For my essay portion of this course I have submitted a couple of pictures of moisture entering the garage area above the service door. The source of water penetration was missing kick-out flashing where the gutter meats the wall on the roof line. There is also a hole in the siding behind the gutter. It appeared that the siding was replaced but the gutter was never removed in that area to allow for access to install the siding properly. Recommend a qualified person to evaluate and repair/replace as needed.
I have chosen to write a very short essay about vapor barriers.
There is a lot to learn about this subject and I recommend further research on this topic.
Vapor barriers are usually made of plastic or foil sheets.
Vapor barriers are used to resist moisture diffusion in walls, ceilings, and floors.
Vapor barriers do not stop the passage of all moisture but can prevent most depending on the material being used.
The measurement of a materials ability to resist moisture diffusion is measured in “Perms”.
There are many different materials with different perm ratings but you can clump all materials into three different categories. Low, Med, High.
I believe off of memory Low is .1 to 1. perm, Med is 1. to 10. perm, and High is < 10. perm.
I will say carful consideration should be used before installing any vapor barriers. Things to consider are average exterior temps along with relative humidity. You must also consider the way walls, and ceiling will dry. Towards the inside of the house or the outside of the house.
I do encourage you to research this topic more I find it to be very interesting.
Inspection Essay
The rear sliding glass door seals look good and the slider functions properly. On the exterior surround, there is a series of open holes likely from hurricane boarding. These penetrations can allow moisture into the layers behind the stucco and lead to many problems down the road. There are no visual signs of excessive moisture in the area. This is a deficiency and needs immediate attention.
Research Essay
Proper flashing of roofing is a key component to the moisture management in any structure. Roof penetrations, valleys, or any other angular change to the roof line that breaks the roof’s surface create the greatest potential for leaks and moisture problems in framing and insulation below which can affect moisture levels throughout the home. All flashed areas should be inspected inside and out whenever access is safe and unobstructed to look for signs of past and present water intrusion.
In the picture I inspected the dryer vent. I checked behind the dryer to make sure the connection was secure (it was I installed it). Then I checked the basement to make sure all joints were tight. Then after turning on the dryer I made sure it was coming out the vent.
First the AFCI testers while I have used the ones that plug in with a gfi test button I had no clue the AFCI ones had so much going on to trip out the circuit. Crazy to think it had so many settings to over load the breaker
Bump locks I have seen before on the news but heard it was more of a myth then fact. They said to have a smooth key not a fully cut one. That was interesting. Also neat to learn they make mushroom style pins to fight against the bump keys.
When inspecting this house for grad of slop, I found thatthe east side yard slopped towards the house. I also found a number of areas inthe back yard where water was pooling next to the house. The west side yard also slopped towardsthe house. I made sure to record these issues as potential areas of MoistureIntrusion. Correction needed.
A moisture meter is an essential tool for inspecting a home for moisture intrusion. It also has other uses that are not directly related to inspections. Moisture meters have two modes of operation and the best meters contain both the Pin Type and Search Mode options.
Attached you will see a vent and a condensation drain. The vent is that of the clothing dryer. It was not properly sealed at the ceiling/roof and over time had started venting lint into the attic. Besides the obvious defect of the vent not being sealed properly, below this vent was a condensation drain. What was happening was the lint was getting in the condensate drain and causing a water drainage backup. Luckily the water damage was extremely minimal and the dryer vent is not properly sealed .
Carpet is strictly prohibited in commercial buildings in restrooms, however, it can still be used in residential homes. Personally, I find the risks to far out weight the benefits. Aesthetically carpet is inviting, however, with the constant presence of water or feces/urine the upkeep would be a chore. A home owner would constantly be on the defense against moisture or odors. As a home inspector, I would highly recommend home owners to pull the carpet and at least take a look underneath to determine the integrity of the sub-floor due to possible moisture issues and possibly rid the room of the carpet all together.
The article on AFCI detection devices was very helpful in my decision to purchase one from Inspectors Outlet. In my area there are a lot of older homes and this device will be especially helpful in insuring that my clients home are working properly and safe for the occupants and their family.
For the assignment I inspected a kitchen sink. The sink faucet was turned on to see if it leaked.There were no leaks observed from the faucet, underside of the the sink or in the cabinet itself.
For the research assignment I chose an article on moisture meters - Moisture Meters for Inspectors by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard.
I found the article very informative because I have never used a moisture meter. Gaining useful basic knowledge of the tool helped me understand types and uses. I am going to look into the different brands and types of meters prior to purchasing one.
This is a picture of a basement pad where it meets the blocked wall. There is evidence of moisture intrusion where the masonry block meets the pad. Upon further investigation the parking area adjacent to this wall has settled and separated from the exterior wall. Looking from the exterior it appears between the gutter over flowing and the moisture from the outside has been draining through a 2 inch gap between the wall and the parking lot.
This is a picture of moisture intrusion where the masonry block meets the concrete pad. On the exterior the asphalt shrunk and made a 2 inch gap at the exterior wall allowing water to flow down the outside wall from weather conditions and the over flowing of the gutter.
As per this course requirement I chose the illustrations of Moisture Intrusion Caused buy Downspouts. The illustrations started out buy showing topsoil, fill, isolation joints, foundation wall and framing. Following the picture showed the backfill, plates, sealant and the layers within the wall.
Next was a breakdown photograph showing the location of the insect furring, placement of the vapor retarder sheets and location to where it is secured.
Also within the illustrations was a rain intensity chart of the United States. Further illustration showed drainage, rake/eave overhang, guttering and slope.
Photographs of the floors, slabs and barrier were also available to include single illustration of a sump pump.
This picture shows evidence of water going behind vinyl siding on to brick.The kickout is proper size. The sealant in front of flashing is missing recommend repair.
This picture shows evidence of water going behind vinyl siding on to brick.The kickout is proper size. The sealant in front of flashing is missing recommend repair.
AFCI testers are portable devices create waveform patterns close to those produced by the actual arc faults. This will cause the working AFCI to trip. The AFCI circuit breaker comes with a test button, this button cannot test for arc faults within portions of the branch circuit. The AFCI indicator can test an individual outlet within the branch.
The attached photo shows an apron flashing on the chimney not secured. In the event of a wind driven rain water could be pushed under the unsecured flashing and could leak into the attic. Additionally, the counter flashing is fastened with caulk instead of being “let in” to the masonry chimney. While it may be functioning adequately presently, there could be issues in the future as the caulking degrades over time potentially resulting in moisture intrusion.
