of your home, the tentacles of the vine actually grip onto the paint surface of your home, allowing water to get in behind the paint.  If your home’s exterior walls has cracks, you will get water intrusion in your walls.  Typically, homeowners don't realize they have problems until it is too late.  After a heavy rain, you’ll see water spots on an exterior wall or the ceiling near the edge of the wall.  By the time you see the water stain on your ceiling and walls, mold is probably already growing behind your drywall.

The best way to fix the problem is to have the vines removed, then check all exterior walls for water intrusion through cracks in your exterior surface.  The cracks will then have to be cleaned, sealed, and painted if the surface was previously painted.  If it is brick, the brick walls may need to be tuck pointed.  Once you stop the water from coming into your home, you can fix the bad drywall and remove the mold from the interior of your home.

If the vine was originally planted next to the foundation of your home, you also may have the issue of the roots growing into the foundation of your home, which will damage the foundation.  A 3 or 4-inch root can grow right through a block wall – we’ve seen it firsthand!  Even though vines look great, the damage they can do can cost you thousands of dollars.

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