Before deciding to become a home inspector I did a lot of renovation and repair work. The vast majority of the repairs I had to do were caused by either poor drainage or water leaking into or in the structure. I read the short Moisture Intrusion article and the one for home owners as a refresher course. These both tell me that it is a very good idea as a home inspector to add mold testing certification to your tool arsenal for your clients. Good articles as always.
This photo was taken from cabinet inside a bathroom. Due to Moisture Intrusion , a mold growth was observed.
Fungal growth such as Mold indicates a history of Plumbing leakage/ water penetration and or condensation. The source of the water penetration and or condensation must be identified, repairs to the affected areas and mold removal remedy to be performed by licensed general contractor. Health related issues concerning Mold are beyond the scope of home inspection. If the homeowner has additional concerns related to the presence of fungal growth such as Mold an industrial hygienist should be consulted.
This picture was taken in a Split level ranch built in 1982. This is above the 2 story section of the house. The ventilation method used was a combination of soffit and a ridge vent. The obvious defect and probable cause of the mold like substance was the fact the soffit vents had been plugged with insulation. While there were baffles present, which would have increased the ventilation they were not installed deep enough or consistently enough. The result was a thin film of a biological growth. Recommend a mold hygienist evaluate and mitigate as needed. In addition to having a contractor improve the ventilation.
Great class as always Ben. Nice job
Starting the course today.
Apparent mold issue on the basement wall. Gypsum board on wooden studs. Water stains on the basement floor from the entry door, along the wall, and to this corner. Area is currently dry. Drainage outside basement door is substandard and may not be able to remove all the water during a heavy rain. water could be passing under the entry door and pooling along the edge of the wall.
Just finished writing a mold report as a requirement for “How to Perform a Mold Inspection”. Interesting how I needed to remind myself to focus on mold, as opposed to a general inspection.
The damage to the siding in this photo is a strong indication that the potential for moisture entry into the interior of the structure is very high. This will lead the inspector to taking extra time in the interior at this location to ensure any and all potential moisture and mold damage is assessed, reported on and sampled for analysis upon client approval
The following is AC duck work with fungi / possible mold on the outside of it from sweating
Using an IR camera for moisture intrusion was very interesting and showing how the camera and the pick moisture intrusion that temperature differences were the normal I cannot see it.
Mold and moisture in your home article was a great article comparing one client for what to look for and how to keep from having mold in the home by not having a moisture buildup
Starting this class today.
I found this white mold on the basement joist at the house I am renting. There was insulation pushed up and around the joist, only after removing the insulation was the white mold visible. White mold like all others needs to have a sample taken to determine the severity and removed by the proper certified contractor.
I recently performed an inspection on the house I am renting for moisture intrusion and mold. Surprisingly for as old as this house is, I found very little evidence of mold or water intrusion, accept for what I can’t see. All of the faucets, tubs, and toilets showed no signs of leakage at the component or in the basement. The roof, eaves and soffit showed no indication of mold or water intrusion. All of the windows worked properly and showed no indication of water intrusion. The calk does appear to be old and weather beaten, recommend re calking of windows. I did find areas in the basement where mortar is missing and allowing water to intrude causing efflorescence in a lot of the stone. On the west side of the house where there is a foundation wall, I could see the bottom plate of the wall and where water is allowed to enter through the foundation. White mold can visually be see after removing some of the insulation on a few of the floor joist. I recommended to the home owner that mortar needs to be replaced in several areas to the foundation and that samples need to be taken of the white mold and the need of a professional to remove the indicated mold problem.
One of the articles that I read for this class was Moisture Intrusion by Nick Gromicko & Kenton Shepard.
Most water intrusion in a house is brought in by air infiltration, roof and plumbing leaks, diffusion through building materials, and flooding. Climate zones can also be a big problem of causing water intrusion depending on the climate in which you live. Three of the main areas in a house to be of concern when looking for water intrusion is the utility rooms, attics, and foundations.
The other article I read for this class was Mold, Moisture & Your Home
One of the biggest things to know about mold and moisture in your home is knowing how to control the moisture that can enter your home. If you do find moisture and mold in your home you should consult a professional inspector to determine the scope of the situation, once the scope is determined a professional and experienced contractor in mold removal should be consulted to fix the underlining problem and to remove the mold that is within the house. Annual inspection are recommended to help prevent future problems.
This is an apparent mold growth in a bathroom of a property I was inspecting. As I entered the house I smelled a strong musty odor, but did not see any signs of microbial growth until I opened the bathroom. The a/c vent was sealed with tape, the door was closed and a towel was covering the floor transition in order to contain the contamination of the bathroom.
There was an old sky light that had been leaking for some time and there was high humidity and high temperature since the a/c vent was taped in this forced closed-in bathroom creating a breeding ground or a perfect environment for mold growth.
I took these pictures and immediately closed the door and sealed the bottom with the towel and recommended a mold inspection to the buyer due to the musty odor, the apparent and visible microbial growth and the water intrusion due to the old and damaged sky light.
As I continued with the inspection after seeing the condition of that bathroom, it was obvious that the possibilities of apparent mold growth had to be in other places of the house. I started to look very closely around the interior walls of all the closets specially those adjacent to that bathroom and sure enough, there were black spots by the baseboards and in the air handler closet wall. I did not get to inspect the attic space because I was concerned about my health and the lack of PPE I had. Again, I strongly recommended a mold inspection and even offered to refund the inspection fee since I was unable to complete the inspection due to safety and health reasons. Buyer opted to back out of the deal, refused to accept the offer of refunding the inspection fee and was very thankful for the service. I did his next inspection with a 50% discount.
Completed inspection on 4500 sq ft home with emphasis on moisture intrusion/potential mold. Some typical areas of future moisture penetration possibilities such as plant growth too close to the home, Wood Window sashes with deferred maintenance and a roof vent cover missing. Overall very good condition
Found it hard to find areas of moistures issues in this southwest house. Typically the RH is not over an average of 32 outside and the inside RH usually sits in the high 40’s. This make for conditions in which mold doesn’t have a strong foothold. This image of a water leak down the stem line and adding moisture to the sill plate does indicate and area that is conducive to mold growth. The situation of a leaky hose bibb was cause after a long period and was fixed. It contributed to the possibility of mold forming between the walls. Since that time is has dried out to a reading of 6.2 on my moisture meter.
I read the two articles in the library on moisture intrusion and moisture meters. The first article went over the areas to look for for possible moisture intrusion in most homes. From the roof penetrations to how the attic can help in defining leaks that could be conducive to mold. Most people look for the signs that come around plumbing fixtures and the like but it appears that roofs and basement areas are a definite place to look for these issues. The moisture meter really helps in being able to determine the measurement of a moisture problem is after it has been calibrated and a baseline area is sampled to get an idea of what a piece of construction material might be at.
This is a photo of mould next to the window. It is black in colour and appears to be toxic Stachybotrys. However, a sample will have to be taken and tested to confirm.
