understanding moisture intrusion and migration pathways

CASE STUDIESUNDERSTANDING MOISTURE INTRUSION

AND MIGRATION PATHWAYSOCTOBER 2016

VICTOR COPPOLA, CGPEnvironmental Advisor • Scientist • Principal

GreenWorks Environmental, LLCHealthy Starts at Home

2105 Princeton Ct., Allenwood, NJ 08720 • (732) 223-2073 • www.greenworksllc.com

@GreenWorksLLC • @VictorVerde0927

JOHN UMINASr. Environmental Investigator • Building Materials Specialist • CRMI, CMR, CCMI

DID YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE:

• 25 Years in the Building Community• Owens Corning Basement Finishing System• Building Professional Institute (BPI) Trained• Exterior Products and Flooring Specialist• Certified Mold Investigator / Remediator • Mold Sensitized Individual / Mold Survivor• I am a chef & love a good steak and cigar• Ask for my Digital Business Card

www.greenworksllc.com 2

“I joined the GreenWorks family after experiencing health related mold issues and realizing how prevalent enviro concerns are in our homes. It has become my mission to educate and bring awareness to the causes of Sick Building Syndrome.”

Why Moisture Management

“Poorly managed moisture is the primary driving force leading to “Sick

Building Syndrome” that often shows up as biological contamination,

building material biodeterioration, structural settling and overall IAQ

degradation. Having a good working knowledge of the “Water Cycle” is

the first part of assessing how our Built Environments collide with the

Natural Environment. But getting into the minutia of Moisture Migration

Pathways is what’s ultimately needed to truly understand one’s home

environment”.Victor Coppola, CGP


The TIPPING POINTTalk about moisture and the health of our homes often revolves around a series of “Seemingly Insignificant Events.”

That transition line - where we go from “everything’s fine” to “disaster” is called the “Tipping Point”. It can reveal itself at any time.

You will know when it hits; look for the puddle or health complaints from the occupants!


CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Remodeled Older Home (Built ca. 1945, major expansion 9 years earlier )

• Home built in 1945 on basement and crawl• Home is immaculate where Home

Inspector called out Moisture concerns in basement due to slight staining on walls and strange odor in the finished basement

• No puddles or history of flooding• One older sump chamber and one newer

observed with high silt line in chamber

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Remodeled Older Home



Finished Basement Clues


• Note stains on baseboard and tile flooring




• Sump pump chambers and sediment lines

• Newer secondary chamber – Why????• Older corrugated pipe chamber shows

seasonal high water table within inches of finished floor (not good!)




• Note door frame stains• We pull the baseboard

• Moisture Readings(not always reliable)


What About Soils


• Soils information tells more of the story.• Good draining soil, but Cemented Pan

makes basements not recommended.


How Can You Be Sure?


• Moisture meters are intermittent (at best).• Groundwater levels fluctuate.• Other physical clues can be subjective.But overall environment created is hard to dispute as to the life forms attracted• Testing for Water Damaged Building

(WDB) indicators like: Stachybotrys, Chaetomium, & Aspergillus / Penicillium often quantifies how bad moisture is.


Bank Owned Home(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )


• 1 Story Ranch in great neighborhood• Family has been looking for years• Outside of issues w/gutters, leaders, crawl

moisture (slight) and moldy showers – Typical vacant home.

EXCEPT FOR 1 THING:• THE HOUSE SMELL IS NOXIOUS!!!!(Can smell it 50 feet away)


Smelly Bank Owned Home(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )



Smelly Bank Owned Home


• Your typical issues• But what is that smell?




• Courtesy site visit, reviewed inspection report, no mention as to odor issue

• Due to elusive nature of odors, GWE recommends full Enviro Site Consultation with testing before buying home




• 7 months later Client buys home, hires another enviro firm to remediate home, installs new kitchen, bathrooms & paints

• When start floors, moisture readings very elevated, floors dewatered & finished




• 3 months later – Noxious Smell Returns• Kids get sick – better then sick again with

random rashes, ear infections, sinusitus• Husband develops open lesions in throat,

blurred vision, headaches, respiratory• Noxious Smell absorbed by occupants hair• GWE contacted, but hire another firm

again (who is almost immediately fired)


So What Could it Be?(Moisture Drives Home Biology Which Has An Aroma)


• Odor investigation uncovers 3 different odorous areas throughout the home

• Crawl Space First – subfloor delaminating




• Weather station with remote sensors used to assess homes relative humidity. From 62% to 77% throughout home – too high




• Moisture migrating into subfloor (now delaminating) from elevated humidity (soil) and failing windows (main floor)




• Flood testing of windows show intermittent moisture intrusion, weather station shows elevated relative humidity thought home




• Start with crawl space – ventilation system and remediate delamination (experimental – client doesn’t want to rip floors)




• Then Dry Ice Blast -160°F kills odorous micro organisms




• Windows presenting unique challenges with isolated odors




• Sheetrock “catcombed” holding odors




• Hydrogen Peroxide reveals infestation within plywood.




• Closed Cell Spray Foam reinforces plywood, moisture barrier, biocide no VOC




• Spray Foam Application Video


New Custom Home (ca. 2010 with reused / expanded 1920 foundation)

• Home is all top line construction with spray foam insulation, radiant floor heat, etc.

• The “Prospective Buyer’s” 12yo daughter has mold sensitivity and childhood asthma

• Home is immaculate where some water from Sandy hit crawl space which was visually immaculate as well



New Custom Home (ca. 2010 with reused / expanded 1920 foundation)


The Yard Drain(How far from home do you inspect?)


Gutter Holding Water(Very Common. Ever see the Algae Plug clog a gutter?)


Crawl with Concrete Slab(Very clean, note spray foam on foundation)


TGI’s • Lam Beam • SprayFoam


Old Poured Foundation(What hydrology indicator do you see?)


What’s in Old Foundation?(Is that charcoal?)


Lots of Stuff!


What’s Spray Foam Lift?(Closed Cell Foam doesn’t stick to Everything!)


Open Duct Drop-Downs


What’s This Leader Fix?(Why landscape guys don’t make good drainage decisions)


Inaccessible Areas


What’s Wrong Here?(Typical SmartVent Type Flood Vent Installation)



1950’s RANCH (remodeled)(Home Inspector Inspected with Written Report)


• Clients looking to start a family and want baby’s room air quality inspected.

• Home extensively remodeled recently.• Home inspection report didn’t show much.• Simple air test and visual observations

reveal significant moisture intrusion.• How would you handle this inspection?

1950’s RANCH (remodeled)What's Wrong here?


See Anything Suspicious?(Can you believe that a Home Inspector missed this one!)


Floor Vent Issues?(What do you see here?)


Rusty Register Covers(With water comes elevated humidity migration)


Inside the Duct Collar(what could the rag be for?)


Inside the Duct Collar(Water intrusion video by the Client)


What’s Up with Floor Tiles?(Under loose piece of carpet in hall closet)


Public Data

Somewhat Limited Soils(Dwellings Without Basements)


Public Data

Soil Drainage Tendencies (Reveal Hydrology of Site)


Public Data

1930 Historic Aerials(Historic Site Use - Farmers Loved Wetlands)


The Water Main(Flooded Chamber)


Invasive Investigation

Moisture Barriers



Moisture Creep



Saturated Base Plate



Subfloor Moisture Barrier(5/8th Inch Plywood)



WET HOME FOR 30 YEARS(CA 1970 Bi-level Construction)


Owner thought wet crawl was way home was supposed to be. But we know better:• State mapping & observations confirm wetlands• Flat / negative grading around home• No Ventilation in crawl space + condensate dripping• Clogged gutters and underground piping• Suspect gutter layout and pitch• Front yard flat grading / negative pitch


30 YEAR WET HOME(Ca. 1970 Bi-level Construction)


Channel Drain Assessment


Dew Point Effect in Crawl


Crawl Space “White Wash”


Clogged Discharge Lines


Simple Hydrology Tool


Driveway Hydrology Deflector


Still Water in the Garage



New Home Construction(Same Old Developed Neighborhood)

• Previous home built 1940’s on basement

• Nothing unusual about water intrusion

• 2 homes scraped and re-built

• Now getting H²O in basement

• Pumps running continuously



New Home Construction(Same Old Developed Neighborhood)


Water Discharge at the Curb


Catch Basin in the Street


Home Rear Yard


Public Data

Rear Finished Basement Wall(Note Sheetrock Patch)


Client Photo

Finished Basement Closet(Interior Central Wall)


Public Data

2012 Enviro Aerials(Public Data via NJDEP GeoWeb w/Enviro Layers)


Public Data

1930 Enviro Aerials(Public Data via NJDEP GeoWeb w/Enviro Layers)


Public Data

Historic Topography Mapping(Public Data via NJDEP GeoWeb w/Enviro Layers)


Public Data

Soil Mapping(Dwellings with Basements / Public Data Via NCRS)


Public Data

Depth To Saturated Zone(Dwellings with Basements / Public Data Via NCRS)


Soil Boring Profile(Hand Auger w/5’ Extension Rod)


Hand Auger “BUCKET”(Saturated Soils @ 2.5 Feet)


This is a Filled Wetland!


Hydrology Inspection Checklist(Some Pointers to Consider)


1) Review the Property Survey & Property Disclosure Document for clues as to the site’s hydrologic properties & history

2) Interview buyer (& seller) as to concerns, health issues, etc. that could be impacted by elevated humidity

3) Perform a limited Natural Resource Inventory of the site & area Streams, Wetlands, T&E Species, Tidelands, Soils, etc.)

4) Be Aware of Seasonality (Late summer dry spells vs Wet Winters)5) Research Historic uses of the property 6) Assess exterior Water Management Strategies (WMS)

Grading, Gutters, Piping, Wet-Wells, off-site concerns Do the same for Off-Site areas (Neighbors)



7. Assess common interior water problem areas and look for clues Bathrooms, Boiler/Utility Areas, Below Grade Rooms Stains, Efflorescence, Material Swelling / Deflection French Drains, Sump Pumps, Dehumidifiers, Ventilators

8. Insects – What’s Creeping & Crawling Cave Crickets, Centipedes, Springtails, Mites, Spiders, Rodents Just visitors or are they residents / see Complete Life Cycle?

9. The Nose Knows – What does it smell like? Vapor Intrusion / MVOC’s / Formaldehyde / Petroleum Odors – Damp Musty, Sweaty Sock, Sweet Prickly, Cat Urine

(But I have no Cat), Foul Raunchy Type odors all tell a story as to what is causing the aroma, often tied to a moisture source.



10. Hidden sources of moisture (Visual) Lumber vs. Engineered (Free H2O/Lignins & Wood Rot-White) Cheap wood/particle board in undersides of furniture / Contents Basement Finishing Sys (Walls, Ceilings, Vinyl Floating Floors) Sub-Slab drainage pipe networks Municipal Rqmnts to hold stormwater / Groundwater Mounding Dry Wells & Recharge Chambers

11. Technical Equipment Assistance Moisture Meters (Surface vs. Penetrating) IR Camera (Phone devices are good & inexpensive) Borescope (stand alone or for today’s smart phones) Hygrometers, Portable Weather Stations

understanding moisture intrusion and migration pathways

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