Tag Archive for: moisture intrusion

Moisture Intrusion: Part 2 of 2

February 7, 2018/0 Comments/in Blog, Home Safety, On-Going Home Maintenance/by Scott Price

How does moisture get into the house?

Homeowners should have a basic understanding of how moisture may enter a home and where problems are commonly found.

Moisture or water vapor moves into a house in the following ways:

Air infiltration: Air movement accounts for more than 98% of all water vapor movement through a building’s cavities. Air naturally moves from high-pressure areas to lower ones by the easiest path possible, such as a hole or crack in the building envelope. Moisture transfer by air currents is very fast—in the range of several hundred cubic feet of air per minute. Replacement air will infiltrate through the building envelope unless unintended air paths are carefully and permanently sealed.
Diffusion through building materials: Most building materials slow moisture diffusion to a large degree, although they never stop it completely.
Leaks from the roof, such as those caused by aging materials needing repair or replacement, storm damage, or deteriorated or unsealed areas around a chimney, skylight, or other roof penetration
Plumbing leaks
Flooding, which can be caused by seepage from runoff or rising groundwater. It may be seasonal or catastrophic; and
household activities, including bathing, cooking, dishwashing, and washing clothes.
Indoor plants, too, may be a significant source of high levels of indoor humidity.

Oklahoma home inspectors know that excess humidity that isn’t allowed to dissipate through adequate ventilation can build up into condensation, which can lead to moisture problems indoors.

Monitoring indoor humidity, introducing fresh air, providing adequate ventilation, and performing regular, seasonal home maintenance will help homeowners monitor the different areas of the home that may harbor unwanted moisture intrusion and all of the problems it can introduce

Home Run Inspections, LLC

Oklahoma: 405-905-9175

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Preventing Moisture Intrusion

May 3, 2017/in Home Safety, On-Going Home Maintenance, Spring Home Maintenance/by sherineprice

PREVENTING MOISTURE INTRUSION

Monitor the Exterior

Planters: Check any planting beds adjacent to the foundation of your house because planters are built in a way that traps water, which may infiltrate hidden areas of your home. The structure around the planting beds acts like a dam and traps water. Flower planters should never be installed up against a house’s exterior wall.

Puddles: Puddles and areas of standing water are not good. The ground surface beneath decks, porches and other parts of a house that are supported by posts or cantilevered structures should be checked, especially if you have a sprinkler system. The ground should not have any low-lying areas but should be sloped so that water will not collect and puddle there. Settled backfill allows water to collect next to the foundation wall and penetrate the house’s foundation.

Gutters & Downspouts: Downspouts may need adjustment. Water from the roof reaches the ground through gutters and downspouts or by flowing directly off roof edges. Because downspouts create concentrated sources of water in the landscape, where they discharge is important. Downspouts should not discharge where water will flow directly onto or over a walkway, driveway or stairs. The downspouts on a hillside home should discharge on the downhill-side of the building. The force of water leaving a downspout is sometimes great enough to damage the adjacent ground, so some protection at grade, such as a splash block or a paved drainage chute, is needed. In urban areas, it is better to drain downspouts to an underground storm water drainage system, if there is one, or underground to discharge at a lower grade away from buildings. Water that flows directly off a roof lacking gutters and downspouts can cause damage below. Accordingly, some provision in the landscaping may be needed, such as a gravel bed or paved drainage way

Home Run Inspections, LLC

Oklahoma: 405-905-9175

Florida: 850-203-3239

Info@HomeRunInspections.com

We Cover All the Bases!

Serving: Oklahoma City, Edmond, Yukon, Piedmont, Bethany, El Reno, Tuttle, Mustang, Moore, Norman, Midwest City, Del City, Choctaw, McCloud, Shawnee, Harrah, Newalla, Jones, and more.

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Moisture Intrusion

April 21, 2016/0 Comments/in Blog, On-Going Home Maintenance, Spring Home Maintenance/by Scott Price

Moisture Intrusion left unchecked can lead to structural defects in a home over time, as well as health problems for the home’s family.

Some common moisture intrusion problems include:

structural wood decay
high indoor humidity and resulting condensation
expansive soil, which may crack or undermine the home’s foundation, or softened soil, which may lose its ability to support an overlying structure
metal corrosion
ice dams, which form in roof gutters that are undersized or obstructed and water isn’t allowed to drain properly
Mold growth. Mold can only grow in the presence of high levels of moisture. People who suffer from the following conditions can be seriously or even fatally harmed if exposed to elevated levels of airborne mold spores: asthma, allergies, lung disease and/or compromised immune systems.

Note that people who do not suffer from these ailments may still be harmed by elevated levels of airborne mold spores.

What You Can Do

So now that we are entering the rainy season here in Oklahoma, take a few minutes after the next big rain and make sure you homes outer shell is doing its job. Make sure your gutters are cleared and draining properly. Make sure your downspouts are taking water well away from your foundation(we recommend 4-6 feet if possible. Maybe you can add those gutters this spring that you have been meaning to for years. Believe me they pay for themselves over time.

Check the indoor systems as well. Bathrooms and Kitchens have a lot of water going through them. Keep an eye out for moisture around showers and dishwashers. Look under those bathroom and kitchen sinks. Yes I know it may take a few minutes to clear all that stuff (I see it every work day-believe me), but as I found out not too long ago, all those products under there may keep you from noticing a leak that may cost you in repairs and impair indoor air quality.

As we crank up the A/C with the rise in temps and humidity, make sure your condensate drains are doing their job and taking the moisture to the drain.

Have a safe spring!

Home Run Inspections, LLC

Oklahoma: 405-905-9175

Florida: 850-203-3239

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We Cover All the Bases!

Also Now Serving the Florida Panhandle metro areas including Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, Miramar Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Niceville, Shalimar, Freeport, Crestview, DeFuniak Springs, Panama City Beach, and more.

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Tag Archive for: moisture intrusion

Moisture Intrusion: Part 2 of 2

Preventing Moisture Intrusion

PREVENTING MOISTURE INTRUSION

Moisture Intrusion

What You Can Do

Home Run Inspections, LLC

Oklahoma Service Areas

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