I did not smell any musty, moldy smells anywhere in the house including the crawlspace which is dirt. I did find this apparent bio-growth on the ceiling of the master shower. The exhaust fan was not operating in this room so moisture accumulated on the ceiling near the outside wall, where it condensed due to the higher RH on the cold corner of the ceiling. This created good conditions for mold to grow.
![IMG_1742[1].jpg](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/original/3X/4/2/42f3bdb8b4f3380dbfcc51f056c9a232d2fc0ce8.jpeg)
I read the article about moisture meters which explained thoroughly when I should use which method of measurement. I was never 100% sure which one I should use and what the advantages and disadvantages were.
I also read the article about basic waterproofing of basements. I had never heard of sodium-silicate sealant before. That sounds like a fabulous way to waterproof without having to dig up the entire perimeter of the house, if the conditions are right to allow that.
This was a crawlspace inspection where the client suspected there was moisture intrusion. They wanted to know the extent of the moisture and where it was coming from. My inspection revealed two leaks in drainage piping and seepage through the foundation. The seepage was due to improper grading and downspouts that were too short. The water was pooling around the exterior of the house. There was evidence of microbial activity under the house so I took a tape sample and sent it off to a laboratory for testing. It came back positive for Aspergillus.
Reading and writing assignment.
Basic Waterproofing for Basements
I knew most of the information prior to reading the article except for the part about sodium-silicate sealant. This information will be very useful. In my geographic region I see many damp basements and crawlspaces. I have been telling my customers to keep the water away from the foundation through proper grading and downspout extensions. Now I can add that they can paint their foundation walls with this sealant which reacts with the lime in the concrete blocks and seals up all of the microscopic holes to prevent water from seeping through the concrete blocks and mortar. I’m going to send this article to a realtor and their customer later today.
Reading and writing assignment.
Carpet Mold: Identification, Prevention and Removal
I recently inspected a foreclosed house that had wet carpets in bathrooms and bedrooms. Additionally, the house had a strong mold/mildew smell. I related to them the importance of drying out the carpets, however this article goes into more detail and states that the carpets should be removed if a large area of mold exists or if several areas of mold are found in the carpet. Then the article goes on to explain how to clean a small area of mold. I will send this article to my customer to help them decide what they should do about the carpet.
Upon inspecting the crawlspace at our home I noticed that it does not have any vapour barrier laid on the ground. Although there is no mold present at this time the lack of vapour barrier could cause moisture to enter and lead to mold problems. This should be corrected to prevent any future moisture and mold issues from starting.
Abrasive Blasting for Mold Remediation
by Nick Gromicko and Ethan Ward
This article mentions how little mold needs to grow. All it needs is moisture, oxygen, a food source and a surface to grow on, once it has started to grow it can go unnoticed for quite some time. In some cases people get sick or have allergic reactions before noticing the mold problem that caused it. Ensuring the proper steps are taken to prevent moisture/mold problems will be beneficial in more ways then one.
Michael Peterson
4/1/2016
InterNACHI IAC2 Mold Inspection Course
In the attached image you will notice what appears to be mold like substance. This was found on false ceiling tiles in a finished portion of a basement. The home was owned by the lending institution and vacant for some time. the home had been winterized and the city had to turn on water/utilities for the home inspection to be performed. The first thing I noticed when entering the basement was the musty odor. After see the ceiling tile I continued to find areas on the block wall and other parts of ceiling that showed mold like substances. For safety reasons I exited the basement and completed the rest of the home inspection with N95 mask and medical gloves on. In the main level of the home I found several toilets and copper pipes leaking water that possibly could have contributed to the musty smell in basement. I called the seller and buyer realtors and informed them of my findings. I had my client with me, for her safety I did not allow her to enter the basement.
Michael Peterson
4/1/2016
InterNACHI Reading Writing Assignment
IAC2 Mold Inspection Course
Moisture intrusion in a home or building can have several negative affects to the structure and occupants. Moisture can enter through decayed building materials, cracked or broken foundation joints, improper construction procedures such as the lack of moisture barriers, improperly used and damaged gutters/downspouts, plugged tile lines, high moisture levels, plumbing leaks, and water backup in drains. Potential negative effects could be moisture damage to building materials and interior home finishes, atmosphere positive to encourage mold growth, foundation damage, damage to personal belongings, and adverse health effects from poor air quality and contaminated water. Preventative maintenance, moisture control, and timely repairs are key to battling moisture intrusion into the home and keeping the home healthy for occupants.
Missing caulking along the floor area out side of a shower during a mold inspection. Upon visual inspection of the self adhering vinyl tile there was apparent black color under the tile. So I checked the area for water infiltration, The temperature of the home is 70.1 degrees F, the RH is 56% and the substrate under the tile has a moisture reading of 12.4%. The recommend RH indoors should be between 30 to 60% and RH for the sub flooring should be around 7%.
Mold is a natural part of our environment and Outdoor molds are and essential part of breaking down dead organic matter leaves or even dead trees. This mold will also be found indoors do to opening windows or even carried in on peoples close and shoes. It is impossible to get rid of all mold or mold spores indoors but we can control whether or not it becomes active and grows by controlling the moisture and and the food source it needs to live.
This was a complete Mold Inspection with a wall cavity check air sampling, this wall had elevated levels of moisture due to the severe water damage coming from the sprinkler system repeatedly hitting the outside stucco wall and the edge of the windows. There was not visible fungi or water stain but the client complain about a musty odor coming from that area in the Dining room. Relative Humidity (RH) and temperatures of 75.1*f and 39.7% readings were measure and recorded in the interior and exterior of the property. The laboratory results came positive with a high levels of Aspergillus, Penicillum and Stachybotrys.
This course about performing Mold inspection is very helpful and interesting, easy to understand with a vocabulary that i use on a daily basis while doing mold inspections.
Every step throughout the whole course helped me to understand and cover more areas while performing either a Complete Mold Inspection or a Limited mold inspection, to understand how to protect myself while performing inspections, what exactly is mold, how to prevent and how tho get rid of it. even tho fungi plays an important roll in our outside ecosystem, while is indoors can severe damage our immune system.
In this course i did not only leaned about performing a mold inspection, there was a lot information about different topics like asbestos and lead which also something that I see every time going to an inspection.
Thank you InterNACHI.
The image above was taken from a crawlspace inspection that I performed. There were many issues in this particular crawlspace, from mold growing around the HVAC duct plenums connecting to the floor registers, moisture saturated duct insulation and this green, moist substance growing on the underneath 40% of the surface of the sub-flooring. The area was centrally located, moving from the front of the house to the rear. Since this was specifically a crawlspace inspection, not for the homeowner, but a mortgage company, I was not able to inspect indoors in this area of the house. I did report the substance to be a type of algae or fungi, that this particular institution needed to further investigate along with the moisture saturated duct insulation (which, due to the high humidity in the crawlspace, was growing mold) and mold growth on the duct plenums by a qualified/certified specialist of their choosing.
Thanks for allowing me to share the inspection photo and report. Trust all is going well with your courses and inspections.
Mike Flowers
Mike’s Home Inspection Services, Inc
Americus, GA
Finishing up the “How to Perform Mold Inspection” course with these two article reports. The two articles I will be reporting on are, ‘IR Cameras: Inspecting for Moisture Intrusion’ by Nick Gromicko and Ethan Ward and ‘Homeowner Maintenance: Changing the HVAC Filter’ by Nick Gromicko and Kate Tarasenko.
The First: ‘IR Cameras: Inspecting for Moisture Intrusion.’
As we all know, there are areas where moisture or water intrusion is not visible or is visible in hard to get areas such as in small crawlspaces or behind mechanical systems. This is where infrared imaging becomes an excellent tool to determine the presence of moisture or water intrusion that is not visible or to determine if visible staining or mold growth are actually active moisture spots that can be confirmed with a moisture meter.
The article speaks to the advantages that infrared cameras provide in locating moisture problems and provides a list of those advantages. It also speaks to the possible scenarios that an IR Camera would be beneficial in locating moisture intrusion. During an energy audit; after a water-damage event, such as a flood or pipe rupture; behind finished basement walls; if an in-slab water supply or waste line is suspected of leaking; when windows, doors or other openings are suspected as points of moisture intrusion; identifying wet spots in insulation; in locating hidden leaks under resilient flooring and to find wet areas in inaccessible spots.
The authors point out the important areas to be inspected that are always possible water and moisture intrusion points due to leakage and condensation. The concluding statement, “Infrared cameras are popular for finding moisture intrusion problems because of the many advantages they provide over conventional methods. Using an IR camera in conjunction with a moisture meter allow problem areas to be located quickly and documented easily. Inspectors can benefit from recognizing the applications of this technology and understanding the different ways to use it to their business’ and their clients’ advantage.”
The Second Article: ‘Homeowner Maintenance: Changing the HVAC Filter.’
The article begins stating the homeowner responsibility of proper home maintenance and that deferred maintenance will create different types of problems for the systems and components of their house. One of those maintenance areas is changing the HVAC filter on a consistent basis, preferably every 3 months. “Most homes have some sort of furnace or heat pump, and many of those homes (especially newer ones) have combined heating, ventilation and air-conditioning or HVAC systems. Each type uses some type of air filter or screen to prevent larger airborne particles (up to 40 microns) from entering the system and clogging sensitive machinery.” Another reason for the consistent changing of the air filter is that a dirty air filter can be exposed to condensation, becoming damp which can lead to mold growth. This mold growth can be spread around the entire home by the HVAC system. As we have studied as inspectors, this poses serious health issues for the occupants as well as compromising the system for cooling and heating.
The article goes on to give the conditions and therefore the reasons for changing out the air filter. Three I will mention because they relate to the course of study on mold inspection. The first, change the filter on a regular basis if you or someone in your household suffers from allergies or a respiratory condition. The second deals with immediate changing of the air filter when the filter is damp. A filter affected by moisture intrusion, system condensation, or even high indoor humidity can quickly become moldy and spread airborne mold spores throughout the home via the ventilation system. The last reason deals as well with immediate changing when “there is evidence of microbial growth or mold on the filter. Mold spores already infiltrating the home via the HVAC system are not only bad for the unit itself, but they can pose a health hazard for the family, ranging from an irritated respiratory system to a serious allergic reaction.” The article concludes reaffirming to homeowners the importance of proper and responsible maintenance in regards to the house systems, components and filtration.
Both are good articles and very helpful with the given information.
Thanks for allowing me to share the reports and trust everyone is doing well in their studies and performing their inspections. Happy testing and inspecting to each of you.
Mike Flowers
Mike’s Home Inspection Services, Inc.
Americus, GA
Again I am having issues uploading an image from my phone.
The image is of a ceiling tile in a residence. Directly above the ceiling tile area is an upstairs bathroom. This ceiling tile has apparent stains caused by water or moisture, assumed to be originating from the bathroom above.
Further investigation into the upstairs bathroom will be completed and reported later in a report.
In a garage inspecting article, covering an inspection of a garage, in was walked through the view of an inspector. This man saw and documented the issues present, in a way that made things clearer for myself to understand. He carefully looked for gfci protected receptacles as well as issues that may cause structural damage.
In a separate article I read about 10 ways to make your home more energy efficient. This article was helpful, and descriptive. Some things that were stated were things that are common knowledge yet are overlooked in the home. It serves as a good reminder that Simple things in a home can make a huge difference.
Located mold damage in a condo I insected. I first noticed mold and water damage behind the toilet in the main level bathroom. When I entered the crawlspace, I could smell a musty odor. Upon futher inspection, I located the leak under the toilet. There was significant moisture damage and mold on the floor joists.
This is a picture of an air handler. It is fully functional. I found the mold course helpful and well put together. I look forward to continuing my education with courses similar to this one in the future.
I read two articles, one on mold (naturally) the other on moisture meters.
Mold can grow instantly and the key to controlling mold is controlling moisture. Mold should be cleaned with water and a detergent then dried carefully. All wet surfaces should be dried within 48 hours.
I learned that interNACHI feels that moisture meters with both probes and a surface testers are the best. Looks like I need a new meter.