Mold and Fungi Inspections

Mold and Fungi Basics

Molds, mushrooms, mildews, and yeasts are classified as fungi which are distinct from the classifications of plants and animals. Fungi are able to digest the material in which they are imbedded (by means of enzymes) in and absorb the released nutrients. More than 1,000 kinds of indoor fungi have been found in U.S. homes. Fungi spread and reproduce by making spores, which are small, lightweight, able to travel through the air, and capable of resisting dry, adverse environmental conditions. Hence, they are capable of surviving a long time. Multi-cellular fungi consisting of branching filamentous structures are known popularly as molds and grow almost anywhere, either indoors or outdoors. The filamentous parts of fungi form a network which is seen when a fungi is growing on a nutrient source. Although these filamentous parts are usually firmly attached onto whatever they are growing, pieces can break off and people can be exposed to fragments. Exposure to fungi can cause health-related issues as well as have a destructive structural impact on building components.

Factors That Produce Fungi Growth

Although fungi can be found almost anywhere, they do need moisture and nutrients to grow. In general, fungi grows best in damp, warm environments. However, the lack of availability of nutrients indoors rarely limits fungi growth, since wood, wallboard, wallpaper, upholstery, and even dust, can be nutrient sources. Similarly, the temperature of indoor environments can support fungi growth even if the temperature is not optimal.

The primary factor that limits the growth of fungi indoors is lack of moisture. Substantial indoor fungi growth is virtually synonymous with the presence of water inside the building envelope.

There are many sources of interior moisture and can include, just to name just a few:

  • Water intrusion from outdoors from rainwater leaking through faulty gutters or
  • Roof or siding that is in disrepair.
  • Plumbing, HVAC leaks
  • Condensation at an interface (such as a window ) between a cold and a warm environment.

How People Are Exposed to Fungi

Exposure to fungi can cause a variety of health related issues. Exposure to fungi can occur through skin contact, inhalation, or ingestion. It can occur through contact with airborne spores or with spore fragments. Exposure to high concentrations of airborne fungi spores can occur when contact is made with a large mass of fungi, such as might occur in a building that has been flooded for a lengthy period of time. Exposure to spore fragments could occur when a person encounters a fungi nutrient source that has been disrupted, such as would occur during removal of fungi-contaminated building material.

Consult with your physician concerning the potential health effects that fungi may have on you and types prevention/treatments you may need. Consult with EPA guidelines on removing fungi/mold.

Mold and Fungi Issues

 

Damage caused in the above two photos was the result of water intrusion through the exterior siding.

The picture above shows what can happen when you roof is installed incorrectly or is damaged such that water can enter the home.

The two pictures above show improper roof repairs which led to water intrusion into the wall cavity in the garage. Look what is showing itself on the sheetrock wall just below the roof repair!

The four pictures above show what happens when your crawlspace is improperly vented and moisture accumulates.

Mold growth from the moisture being discahrged from this wall mounted register has caused organic growth to begin on the wall and ceiling.

The picture above shows the development of organic growth from water penetration around an improperly installed window.

I don't think the mushrooms growing in the house above are edible.

What Should You Do If You Find Mold?

Removing fungi problems requires a series of actions.

Consult with a Certified Industrial Hygienist to oversee, at a minimum, the following:

  • Identification of the type of fungi and the level of fungi concentration.
  • Identification of the source of nutrients for the fungi (water leak, etc)
  • Determination of the extent of water damage and fungi contamination.
  • Determination of type and implementation of remediation activities.
  • Also consult with qualified contractor(s) to assess any structural damage and identify any appropriate repairs needed

Additional Mold and Fungi Information

Environmental Protection Agency Website at http://www.epa.gov/fungi/fungiresources.html

US Environmental Protection Agency. A brief guide to fungi and moisture in your home. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/fungis/fungiguide.html.

US Environmental Protection Agency. Fungi remediation in schools and commercial buildings. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/fungis/fungi_remediation.html

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s guide Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned? http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html

The Center for Disease control at http://www.cdc.gov/fungi/strats_fungal_growth.htm and http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/fungi/protect.asp

The following site is a very good site on Fungus. This part of site is for homeowners. http://www.doctorfungus.org/mycoses/environ/homeowner_faq.htm

Ask the Home Inspector

Home Inspection Question: Last month I found a buyer for my three-bedroom home. We opened escrow, and everything was going smoothly until the home inspector noted that the downstairs bedroom cannot open directly into the garage. The real estate broker and the bank appraiser both agree that the building is a three-bedroom home, but the buyer is demanding that the sales price be reduced to the level of a two bedroom house. How can I resolve this costly nightmare without canceling the sale?

Answer: The building code forbids direct entry from a garage to a sleeping area. Bedrooms must be isolated from garages because of potential exposure to automobile exhaust fumes and because garages are commonly used to store solvents, gasoline, and other flammable materials. You may consider eliminating the doorway entirely, by having the opening framed in and finished using proper fire-rated drywall on the garage side of the opening to maintain the integrity of the firewall between the garage and the dwelling. If retaining direct access from the garage is preferable, you can have a small ante-room constructed between the two areas. This added room would have two separate doors, one to the garage and one to the bedroom. If you choose this arrangement, be sure to install a fire-rated door at the garage side of the room - recommend the door be self-closing as well.

Home Inspection Question: The house I'm buying has a hanging swag lamp above the master bathtub, and my home inspector says this is very dangerous. I've asked the seller to replace it with a conventional light fixture, but he insists that the lamp is securely attached and will not fall into the tub. The very idea of a swag lamp over a tub strikes me as foolhardy, so I've refused to close escrow until it's changed. How does this strike you?

Answer: A swag lamp over a bathtub is unwise and most homeowners are prudent enough to recognize the obvious dangers of such a precarious application. (Note: If the swag lamp is within an 8 feet high and 3 foot out zone of the tub, then it is a code violation. Furthermore, codes are minimum standards that often don’t address common sense - this is a ludicrous placement of a swag lamp).

It should be explained that the risks of such an installation are not mitigated by secure attachment of the fixture. A more pertinent consideration would be to reflect on the likely chain of events if someone were to slip in the tub. The instinctive reaction of most bathers, having suddenly and unexpectedly lost their footing, would be to grasp desperately for the nearest available object. If that lifeline happened to be a suspended electrical fixture, the consequences to persons in a body of water would be decidedly less than advantageous. I concur with your insistence on replacing the light fixture. However, if the seller does not submit to the mandates of common sense, then you do what you feel is in your best interest.

Thanks to our inspector Brett Reed for this helpful advice.

Reed Building Inspections, LLC
4203 Sinclair Ave Austin, Tx 78756
Office #: 512-965-7330
Email: RBI@sbcglobal.net