This property’s garage/utility room has evidence of water intrusion. The exterior facing wall has what looks like at least two different types of biological growth. There is a musty moldy smell. The inspector will be taking swab samples of the different looking bio masses. The water intrusion needs to be remedied. Removal and replacement of all of the affected building materials is recommended.
The picture gallery I went through is Exterior/ Mortar joints. A struck joint has a angled downward motor that leaves the top of the lower brick exposed. Weathered is angled upward leaving the bottom of the top brick exposed. Extruded has motor exposed out of the bricks. A concave joint has the motor rounded into a cavity in-between the rows of bricks.
The wall space in this photo includes water supply lines and a cavity that contained a damaged and leaking old cast iron drain stack. Water was leaking onto the foundation wall below, creating an ideal environment for mold to grow, and quite a bit of apparent mold was visible in the basement. In addition, the wall studs measured for high moisture content and were also a ripe environment for mold. In this type of situation, a homeowner would do well to have a mold inspection done by a qualified inspector.
The gallery image “Toilet Stalls Plan View” provides dimensions for commercial bathrooms. The illustration shows that screen walls by urinals should not protrude beyond the urinal rim. Wheelchair accessible stalls should have doors at least 32 inches wide, or 36 inches if they swing inward. The minimum clearance floor space at urinals should be 30"x48".
This is an Image of the North East section of attic on 1234 Payson Rd. As seen in the image apparent mold is present. A surface sample was taken and sent to a third party lab for analysis The moisture content of the sheathing is 14%. There at baffles present every 4 ft. Upon closer examination the bathroom fan has been vented out through the soffit. When the bath vent is operating air can be felt pushing back into attic.
When discussing methods of mold remediation in an attic Abrasive blasting has advantages. There are several types of abrasive blasting, all remove mold in the same way of knock mold off of sheathing and trusses. While these methods are effective and same labor hours, it should be noted that the use of HEPA vacuuming is necessary to remove mold that has been taken of substrates.
This is an ac air vent. This is a key factor in determining if a house has “invisible mold”. I will put the cartridge on the air vacuum and make sure that the air from the vent is going into the vacuum
My article was 15 Tools Every Homeowner Should Own. This article shows how useful these tools really are in everyday life. I myself have never owned half of these but now I see why I should always have these tools with me.
The article “Abrasive Blasting for Mold Remediation” introduces the reader to the removal of mold through the use of abrasive media.
Traditionally, removal of mold was tedious and time consuming, consisting of sanding and hand scrubbing the mold from the surface.
Abrasive blasting typically uses baking soda or dry ice to remove mold by throwing the media at the area via air or centrifugal wheel. Sand and corn cobs may also be used, but they are not common.
Baking soda is soft, but appears knife-like under a microscope. Baking soda is also water-soluble and has a pH near neutral. The use of baking soda to remove mold is fast and efficient, with little cleanup when the appropriate size nozzle is used to dispense it. Furthermore, baking soda does little damage to the underlying substrate.
The use of dry ice to remove mold is more interesting. The process includes three phases. The first phase is a transfer of energy when the dry ice pellet impacts the surface, which helps mold fall of the surface while causing little or no damage to the substrate. The second phase is micro-thermal shock, cause by the sub-freezing temperature of the dry ice. This phase is more effective at removing other contaminants and debris from the substrate than it is as removing mold.
The third and last phase is gas pressure. Upon impact the dry ice particles explode and warm, converting into carbon dioxide.This change of state to a gas is accompanied by an expansion of volume between 400 and 800 times. This rapid expansion under the mold causes it to fall from the substrate.
No matter which media is used, cleanup should be performed with a HEPA vacuum. A HEPA vacuum will remove mold spores that have covered clean surfaces or become airborne during the remediation procedure.
In a high-humidity environment, mold may develop within the ductwork of HVAC systems. Pictured is a return air filter grill with the filter removed.
As with many HVAC installations, the return air grill is served by a large diameter duct. With an inspection mirror or boroscope it is trivial to examine the inside of this portion of the duct system for mold growth.
Additionally, if indoor air samples are taken, a sample should be taken near the HVAC return register.
During a routine home inspection the buyer stated a concern about the “mold” in the shower along the bottom edge of the shower door trim. The buyer was animate that I listed the area as being contaminated with mold. I informed the buyer I would list the area in my report as needing further evaluation by a certified mold inspector. Additionally the inspector will not at the time of the testing be able to determine if the sample area contains any microbial growth. Only a testing lab would be able to identify if any microbial growth.
In the attached photo you can see that the grade at this particular location is above the bottom of the stucco. Possibility of moisture intrusion. Grade should be 2 to 4 below the stucco starter strip/weep screed. Additionally, positive drainage should be achieved to divert water away from structure.
While performing an electrical panel inspection as part of the home inspection for 1234 Main St. I noticed 6 circuits that were doubled lugged. Additionally the 6 breakers double lugged were a mix of one of the two wires being solid #12 wire and the other being stranded #12 wire. I added in my report the issue of being double lugged as a danger and added the increased danger of arch due to the difference in wire sizes. the difference in size increased the potential for arching.
In locations conducive to medium and high rainfall totals, homeowners should take notice regarding the slope of the grade around the entire perimeter of the home. Including but not limited to the driveway. Positive drainage should continue away from the home a minimum of 10 feet. If it is not possible to achieve 10 feet, area drains should be considered.
In the attached picture, we can see that there is a moisture intusion issue that has precipitated the growth of mold. This is the interior window. Due to this, a full mold inspection needs to be performed with samples sent to the lab for further analysis.
Mold-
Should you see signs of a mold issue in your home, follow these steps:
If there has been a lot of water damage, and/or mold growth covers more than 10 square feet, consult with an InterNACHI inspector.
If you choose to hire a contractor (or other professional service provider) to do the cleanup, make sure the contractor has experience cleaning up mold. Check references and ask the contractor to follow the recommendations of the EPA, the guidelines of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygenists (ACGIH), or other guidelines from professional or government organizations.
Do not run the HVAC system if you know or suspect that it is contaminated with mold. This could spread mold throughout the building.
If the water and/or mold damage was caused by sewage or other contaminated water, then call in a professional who has experience cleaning and fixing buildings damaged by contaminated water.
If you have health concerns, consult a health professional before starting cleanup.
Image Name: Attic Condensation
The image shows the possible ways in which condensation forms in the attic space of a house. The possible ways in which condensate forms in the attic space include leaky bathroom or kitchen vent, leaky lighting penetrations, moisture condensing on cold roof sheeting and attic walls.
Image: Clogged Furnace Filter
This image depicts the internal components of a common furnace found in homes. It shows the general location and arrangement of the components and direction of air flow. In addition, it shows the location of the air filter and how clogged air filter prevents air flow. The image also shows water leaking from drip pans into the ductwork and air pulled from condensate line preventing it from draining. All these conditions are recipes for mold growth and indoor air quality issues.
This picture shows the cabinet under the kitchen sink. There appears to be no visible signs of mold. Additionally there is no evidence of moldy or musty smells. At the time of inspection the presence of mold was not evident and remediation is not necessary.
I read the article titled “Moisture Intrusion.” Moisture intrusion can be the cause of building defects as well as health concerns/problems. Some common moisture related problems include: structural wood decay, high indoor humidity, expansive or softened soil, undermined foundations, meld corrosion, ice dams, and mold growth.
