After viewing an image from the gallery that depicts how water can be absorbed through the buried portion of a brick foundation and than evaporate through the exposed portion of the brick exterior. This teaches the importance of water proofing the foundation as well as being able to recognize signs of the foundation not being waterproofed by being able to recognize the damage on the exposed portion of brick.
This is a picture of a bathroom exhaust fan. Not only is it missing the light cover (lens) but the intake venting is dirty and plugged. A dirty bathroom exhaust fan will reduce the fans efficiency to remove/exhaust damp air from shower or bath use.
In reading “Moisture Meters” I learned that Probe type moisture meters indicate the presence of water in material based upon variances in electrical conductivity. A search mode (pinless meters) can indicate the presence of water under the materials surface up to 1/2-3/4". A search mode meter can be influenced by metals just under the materials surface which could render an inaccurate reading.
The attached photo shows soil erosion from the lack of gutters on the home. This condition also poses a moisture intrusion threat to the foundation and water entering the crawlspace which has been attempted to be sealed by the pieces of wood placed in front of the opening.
The article that I chose is Insulation R Value. The course showed me that if the insulation is not properly installed the full benefit of the product most likely will not be recognized. For example stuffing batt insulation sized for 5 inch wall cavity into a 4-inch wall cavity will actually lower its R-value.
This is a picture of a location where multiple satellite dish installations have been. There are bolts penetrating the roof’s covering that could potentially introduce moisture into the attic space. Water and moisture allowed into the attic space would not only damage the attic area it will also affect other components of the building structure as well with the potential of mold growth.
Moisture Meters for Inspectors: This article talked about the two types of moisture meters and their potential importance to a home inspection. There is a Pin-Type meter which uses probes and reads moisture by its electric conductivity. The other type is a Search Mode meter which reads out sub-surface moisture content using electromagnetic waves. Whichever meter that is used, it is important to get a baseline read out on dry parts of the home.
Chimney flashings and flashings in general you want to ensure are secure and tight to the roofs surface and the chimney in this case. Which means that there are not any air gaps where water may get behind and basically disrupt the purpose of having a flashing.
The Loose Shingles in this photo are a direct area that water is going to enter the home. It is important to ensure that shingles on the roof are installed correctly and properly secured. It is also important in these cases to check for exposed and unsecure nails. If the nails are not secure or the heads are exposed water may intrude in these areas also.
This is a dryer vent that exits through the roof. Two issues seem to be going on. One is the cap leaks or leaked at one time, it looks like the roof may have been done within the past few years. The second issue is the pipes came apart and the lint and moisture are exiting into the attic.
Should you do more. Legalities.
Every inspection must meet the SOP. To avoid a claim for breach of contract it may be a good idea to do more than the SOP. The other side is if you do more than the SOP there may be an argument that you voluntarily assume greater duty than the contract requires. Find a balance.
Picture attached show rapid moisture intrusion in a basement garage inspected in Jamaica. It was observed that because of a lack of waterproofing at the upper level water penetrates the slab surface, causing severe breach and carrion at the joints.
As i civil and structural engineer i made the recommendations to sold the problem immediately before any further damage.
The article on Garage fire hazard was instructively useful and really reminded me on some key fire hazards and how to mitigate against causing a fire.
i believe in reality though the garages are suppose to be free from clutter and not to be used as a primary and or secondary storage area.
i would normally encourage clients to keep their garages as a safe zone.
There is no gutters on the garage so when it rains, the water pours off the roof and lands directly next to the foundation. This is a big potential for moister intrusion. The ground slopes away from the foundation and to the drain.
Waterproofing your basement is pretty strait forward, first you must have gutters on the roof to keep rain water from going around the foundation, second you should install a perimeter drain around the foundation, and third you should apply a liquid rubber to the outside of the foundation walls.
Picture is showing gutter with no downspout draining into rain barrell. The problem with this set up is when you have extended perods of rainfall container will overflow and you will have excessive moisture accumalating around the edge of slab.
Condensation can be a source of moisture problems that lead to decay in building materials. Metal piping and componets are areas that are likely to develop condensation. Insulation is one of the easier ways to remedy this on pipes. Older homes are more likely to have problems with this due to lack of vapor barrriers.
Moisture Intrusion
The image here shows one of the many areas moisture intrusion can occur. This image captured from the basement shows some plumbing that is surrounded by rotting wood. The rotted wood is directly beneath the bathroom on the 1st floor of the house and leaves us to believe that at one point there was major water intrusion from one component of the bathroom above.
Bathroom Fan Venting
This image shows the proper way an exhaust fan should be installed and vented in a bathroom. As seen, the duct should run to either directly to the outside wall vent or through the roof and into a roof cap. The duct should run through the roof and vent through the soffit as this can cause serious moisture problems.
Gutter Downspouts
For your information: If downspouts are too short, water will not drain properly and can collect water next to the foundation wall resulting in water intrusion in the basement/crawlspace areas.
At the time of the inspection, it was observed, that one or more downspouts were missing extensions or splash plates. One or more splash plates are leaning towards the foundation, making them ineffective to shed water away from the home.
Recommendation: Repair or replace.
Replace splash plates with appropriate downspout extensions (4 to 6 feet long) to safely direct water away from the foundation base.
