I read “Avoiding Litigation: About Mold,” by Keith Swift, PhD from the library of inspection articles. I cannot strongly enough encourage any home inspection professionals to read this article. After reading it I revised my “Inspection Agreement” to include language offered in the article. Although my company is also a testing company, the consumer notification and professional disclaimers in the article are extremely valuable. This was a concise and well written article, worth the time to read, and full of language Dr. Swift offers for use in our communication with clients.
As part of the mold inspection certification I read the article on flood damaged properties. I found the article very interesting an informative.
Moisture control is the key to controlling mold growth in your home. Remember to promptly fix any water problems. It is important to dry water damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.
Second story dormer window in bonus room above garage needs replacement and immediate sealing, until the sash can be replaced. This break in the building envelope provides a means of ingress (entry) for moisture and pests. The relative humidity in this room was 68% as opposed to 52% noted in several other locations of the home.
The article I read was about air sampling for mold inspections. It suggests taking an air sample when other indicators of mold are present. Those indicators are presence of visible mold, moisture intrusion, and musty or moldy odors. Moreover, it reminds readers the air sampling is one of several tools in a mold inspection and should not be solely relied upon as every method of data collection has limitations.
Whileinspecting the basement for this house, I saw water stain on thefoundation wall. And some water near one ofthecorner.I checkedwith the moisturemeter the area with the stain and it was an activeleak. Water is filtrating through the foundation wall.
Basementneeds repair by a professional to resolved this water problem. Househad multiple problems with water penetration including missingdownspout pipe, broken gutters and evidence of bio growth in thekitchen ceiling with water stain. Tape sampling and air sampling wasdone.
This photo is of a basement sump pit. The pit itself is made from a plastic trash can and does not have a cover. There are two dehumidifier drain hoses which empty into the pit. There is a backup pump that was installed after a flooding about 8 years ago where it is reported that the original could not keep up with the demand. The on/off sensors should be positioned lower as there is reportedly several inches of water in it at all times. This was recently emptied by the owner manually triggering it on. There is residue of an orange film/microbial growth along the sides and on the pumps which appears to have developed due to the standing water.
I read the article titled “Sump Pump Operation and Inspection Guide”
I found this informative and yet there were a couple of things that were surprising. One example is that of the debated use of a GFCI. Where it is more likely for a GFCI to trip sumps pits under safe conditions deactivating a pump when need than the likeliness of a pump posing a threat of energizing the water. I also expected to find a little more information regarding the threat of standing water in sump pits posing a risk of mold growth. One item I was unaware of was how the check valve not only prevents backflow but it also takes unnecessary strain off of the pump.
This course will give me the knowledge and confidence to identify suspected mold when performing inspections. The picture shows suspected mold in a basement area. The area was serviced by a sump pump, so it’s a good bet that moisture was present in the basement. This was an isolated spot of suspected mold and there was no other like substance noted in the basement.
Mold essay
This is a picture of a drain pipe that shows abvious signs of a leak issue. The black on the 2x4 is definitely a cause for mold testing.
Areas of moisture intrusion are Roofs, Plumbing, Utility room, Attic and Foundations.
Taking the RH recommendations to heart…in this winter climate, I am ensuring that my humidifier is set below 50%. Humidifier drum was inspected, no evidence of any growth of any kind.
Why is mold growing in my home? That is the article I read for this portion of the course…the answer is water! Moisture…mold starts with moisture…when the MC is over 20% in anything…it is an invitation for immediate mold growth. Best practice is to make sure there is no water intrusions causing anything to gain a MC of more than 20%.
This Image is of a moisture reading of drywall behind a refrigerator. The refrigerators ice maker water supply was found to be inoperative and the water line was disconnected from the refrigerator. The unit it self was 16 years old and it was suspected that a water leak had occurred at some point. I removed the cold air return vent cover and observed water staining of the drywall. The moisture reading was less than 10% in the area and an active leak was generally ruled out.
This is the trim around the west door. The caulking is in need of repair. This could be an area of moisture intrusion.
When performing a mold inspection always look for moisture intrusion. A moisture meter is an important tool in a mold inspection.
This door I inspected has signs of moisture intrusion.The ground around the outside slopes back to the door also there is no protection from the weather.
The paint on the door and jamb is peeling letting moisture get to the raw wood and metal causing wood decay and rust.I found it to have 35% moisture and there has been no rain for weeks[ATTACH]
There are two types of moisture meters invasive and non invasive.Moisture meters are a very useful tool for us inspectors to locate moisture in areas you can`t see or feel.They can help us in may ways by letting us know how wet the area is if the area is drying out. It also lets us know if material is to wet to install.They can test many building materials from drywall to concrete.
Image/Essay for Mold Course…
Plumbing pipe vent boot is damaged, not properly sealed; possible point of water infiltration. Second layer of shingles was installed covering bottom portion of plumbing vent-pipe collar. Collar should be installed on top of shingles at bottom of collar in order to continue to shed water at top of roof system. These issues may lead to water intrusion into building envelope which may lead to damage of building materials and possible mold growth. There was no access to underside of roof due to finish surfaces, no sign of water infiltration was noted at these finished surfaces at time of inspection. Recommend further evaluation and repairs be completed by reputable, licensed roofing contractor.
For the research portion of the mold course I explored the gallery a bit, then focused on the custom home maintenance book. It seams to be a great idea to leave behind with new home buyers in order to help them maintain and enjoy their new purchase. This looks like a great tool to help the home owner keep a healthy home while keeping your business name relevant when your previous client is communicating with others in reference to purchasing a home; inciting ‘word of mouth’ advertising.
P.S…great, information-filled course. Thanks!