Ask The Raleigh Home Inspector

Mold Moisture and Your Home

Inspector — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:37:38 +0000

The EPA has recently published a guide to mold in your home and I have found it to be extremely useful in providing answers to the questions I am most often asked about mold and what to do when it is found in a home. The guide answers such questions as:

Why is mold growing in my home?
Can mold cause health problems?
How do I get rid of mold?
Who should do the cleanup?
How do I know when the remediation or cleanup is finished?

The guide also provides guidelines on mold cleanup and what to wear when cleaning moldy areas, as well as

Moisture and mold prevention and control tips.
Actions that will help to reduce humidity.
Actions that will help prevent condensation.
Testing or sampling for mold.
Hidden Mold
Cleanup and Biocides
and other additional resources

Click here to read the EPA publication:

A Brief Guide to Mold Moisture and Your Home

Is The Flashing Installed On Your Roof?

Inspector — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:53:01 +0000

In this new Raleigh home we found an area where the roof flashing was completely missing! This home was ready for the new owner and the builder didn’t even know this area was unfinished. Missing flashing will allow water to enter the wall and roof structure and if left unfound would have led to serious deteroiration of the home. After the builder’s warranty expires the home owner would have been responsible for the thousands of dollars it would have taken to repair the damage. Don’t let this happen to you! Have a Raleigh home inspector inspect your new home.

Are Your Condensate Drain Lines Installed Correctly?

Inspector — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:40:17 +0000

This new Raleigh home inspection found a condensate line not connected and plumbed to the exterior. Instead it allowed condensate to drain into the crawlspace where it would pool up and cause high moisture content, deterioration to the wood framing and could lead to mold growth and poor indoor air quality. Always have a professional home inspector inspect your new home.

Is Your Fireplace Flue Pipe Installed Correctly?

Inspector — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:26:40 +0000

This new home has defects with two fireplace flue pipes. They are improperly installed and will allow water, insects or birds to enter the home. We find defects like this every day in new homes in Raleigh. Be sure to have your new home inspected to avoid getting stuck with costly repair bills down the road.

This Crawlspace Can’t Breathe!

Inspector — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:07:06 +0000

This crawlspace had all of it’s vents improperly installed and if left unrepaired can lead to high moisture levels, mold and deterioration of the wood framing. If this home buyer did not have a home inspection serious damage would have resulted to this home. We find defects like this everyday in new homes.

Blocked Plumbing Vents Can Cause Poor Draining

Inspector — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:12:46 +0000

This new home had the test caps still installed in the plumbing vents. Without a home inspection the owner may have dealt with slow or noisy drains for along time before this defect was discovered.

Is Your Tankless Water Heater Insulated Properly?

Inspector — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:13 +0000

Without proper insulation on your exterior tankless water heater you could wake up to a cold shower. Watch this video and make sure your pipes are properly insulated.

Has Your Fireplace Been Installed Correctly?

Inspector — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:14:46 +0000

This fireplace in a brand new home has been installed incorrectly and is a seroius fire hazard. Just because your home is new and the town has inspected it doesn’t mean everything is correct. This fireplace is a serious fire hazard and must be corrected at great expense. Unless you want to be responsible for paying for a large repair due to a defect by your builder it is a very wise to have your new home inspected when your purchase and before the one year builders warranty expires.

Is There Water In Your Crawlspace?

Inspector — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 01:03:17 +0000

Water in your crawlspace can cause huge problems. Trapped moisture can lead to mold growth, ruined insulation, deterioration in the wood framing, termites, wood destroying organisms and poor indoor air quality. Having a home inspection or even just a crawlspace inspection on an annual or bi-annual basis is a must to protect your investment.

Are There Cracks In the Interior Of Your Fireplace?

Inspector — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:36:22 +0000

Cracks in the refractory panels in the interior of a fireplace insert can be cause for concern. Only a Certified chimney sweep should service your fireplace. Fire safety is very important and is something we always look for during your home inspection.