BBB

Happy Students!

Just a note to tell you that Don thought yesterday’s class was great. — Sandy Hartman

Building Type: Residential Home
Primary Complaint: Water and Mold Damage
Project Number: 104022

Relevant Project Info:

Weather

  • Sunny and mild
  • Relative Humidity:  41% @ 54 Deg F
  • CO2:  410 ppm   CO: 1 ppm

General InformationWater and Mold Damage1

  • Home had been empty for several weeks prior to inspection being conducted.

Furnace / HVAC

  • Electric Baseboards throughout

Recommendations

  • Recommend replacing electric baseboard heaters with wall mounted, fan forced electric heaters.  This will promote additional air circulation throughout the home and may also reduce heating costs.

Kitchen

  • Water and mold damage noted under kitchen sink.  Cabinet floor has been heavily damaged due to water and should be replaced.
  • Ventilation fan over kitchen stove is set to recirculate air only and is not connected to the exterior of the home.
  • RH: 42%  Temp: 62 deg F.  CO2 = 465 ppm   CO = 0 ppm

Recommendations

  • Recommend removal of water damaged materials.

Bedroom

  • No areas of visible mold growth or elevated moisture levels.
  • RH: 52%  Temp: 58 deg F.  CO2 = 474 ppm   CO = 0 ppm

Recommendations

  • Recommend replacing baseboard heater with an in-wall fan forced electric heater.

Hall BathWater and Mold Damage2

  • Sink basin is improperly fastened to the underside of the vanity counter top.  This may allow water to drip under the sink and cause damage to the cabinet.
  • Significant water damage noted under vanity sink.  This may be due to the improperly set sink basin.  Floor of cabinet is heavily damaged and needs replacement.
  • Sealant around bottom edge of shower surround appears in poor condition and should be replaced.
  • Bath fittings on shower are loose and could allow water behind the shower surround.
  • Ventilation fan in bathroom is present but is noisy and inefficient at removing relative humidity from inside the building.
  • RH: 52%  Temp: 58 deg F.  CO2 = 498 ppm   CO = 0 ppm

Recommendations

 

  • Recommend removal / replacement of bathroom vanity.
  • Recommend replacing all sealant around base of shower surround.
  • Secure bath fittings to ensure moisture does not enter behind shower surround.
  • Recommend installing a Panasonic Whisper Green® ventilation fan in bathroom to assist in evacuating the relative humidity from inside the building.  Whisper Green ventilation fans operate consistently at a low volume (30 cfm) and automatically ramp up to a higher volume (80 cfm) when a motion sensor is activated. An integrated timer will maintain the higher volume for a set period of time and then return the fan to the lower operating level until activated again.

Master Bath

  • Major water stains noted on linoleum flooring throughout bathroom.
  • Elevated moisture levels were noted in the areas where linoleum stains were found.
  • Shower door appears to be leaking and allowing moisture to accumulate on the floor.
  • Wax seal around the base of toilet has likely failed due to elevated moisture levels around the toilet base.
  • Tiles around shower enclosure are heavily damaged.
  • Elevated moisture levels were noted behind shower tiles.
  • No ventilation fan present in bathroom.
  • Heavy rust deposits present on metal objects (light fixtures, drywall corners etc…) Rust is likely due to high levels of relative humidity due to no ventilation fan in bathroom.
  • Minor staining present behind master vanity.  No elevated moisture levels noted.
  • RH: 51%  Temp: 57 deg F.  CO2 = 474 ppm   CO = 0 ppm

RecommendationsWater and Mold Damage3

  • Recommend removal of entire shower surround due to heavy damage.
  • Recommend pulling up linoleum floor to address elevated moisture levels and install new flooring.
  • Recommend replacing wax seal around base of toilet.
  • Recommend installing a Panasonic Whisper Green® ventilation fan in bathroom to assist in evacuating the relative humidity from inside the building.  Whisper Green ventilation fans operate consistently at a low volume (30 cfm) and automatically ramp up to a higher volume (80 cfm) when a motion sensor is activated. An integrated timer will maintain the higher volume for a set period of time and then return the fan to the lower operating level until activated again.
  • Recommend replacing all light fixtures due to corrosion.

Exterior

  • Significant amount of water staining found on exterior siding on the back side of the condo unit.
  • No elevated moisture levels were measured in stained siding.  This may indicate a previous water intrusion incident from the unit above that has since been repaired.
  • Evidence of foundation work being conducted under building.  Work of this nature should not affect the interior of the building.
  • Decking appears in good shape with no areas of rot noted.

Recommendations

  • Recommend monitoring rear siding of home to ensure water staining does not get any worse.  If client notices a significant increase to the staining, a more thorough inspection may be needed in the unit above.