Research & Writing Assignment:
The article I chose was about the moisture intrusion in the plumbing system. There is a possibilities of moisture that can occur. Most plumbing is in the wall. So you would need to take a moisture meter to check if the wall has moisture. Then you would need to cut open the wall and see if there is any water penetration from the pipes.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Not only do we have evidence from moisture getting through the roof but also rafter damage from ice heaving. pay attention to all defects and try not to get tunnel vision on just one it could definitely help the clients decision
Research & Writing Assignment:
moisture intrusion could really do damage. be sure while looking around the exterior of the property, for grading. seeing any defect in grading will begin the story of what youre about to get into. note any defects then look deeper into those areas first then expand out from there.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Inspecting for moisture intrusion encompasses the entire house envelope as well as exterior grading and sidewalk/patio construction. Sidewalks, patios, and driveways should have a two percent slope away from the house foundation. The sloping away of these exterior perimeter additions will help keep the base of house and foundation from becoming saturated with moisture. Water penetration into the house can be potentially very damaging. The grading for the perimeter of the house should slope away from the house six inches within the first ten feet. The first section of concrete patio slopes away from the brick veneer house. However, the second section of concrete patio has a definite negative slope toward the house. The house was observed without any gutter system. Therefore, there is no effective way of shedding the roof rainwater or the open patio rainwater from away from the house. Rainwater can pond at this intersection and at times could reach the house itself. Recommend further evaluation/correction by a licensed concrete contractor or water drainage specialist.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Moisture intrusion on a roof deck. It is easily observed different colors that go from light brown to black passing through grey and even white on a plywood sheathing. Also the rafter has a black stain. This looks as the moisture problem started small and continue undetected for many years
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
proper flashing around the fire place and roof penetration is important. here we find wood rot where water is wicking in to wood that has not been properly protected. In the attic under this location you can see water marks from water leaking It is recommended a qualified professional roofing contractor be contacted to make corrections per there recommendations.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Water Intrusion: The water heater has leaked and shows evidence of a leak at the base of the unit. Water is also evident coming out from under the drain pan, possibly indicating a leak in the rusted drain pan. The water heaters and water softener need further review by a certified plumbing contractor. Any leaks need to be corrected and the area cleaned up and monitored for any future water intrusion/leaks.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Article: Mold, Moisture and Your Home. After reading this article it is clear that controlling water leaks and/or humidity FAST is important to prevent mold.One of the tips>Run the bathroom fan or open the window when showering called my attention because bathroom fans are so noisy that normally anybody in my family turns off when showering
Research & Writing Assignment:
Chimney flashing should include step flashing, over that should be counter flashing that should be set 1 inch inside a mortar joint and the caulked. A apron flashing should be at the base or low side with Head flashing at the high side.
Research & Writing Assignment:
This information was taken from the article by Nick Gromicko entitled, “Vapor Barriers”. Keeping moisture away from surfaces that could be potentially damaged in the house envelope is a very important construction consideration. There are many different types of vapor barriers, which can also be known as vapor-diffusion retarders, that can be applied. A good choice for a vapor barrier is a 6 mill 0.06 perm (permeability rating) polyethylene plastic. A permeability rating of 1 perm or less is classified as a vapor barrier. A vapor barrier can be applied on both the interior or exterior of the framed wall unit and is used to resist water/moisture diffusion. It is important to note that all materials will allow some water vapor to penetrate through the medium. Six mill polyethylene plastic is manufactured in several different ways. Polyethylene plastic comes in clear, black, or where higher strength standards are required, Cross-laminated or Fiber-reinforced UV (ultraviolet) resistant. The UV resistant Polyethylene has an unlimited UV exposure rating. Polyethylene plastic is a sound, basic, and cost-friendly choice for a vapor barrier that also uses reprocessed materials in its manufacturing.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Understanding water intrusion around a chimney is critical to protect the chimney and structure around the chimney from decay/failure. The inspection graphic “Chimney Flashing” shows the components of a properly flashed chimney. When done correctly, the system will function as designed and does not require additional sealants with the exception of the sealant at the top of the counter-flashing at each mortar joint. A list of these flashing components consist of 1) head flashing, 2) step flashing, 3) counter flashing, 4) apron flashing. The counter flashing(s) are inserted 1" in a groove at the mortar joint above the step flashing and sealant installed at this location. Once installed correctly, the flashing system will provide protection from water intrusion into the substrate.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
For this assignment, I took a look at my own home and evaluated the various components that relate to moisture intrusion. The signs of moisture intrusion are many and quite obvious, but I also have the luxury of knowing firsthand where the biggest issues are and the reasons they exist, which I wouldn’t ordinarily be privy to in a typical home inspection.
The following is a brief summary description of my home in general as well as the systems and components of my house that are relevant to moisture intrusion:
The home was constructed in 1926, and added onto at least twice. Some of the moisture issues present are at least partially due to or aggravated by the additions not being tied into an overall moisture/drainage strategy, making prior issues worse than they may have originally been. Some of the other issues can be attributed to extremely old features that are commonplace in other houses I’ve inspected of roughly the same era of construction. The foundation is the original brick and mortar used at the time the house was built in the 1920’s, sitting atop a thick concrete wall or footing on the front and sides of the home that surrounds and forms a wall around the dug out section of unfinished basement. About 2/3 of the house sits above an unfinished basement section, while the front 1/3 sits above a crawlspace section. The HVAC unit, ductwork, and water heater are located in the basement.
Here are some of the exterior areas I inspected, with notes pertaining to moisture intrusion:
*GRADING: the first thing you notice when arriving at my home is that the structure is built below a road that has been widened over the years, which continues to be the biggest contributing factor to my ongoing moisture issues. There is nothing that can really be done about this; it is what it is. The front yard slopes directly down to the front of the house before flattening out somewhat the last several feet before reaching the foundation. Despite the modest leveling of the yard near the house, this still directs massive amounts of surface water from the road directly to the foundation where it has nowhere to go. I’m in the process of cutting a diagonal trench or swale across the yard to intersect the flow of water and carry it safely to the end of the house where it can drain downhill a safe distance from the foundation.
*DRIVEWAY DRAINAGE/GRADING: this is another major contributing factor to basement water intrusion. Originally (up until just prior to us buying the home in 2009), the driveway was gravel and grass, and gently sloped away from the home based on old pictures we were able to obtain. This would allow much of the water to funnel away from the house to the lower area at the bottom of the driveway. Unfortunately, the driveway was paved with asphalt which is actually graded in the opposite direction (towards the house) and built up to be several inches above the low lying area right up next to the foundation. This encourages water to be funneled from the hillside across/down the driveway towards the house, where it is trapped in the lower lying area next to the foundation with nowhere to go. I was able to partially alleviate some of the problem by constructing a berm in the lowest lying area, and a dry creekbed which helps redirect some of the surface water diagonally away from the house to a lower point further down the driveway during periods of heavy rainfall.
*ROOF DRAINAGE/GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS: another major factor I have only recently figured out, thanks to this training! No evidence of current or prior leakage detected in the roof structure itself. The problem lies in the drainage of roof runoff into improperly installed gutters and poorly located downspouts. The gutter along the front of the home, which drains from the largest area of the roof was installed with an improper slope, so that the middle of the span of gutter is actually raised higher than on either side. This means water on the right end of the gutter actually has nowhere to go since it cant drain uphill, causing frequent overflows during rain events as evident by water damaged soffit and staining of the gutter. In addition, the contractor who installed the gutters and downspouts chose to locate the sole downspout at the end that terminates directly into the low lying problem area mentioned above, directing a massive amount of water into the worst possible site where water already pools and collects from a) the downsloping yard, and b) the down-sloping driveway. After many instances of performing my own “rainwater studies” during heavy rains, I’ve been able to pinpoint this as the exact location where water is initially infiltrating the foundation, flowing along the foundation until it hits the thick concrete footing wall separating crawlspace from basement and ultimately flows into the basement section where the chimney penetrates the concrete wall.
Now that I have pinpointed the exact point of origin where water is infiltrating the basement/foundation and identified the flaws in the gutter and downspout/grading contributing to the issue, I feel fairly confident that I can alleviate the bulk of the problem by undertaking the relatively easy, low-cost improvements on the exterior of the home mentioned below as opposed to (ineffectively) trying to deal with the symptoms of the problem via hours of fruitless water sealing efforts in the basement itself. These courses of action include:
a) digging a trench/French drain or swale that runs diagonally across the front yard to intercept the surface water coming from the road and divert it downhill to terminate safely beyond/below the foundation
b) re-installing the front gutter with proper slope and relocating downspout to opposite end.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Regarding the attached photo showing area in crawlspace where foundation wall has separated from support of chimney base. The use of a forming insulation material is not intended to sure up the joins between two concrete materials. It was noted to have a qualified contractor estimate and evaluate to ensure this is no longer a safety concern.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Regarding the attached photo showing area in crawlspace where foundation wall has separated from support of chimney base. The use of a forming insulation material is not intended to sure up the joins between two concrete materials. It was noted to have a qualified contractor estimate and evaluate to ensure this is no longer a safety concern.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The cathedral ceiling in the main room on the upper floor has recessed light fixtures that are not rated as an air sealed fixture, which allow air leakage into the ceiling space. Allowing room temperature air into the cool ceiling space creates condensation and reduces the insulation of the roof. Over time this will cause ice dam issues on the exterior and can lead to major moisture problems. I recommend having the fixtures updated to air seal rated fixtures by a licensed contractor.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Efflorescence is the resulting salts left behind from water having dried on the surface of porous materials. There are different ways to mitigate efflorescence, including sealing masonry to prevent water from leaving the salts behind. For exterior concrete foundations, it is important to seal them to prevent any negative effects moisture can have on exposed concrete, including cracking and spalling. Recommending clients to seal exposed untreated concrete foundation walls is cheap insurance to prevent negative moisture effects.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
I have selected an image of a chimney displaying some deterioration. The brick is starting to fall apart and the mortar is no longer keeping this system water tight. With the seasons changing so does the weather. Water will begin to deteriorate this chimney faster and faster the longer the situation exist. I myself would recommend repair by a licensed contractor, to prolong the life of the chimney before it becomes a safety issue.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I read an article about water intrusion on EIFS. Unlike all other exterior cladding where the wall components will all water or water vapor through the wall cavity it also allows the water to escape back to the atmosphere. EIFS needs to be water tight all the time and requires routine maintenance to increase the life of the covering. EIFS needs more attention than all other exterior claddings due to not allowing the moisture to escape the wall cavity.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The plumbing vent boot above the kitchen sink was installed and in good condition and showed no signs of deterioration, but was not fully sealed against the plumbing vent. This may allow moisture to enter the home. No signs of significant moisture was found in the attic space below, but we recommended a qualified person seal properly.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a photo from behind a washing machine. Washing machines have two inlet hoses and a discharge hose, for a total of 6 connections, which means alot of potential issues. I’m looking to see any sign of moisture and/or any indication of compromised hoses. Everything looked good in this example. Incidentally, I was pleased to also find access to some of the plumbing leading to the water heater behind this wall.
