Curtis Petty

Atlanta Number #1 Real Estate Inspection Service. www.findmeaninspector.com

CONTROLLING MOISTURE INTRUSION-Moisture entry into crawlspaces can be controlled in a number of ways...

Evaporation:
A vapor barrier is a waterproof membrane such as plastic which is spread out across the soil to help prevent moisture in the soil from evaporating into the crawlspace air. This waterproof membrane is also called a "soil cover" or "ground cloth".

Groundwater
A sump pump is a float-activated water pump which is installed in a pit dug into the floor of the crawlspace. As groundwater enters the pit, the pump is activated automatically and water is pumped through pipes to the outside of the home. More than one pump may be installed.

Ventilating Crawlspaces-Passive Ventilation...Passive vents are simply ventilation holes installed in a crawlspace. Passive ventilation depends upon natural air movement to move moisture-laden air outof the crawlspace.Advantages to installing passive vents are...The system is simple and requires no electricity or maintenance.Air movement can carry off hot air during the summer.Disadvantage to ventilating crawlspaces. In moist climates, warm moist air entering the cool crawlspace will condense and the resulting moisture will be absorbed by wood framing and insulation. Under certain conditions materials may absorb enough moisture for fungi (mold) to become active.

Mechanical ventilation...-A humidistat is a device similar to a thermostat, except that it monitors humidity levels and activates a fan when moisture levels in the air exceed the humidistat setting. The fan pushes crawlspace air to the outside. This air must be replaced, and replacement air must come either from
the great outdoors, from inside the home or from out of the soil. Pulling replacement air from inside the home can create a whole new set of problems such as Negative pressure- Low pressure in the living space can suck toxic combustion gasses from water heater and furnace vents into the living space. Sounds nasty

Air temperature- Replacement air coming into the living space may need to be heated, cooled, humidified or de-humidified depending on the climate and time of year.

Crawlspace Recommendations-Insulate heating ducts- You can lose up to 35% of the heat from uninsulated heating ducts in an unheated crawlspace. Insulate water supply pipes- Insulating pipes helps keep them from freezing in especially cold weather and helps save money on your hot water heating bill.

Plastic soil cover vapor barrier- helps prevent moisture from evaporating out of the soil into crawlspace air.
Insulate crawlspace walls rather than the home floor- This will help prevent damage from pipes freezing. The idea is that conditions in the crawlspace will be easier to control if the crawlspace is treated as indoor space.

Moisture in the Living Space
Moisture enters the home living space from various sources...
1)Moisture (humidity) levels inside the home are raised by...
2)Water-using appliances such as clothes and dishwashers.
3)Plumbing fixtures such as showers.

Moisture in its liquid form comes as a result of leakage from plumbing fixtures and pipes and from the roof. Living space air lost through ventilation, leakage and combustion is replaced by moist crawlspace air.

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The recent heavy rains in Atlanta's low lying areas as well as near creaks,rivers where completely flooded. What a nightmare for those in low lying areas with no flood insurance. What can you except when getting back into your home? What are some of the problems you could face.

Wind and water can cause a house's structural components-the struts, studs, and foundation-to shift or warp. Tilting walls or a shifted roof also suggest dangerous structural damage that could signal an imminent collapse. Flood victims should check the their homes for cracks before venturing inside.

Inside the house, ceilings may sag under the weight of trapped water or soggy drywall. Wet floorboards bend and buckle, and the roof may leak or break altogether. Flooding in the basement can be especially dangerous; if the water is removed too quickly, pressure from the soaked earth outside can push inward and crack the foundation walls.

Brick and masonry houses will suffer less exterior damage than those made of wood. In all types of housing, though, flooding will most likely destroy the interior walls. Soaked wallboard becomes so weak that it must be replaced, as do most kinds of wall insulation. (The higher the water gets, the more interior walls must be replaced.) Studs will eventually dry out and return to their original shape, but any plywood in the walls is likely to swell and peel apart. Water can also dissolve the mortar in a chimney, which creates leaks and thus a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning once the heat comes back on.

Structural hazards account for only one category of water damage. Floods often deposit dirt and microorganisms throughout the house. Silt and sediment can create short circuits in the electrical system as gunk collects in walls and in the spaces behind each switch box and outlet. Appliances, furnaces, and lighting fixtures also fill with mud, making them dangerous to use.

Anything that gets soaked through with water may contain sewage contaminants or provide a substrate for mold. A long-lasting flood provides more time for the mold to grow and requires more cleanup after the fact. Carpets have to be thrown away, along with mattresses, bedding, and most upholstered furniture. Kitchen items, clothes, washing machines, and dryers must be disinfected with bleach, and all surviving interior surfaces should be cleaned to prevent mold growth. Standing water in a house can also serve as a breeding ground for insects and other animals.

One of the first things you should do when your home has been flooded is to open windows to allow air circulation.If electrical service has been restored. When a home has been flooded for a sort time. IN Atlanta where homes were under water for several days,Sheetrock,flooring,and framing studs. However, homes that haven't been flooded for a long time,the main concern will be removal of the drywall and primary concern will be remove the insulatiing material from the walls which needs done as soon as possible.Fiberglass insulation holds water for a verylong time.Wall might appear dry from a outward appearance have beenopen 6 months after,and the insulation has the same level of water it held when first flooded.This provides an ideal environment for decay-causing bacteria to form in the wall.It may take months or years,but the walls framing material will decay,and severe structural damage may occur.All flood-damaged plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical appliances and related systems should be replaced, rather than repaired.

Many houses will experience mold growth following flooding.excess moisture and standing water contribute to the growth of mold in homes and other buildings. When returning to a home that has been flooded, be aware that mold may be present and may be a health risk for your family.People who are sensitive to mold may experience stuffy nose, irritated eyes, wheezing, or skin irritation. People allergic to mold may have difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath. People with weakened immune systems and with chronic lung diseases, such as obstructive lung disease, may develop mold infections in their lungs.

Recognizing Mold You may recognize mold by:

• Sight (Are the walls and ceiling discolored, or do they show signs of mold growth or water damage?)· Smell (Do you smell a bad odor, such as a musty, earthy smell or a foul stench?)

Safely Preventing Mold Growth-Clean up and dry out the building quickly (within 24 to 48 hours). Open doors and windows. Use fans to dry out the building.

· When in doubt, take it out! Remove all porous items that have been wet for more than 48 hours and that cannot be thoroughly cleaned and dried. These items can remain a source of mold growth and should be removed from the home. Porous, noncleanable items include carpeting and carpet padding, upholstery, wallpaper, drywall, floor and ceiling tiles, insulation material, clothing, leather, paper, wood, and food. Removal and cleaning are important because even dead mold may cause allergic reactions in some people.

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Oriented stand board (OSB) and plywood are wood structural panels made by compressing and gluing pieces of wood together. While OSB and plywood appear similar and are generally interchangeable, the different ways that each material is manufactured contribute to each having its own unique strengths and weaknesses

What are they, and how are they made?

OSB is manufactured from heat-cured adhesives and rectangularly shaped wood strands that are arranged in cross-oriented layers. Produced in large, continuous mats, OSB is a solid-panel product of consistent quality with few voids or gaps. The finished product is an engineered wood panel that shares many of the strength and performance characteristics of plywood.

Plywood is made from thin sheets of veneer (layers of wood that are peeled from a spinning log) that are cross-laminated and glued together with a hot press. Throughout the thickness of the panel, the grain of each layer is positioned perpendicular to the adjacent layer. The finished product is made from an odd number of layers so that a balance is maintained around its central access. Since it is made from whole layers of logs rather than small strands, plywood has a more consistent and less rough appearance than OSB.

Plywood is made from thin sheets of veneer (layers of wood that are peeled from a spinning log) that are cross-laminated and glued together with a hot press. Throughout the thickness of the panel, the grain of each layer is positioned perpendicular to the adjacent layer. The finished product is made from an odd number of layers so that a balance is maintained around its central access. Since it is made from whole layers of logs rather than small strands, plywood has a more consistent and less rough appearance than OSB.

A few facts about OSB and plywood:

• While OSB developed fairly recently, it became more popular than plywood in North America by 2000. Today, nearly twice as much OSB as plywood is produced in North America.
• Outside of North America, OSB is not commonly used in construction. In 2005, the combined production of OSB in Europe and Latin America was just 3.5 billion square feet - less than seven times as much as was produced in North America that year.
• While both products are made from different materials, and some builders strongly prefer one or the other, OSB and plywood are both manufactured according to the same performance standards.
• OSB can be made from narrower, faster growing trees than plywood.

In favor of OSB:

• OSB can be manufactured into panels that are larger than plywood.
• OSB is more uniform, so there are fewer soft spots, such as those that can occur in plywood.
• OSB is less expensive than plywood. To build a typical 2,400-square foot home, OSB may cost $700 less than plywood.
• OSB is considered by many to be a "green" building material because it can be made from smaller-diameter trees, such as poplars, that are often farmed. Plywood production, by contrast, requires larger-diameter trees from old-growth forests.
• Plywood has a tendency to delaminate, especially in hot climates such as Florida.

In favor of plywood:

• While plywood and OSB both off-gas formaldehyde, OSB off-gasses more of the carcinogenic gas. Plywood, OSB, and other engineered wood products that contain glue can be stored outdoors for several weeks before construction so that much of the dangerous gasses are vented safely into the outdoors.
• OSB weighs more than plywood. One 23/32-inch 4'x 8' plywood piece weighs approximately 67 pounds, while a piece of OSB of the same dimensions weighs approximately 78 pounds. The increased weight of OSB means that it is harder to install and it will put more stress on the house.
• Compared to plywood, OSB swells more when it comes into contact with water, especially at panel edges. Swell is generally greater in OSB than in plywood due to the release of compaction stress in OSB created during the pressing of wood chips into panels. Swollen plywood will return to its nominal thickness as the wood dries, while OSB will remain permanently swollen, to some degree. Swelling is a nuisance because it can uplift whatever materials lie above, such as tile or carpet.
• Plywood floors are stiffer than OSB floors by a factor of approximately 10%. As a result, OSB floors are more likely to:
  • squeak due to floor movement;
  • cause hard floor surfaces to crack (such as tile); and
  • result in soft, spongy floors.

• Nails and screws are more likely to remain in place more firmly in plywood than in OSB.
• OSB retains water longer than plywood does, which makes decay more likely in OSB than in plywood. Of course, tree species plays a large role in this determination. OSB made from aspen or poplar is relatively susceptible to decay. In one of the biggest consumer class-action lawsuits ever, Louisiana-Pacific (LP), a building materials manufacturer, was forced to pay $375 million to 75,000 homeowners who complained of decaying OSB in their homes.

Many Atlanta home owner's are faced with a catastrophic event with the recent flooding. So many live in areas they thought that no way could their home be flooded. There were homes located up to several miles from small creaks and rivers.........and still their home was damge. The sad part is alot of them have no insurance to repalce the damage. There are alot of thing that should be done in a timely manner such as removing wet dry wall, Set up lots of fans for drying in between wall. Mold growth can take over at a rapid pace.The longer you let the area stay wet, the more mold can spread. Try not to use any air conditioneers even if the functional. These systems need thoroughly cleaned. They will be those storn chaser out to do the work a large sums of money. You can save your self alot of money but having a inspection perform on the areas that are in need to assure your home will be back to normal with mininum cost.

MOISTURE-Two Kinds of Moisture liquid { from flooding} and vapor forms. Vapor is very tiny droplets of water suspended in air. The amount of water vapor in the air is measured as relative humidity. High humidity means lots of water in the air.Even in dry climates it's not uncommon for 10 gallons of water a day to enter a crawlspace through evaporation from the soil. This amount can be far higher if the home site is in a wet climate, above a spring, and underground stream or has a high water table or in flooded homes. Moisture intrusion of the crawlspace and basement's may be seasonal or may only be a problem when annual rainfall is unusually high.

WHY MOISTURE IS A PROBLEM-Mold
Mold is actually a fungus. There are many different kinds of mold fungi and they're found everywhere on earth, in almost every environment, including inside our bodies. In many situations they are not only harmless, but necessary for life to proceed normally.When moisture levels in a material approach 20%, fungi begin to become active. The more moisture available, the more active fungi will be and the faster
fungal colonies will grow. As moisture levels drop, fungal activity slows and when moisture levels drop below about 20%, activity stops.

Here are the two main ways in which fungal activity is a problem...High spore concentrations in indoor air: Fungi reproduce by releasing spores. Spores are like microscopic seeds which produce new fungi. With moisture intrusion, spore concentrations in indoor air can reach levels unhealthy for those with weak immune systems, allergies, asthma or lung disease.Decay fungus. Some types of fungus consume material in wood cells, deteriorating these cells and producing what we call wood decay or rot.