It’s easy to delay maintenance on the exterior of our home is the greater Bellevue and Kirkland area until next year. But the reality is that we live in the Great Pacific Northwest and it rains a lot!  Minor problems can become big problems in a short period of time.  These photos are a perfect example of a poorly executed design and deferred maintenance.  A nondescript planter box has caused catastrophic to the supporting beam underneath as a result of material failure. The metal box had rusted out even though it was galvanized. Once it rusted the rest of the framing soon followed due to the prolonged exposure to moisture.