For my inspection image i took a picture of an attic. In this picture you can see mild growth not only on the concrete wall but also on the rafters and plywood sheathing. This attic space was poorly vented and had serious moisture intrusion problems. The roof sheathing was also starting to fail and showed signs of where previous person almost fell through the rotting sheathing.
The article i choose to read is “carpet mold”. Carpet can be an easy target for mold growth because it meets the requirements for mold growth moisture, oxygen, a food source, and a surface to grow on. Although you won’t see any mold growth unless its a very serious problem its best to have a mold inspector come in and do some testing. typically mold can be cleaned unless mold has grown on carpet then cleaning will not be possible. If the carpet is cleaned the proper cleaning solution will be needed to kill mold as well as the carpet needs to be dried otherwise mold will come back. If mold growth is visible the carpet will need to be cut out and removed.
This is a drain line from an hrv system. The large black formation is mold. In the water it isnt alive due to moisture being too high, but has been collected from the system itself. I put a small amount of bleach to keep the environment sterile. And kill any mold before it leaves the pipe.
I looked at the drum humidifier picture. Drum humidifiers are an excellent area for mold to grow. Air from the house consisting of contaminants blow through here. And the sponge makes a great surface to flourish. Regular cleaning and maintenance is crucial.
Condensate drain lines can be a source of mold. It is important that air conditioner condensate drains terminate properly as they can be a source of biological growth that can spread spores into the hvac system.
Hey I found another item not covered in the library(do I get a prize?)
Ultraviolet lights are being placed in hvac ductwork to “purify” supply air. The lights are a big profit item for hvac companies but can be very inexpensive for a diy. Probably a hot, humid climate thing(but not 100%) as homes in the south that are cooling below dewpoint have to deal with a lot of moisture
This is a pic of mold growing on a wall. The moisture is coming from behind the wall from a roof leak.
Mold inspections can begin by smelling for that odd smell of something that shouldn’t be in the home. Look for areas that might contain moisture or have had leaks or moisture penetration such as under sinks or basements. There might be visible signs of mold or there may not be. It could be hiding in a wall or ceiling. Until the moisture issue is cleared up the mold will return no matter how many times you clean and remove the mold. If it is a large area a certified contractor may be needed.
Over bored holes
Inspecting this vent stack on the 4th floor of a 5 story building, I noticed the vent stack was bored through a exterior bearing stud wall and the hole was too large for this application. This stud required a repair of a stud shoe. In addition the stud guards were missing. These repairs needed to be complete before close in inspection was conducted.
Without these guards holes can be nailed into this pipe. The water leakers in the walls will not be spotted for a long time and will cause mold in the structure that can go unnoticed for a long time. This needs to be corrected.
What Happens When Your Inspection Report Gets Recycled?
When writing an inspection, write it to protect you and your words that represent your work, from someone who may steel it of continue to use it long after the inspection. These include;
- Numbering pages and referencing pictures,
- Using the heading to address who the report is for,
- Put in disclaimer and timelines for its use
- Never bargain with the same property for a new inspection. Some items could change over weeks while this property is on the market.
- Always include a disclaimer in your report and is valid only for the date and time of the inspection. Somewhere within the middle of the report, insert the following paragraph:
A general home inspection is a non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of a residential property, performed for a fee, which is designed to identify defects within specific systems and components that are both observed and deemed material by the inspector. It is based on the observations made on the date of the inspection, and not a prediction of future conditions. It is a snapshot in time. A general home inspection will not reveal every issue that exists or ever could exist, but only those material defects observed on the date of the inspection.
Water intrusion
As you can see from the attached picture. Water intrusion is an issue and apparently has been for a while according to owner.
On inspection there was also a very obvious musty smell, along with what appeared to be an organic substance on the walls.
I would definitely recommend a mold inspection at this property which should include air and surface samples.
**Did i miss something during the inspection?
**First we must access the severity of the “miss” or supposed “miss” by the inspector.
If it was an obvious visible miss like a major structural issue, that may cost thousands of dollars to correct. Then i would consider this a potential “miss”
If on the other hand the “miss” was water in intrusion in the basement found during final walk through by the client, but not present during the inspection. then i not consider this a miss. (take lots of pictures)
I think the most important way to prevent possible “foul cries” of inspector misses is to educate the client before, during, and after the inspection regarding what an inspector inspects, Vs what they do NOT inspect.
Personally i add the SOP to my website, within the email containing the pre inspection agreement, and reference them within the report. The client cannot say i did not provide them with the SOP.
This way (along with multiple photos) the client cannot say they did not know what to expect.
For example: I will be adding mold inspections to my list of inspection services later this year. I may be going over board, but i am creating two separate inspection agreements. One for the “Complete” inspection and one for “Limited” inspection which will specify the exact area the client is requesting to be tested.
Imaging what could potentially happen if they find mold in the home after they move in, but it was in an area that was NOT requested to be tested.
THEY WILL TRY TO SAY THEY ASKED ME TO INSPECT THAT AREA?? GET IT IT WRITING.
Had a home inspection where the toilet leaked and the water got to the base of the wall and the mold grew up the sheetrock as the water was drawn up. The leak had been fixed but the wall was never dried and so the mold grew along with the humidity from the wet wall.
Here in Florida we have alot of rental homes that the filter on the Hvac system does not get changed in. When the unit is turned off, the cold air from the unit mixing with the humid air from the home create enough condensation to promote mold growth on the ac filters.
Example of possible mold found during an inspection.
This image was taken inside the air return chamber located under the Forced Air Unit (FAU)
The chamber is stained and dirty, there is a possible mold like substance present. A sample of this substance should be taken and sent to the lab for further analysis.
This is a copper condensate line for the air condition unit (recently installed) which is running through the attic. During the inspection, it was 28 degrees C (82 Fahrenheit) and the A/C unit was working.
An area of the copper pipe was not insulated and there was condensation on it. There were also some droplets of water on the insulation, and previous signs of water stains visible on the insulation and the vapor barrier.
This situation, left undetected will create moisture/rot, and most probably lead to mold.
This will need to be properly insulated to eliminate the condensation.
A moisture meter is a device designed to measure the moisture content of different building materials, such as drywall, wood, plaster, and other materials. It can be used to determine whether a material is moist enough to allow mold to grow, or to determine if the house has leaks, among other things.
There are two types, Pin and Pinless (search mode)
Pin have probes that measure moisture content of a material’s surface. Pinless will detect moisture beneath/behind the surface of the material. An inspector should have both.
The attached photo shows moisture in the attic Roof area. Moisture intrusion is a MAJOR indicator of Mold growth and Damage to the structure. A licensed roofer should be consulted to repair the roof and eliminate moisture intrusion
My report for the Mold class is on Moisture meters for inspectors.
Moisture meters can be used to determine whether a material is moist enough to allow mold to grow. Mold will begin to accumulate on surfaces that contain approximately 20% moisture although this value varies based on vapor pressure and other factors.
Moisture meters come in two different varieties known as pin type and search mode (Pinless) Home and mold inspectors should carry BOTH types of moisture meters.