Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The return air vent is a location that you should not do your indoor air quality test. you should be at least 10 feet away from it. This is due to the fact that you may also pull in other dust and debre particles.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Mold spores exist naturally in the outdoors and can and will migrate to indoor conditioned spaces. Mold can grow indoors the spores and can begin to grow within 24-48 hrs when moisture and food are present. Mold is a condition that can cause some people to become irritated if susceptible to pollen’s, allergens, or have respiratory conditions. Indoor mold isn’t good to have indoors no matter what. Mold will cause musty odors and will feed on organic material such as wood, paper, cloth fibers, etc.
The first action to take is to remove/minimize moisture, if the moisture remains mold will regrow even after mitigation. Cleaning objects and surfaces with water and detergent and possibly treating with a biocide will kill mold spores and growth. One thing to keep in mind mold spores exist everywhere indoors and out the ideal level of mold spores indoors is to match the outdoor level of airborne spore levels. If mold is problematic to a persons health the should consult a health care professional.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Perform Mold Inspection - Written Report:
Upon inspection of the upper bathroom, inspector observed a few small black spots on the wall and ceiling above the shower, that appeared to possibly be mold. Since mold inspection and evaluation is not included in the Standards of Practice for InterNachis home inspection, inspector recommends that the noted area is inspected by an expert in the field of mold or mold remediation.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
aThe air handler was inspected and observed mold growth on the coils and around the air handler to duct work. We suggest having the ac system serviced coils, drain pan, and pipes cleaned. also resealing around the duct work joints to prevent hot or cold air leaks.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Below Grade Window/Finished Basement: In 2015, my family and I had mold spores present in our basement below our basement window. When the house was built, the builders did a poor insulation job around the window and below it. We had a relatively neutral grade around the house, so water would sit and seep down to our basement. Moisture intrusion and mold link together. It’s vitally important to decrease moisture content in a home.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I have learned that an air conditioning system consist of an air handler and a compressor. And are connected by copper lines that carry the Freon from the compressor to the air handler coils and the blower motor forces the air over the cold coils to cool the air.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Mold Testing for Home Inspectors: Home inspectors can use a variety of specialized and useful tools to conduct a non-invasive complete or limited mold inspection. Some of the tools include a moisture meter, IR camera, humidity gauge, boroscope and rotameter. Air sampling is another official testing platform that helps to identify mold presence.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Mold Testing for Home Inspectors - Written Assignment:
Mold growth is more than an inconvenience presented to home residences and business across the country. Its presence can also affect an individuals health and can compromise the respiratory health of susceptible individuals, (Mold Testing for Home Inspectors, N. Gromicko, A. Nguyen, & K. Tarasenko) if left unchecked. Mold testing is not included in InterNachis Standards of Practice for home inspections; however, training is available through InterNachi, that can arm the home inspector with the essential tools and training for this service.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
For my inspection and writing assignment I inspected a bathroom that was reported to have a musty odor. At the time of inspection there was no odor present. A visual examination found no signs of leaks or moisture present at the sink or toilet areas. There are some cracks in the caulk and drywall at the lower right corner of the window. There is also a patched area of the drywall, below the window at the baseboard next to the shower. I would take humidity and temperature measurements as well as use a moisture meter on the area in question. I believe that the use of an IR camera and a borescope could be beneficial in this inspection.
Research & Writing Assignment:
For my research and writing assignment I read Creating a Home Inspection Brochure. This article had some great advice and information for someone like myself who is just starting out as a home inspector. I am currently in the middle of designing my marketing material and after reading this article I will be making a few changes. What information to provide, key words to use and how to display my services were among some of the highlights. I would recommend reading this article if you are creating brochures for your business as I feel that this article provided me with some valuable marketing advice.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The following is a picture of an attic in N. Vancouver, BC. The home was built in 1986 and the current roof is a 6 year old asphalt shingle. It appears that the original roof was a cedar shake (or shingle) roof that has since been replaced. The original foil underlayment was left in place although it appears that someone has sliced holes in it every so often. The sheathing underneath is plywood. The presence of the foil underlayment is problematic in that it inhibits airflow across the sheathing and also makes it impossible to monitor the sheathing for leaks. The recommendation here is to remove the foil underlayment.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The essay “Bathroom Ventilation Ducts and Fans” discussed the importance of bathroom ventilation and some of the most common deficiencies found regarding this point. The deficiency I see most often is lack of insulation on ducting. The issue I find most difficult to verify is where a duct actually terminates. Builders often bury the ducting under the blown-in insulation and terminate the ducts under the soffit, essentially making it invisible (unless you start moving insulation around – which I generally avoid).
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
We were contracted to perform a condo inspection on the beach. The client was sensitive to mold; air quality samples were taken before the inspection. During the inspection; the bathroom vent covers had a mold like substance accumulated on the surface.The HVAC system was recently replaced and was clean. The air quality samples returned with elevated counts of penicillium/aspergillus. The duct-work and vent covers were cleaned; the condo re-sampled clean.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Personal protection equipment (PPE) is important to wear while cleaning moldy areas; PPE should be worn to limit your exposure to mold and mold spores. The equipment includes a respirator, rubber gloves, and goggles. All equipment should be properly fitted according to the manufacturers instructions. Molds and mold spores can cause allergic reactions when exposed. Molds can cause hay fever like symptoms, can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is in the crawl space underneath the rear left side of the house. There is no vapor barrier. There is also water coming in through the foundation wall due to the sprinklers that directly spray the building in the flower bed that is up against the house. These are conditions conducive to mold growth. It would help to have a vapor barrier and to move the water directly off the foundation of the house to prevent any future moisture intrusion and possible mold growth.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Black mold; fact or fiction
There are up to 100,000 different kinds of mold. There are no ‘standards’ for mold exposure, and probably wont be due to the sheer number. But there is one type, which has been around for a long time that was made public after Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992, Black mold. Black mold is a neurotoxin, well the spores of black mold are. Black mold exposure include fatigue, headaches, seizure, tremors, mood swings, confusion, fever, eye irritation, sneezing, rashes, coughing, bleeding of the lungs, and sometimes death. When inspecting homes that have a possibility of having black mold visible be sure to wear appropriate PPE.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I studied an image from the image gallery and titled window well. The window well is an important part of moisture intrusion prevention. 6 in below the window on the foundation should be filled with gravel. There should also be a perforated pipe encased in gravel leading down to the storm sewer. It is important to keep the window wells clear of leaves and other debris that can prevent water from draining through the gravel. If water is allowed to pool in the window well it may rise above the level of the window which then becomes a point of moisture intrusion. From that point it may lead to mold.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Methamphetamine or more commonly known as meth is an illegal drug which is also highly addictive and widely used. You hear the stories on TV about people getting arrested for the use of meth and the manufacturing of it. Not only is the drug made from common household chemicals being mixed together and can be extremely volatile, the location where it is made becomes contaminated and dangerous to people. To make sure you keep yourself safe while inspecting a lot of states have websites that tell of meth lab locations so the general public can be made aware of the possible dangers that exist. Here in Indiana we use; https://www.in.gov/meth/2371.htm .
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The image you are viewing is of a a/c closet . There is what to appears to be water stains around the base of the duct work leading into the ceiling.
there was no other visible signs of potential mold with in the closet itself.
No musty odors were present at the time of inspection.
The water stain around the duct work to the a/c as well as the water stains should be evaluated by a professional to mitigate or any possible concerns.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Taking air samples is a major part of our job and is important to know when to take samples and not to.
When there is apparent or possible mold by visibly seeing what looks like mold, Musty odors, a lot of moisture or water damage Air samples Should be taken. If there is not any obvious signs and the customer and inspector feel that it still might be necessary.
Inspectors should try to avoid taking samples from a home that is under a physicians care, or there is litigation being conducted and is related to mold. InterNachi inspectors should not take samples in commercial or public structures.