I’ve met some inspectors who bring a humidity/temperature monitor into the attic and report as deficient humidity above a certain level, citing possible moisture damage & “biological growth” over time. I’ve also met other inspectors who don’t, who cite the fact that it’s difficult to take into account the regional atmospheric humidity at that time, and you could be alarming the client over very typical conditions.
does anyone take humidity readings? what are your practices and standards?
does anyone have good reasons to not take humidity readings?
I never did. In my area it would be ridiculous. Doing a morning inspection the relative humidity may be 75-90%, where in the afternoon it is more likely 35-45%. If I were to notice excess humidity (however I would do that) I would call it out as poor attic ventilation. Likewise in a crawl, high humidity would be the lack of a vapor barrier and /or poor ventilation.
Attics and Crawlspaces are not normally considered ‘Conditioned Spaces’.
What purpose does checking these items do, except to possibly point to a potential ventilation issue?
Here are the current ambient conditions for where I am located. What should the humidity level be right now in my vented attic? What corrections will a hungry contractor recommend to “fix” the problem?
But can’t excessive humidity possibly cause moisture damage & cause biological growth even if ventilation is up to current standards?
A standard I’ve seen in someone else’s report was 60%.
Just to play devil’s advocate - a particularly prudent homeowner might want to install fan powered ventilation that gets triggered by excessive humidity, no? Even if there is ample ventilation?
How are you going to get 60% humidity in a vented attic when the ambient is 80-90%?
Some inspectors are more concerned about trying to impress people with the tools they own than they are about accurate reporting. This seems to be the case here.
Jeffs RH in Iowa was at 80% a short while ago.
Mine in MN was at 90%.
According to you, my home should be rotting away!
My home was built in 1887. There are no humidity issues in my home whatsoever! It is as solid as the day it was built.
Tell me again why I should be concerned?
I see high moisture all the time in crawls that don’t have vapor barriers or deteriorated vapor barriers, I can feel and smell it, and yes, I do report if there was IMO a high moisture content present. And most of the time if the moisture content is high, there will also be an organic growth consistant with mold that is visible, that also makes it into my reports.
Moisture can come up from the ground with no vapor barrier, through leaky foundation walls, I’ve seen dryer vents that were disconnected, condensation lines terminated down there, and of couse plumbing leaks dumping water onto the floor of the crawlspace, of which all can contribute to high moisture in an unvented unconditioned area.
Attics are a different story, as long as you have no roof leaks, proper venting, no bathroom, kitchen, or dryer vents terminated up there, it should be alright.
I use my hygrometer regularly during an inspection. Outside and inside. Dew point condensation.
Elevated humidity levels, in any given room/space, can start a hypotheses as to why. What is the cause for this elevated humidity reading in this area. Out comes the infrared camera.
So you are saying that you are… operating as a technician to diagnose conditions that are w-a-y outside the scope of a home inspection?
Comments like that remind me of your posts a few years ago regarding the length of time you spend inspecting a home. I seem to remember that time being an average 5-7 hours for a typical home!
(Those threads must be in the archives here somewhere!)
Most of the water intrusion that I find with thermal imaging would not be noticeable by humidity levels in the room. How much are you missing out on by not by using thermal imaging throughout the entire inspection?
And you know how most of the water intrusion that I find with thermal imaging would not be noticeable by humidity levels?
Who says I a not using my thermal camera throughout the residence?
Not the assembly. When walls are exposed to excess moisture, remember studding and drywall are exposed, the flooring assembly is exposed, they can become warped or start to sag. Wall and ceiling openings allow exterior air to enter the habitable space. The home is under pressure.
