Mold Inspection near San Jose, California

Historical Air Quality Data for San Jose, California

Data type	Trend sites	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	All sites active in 2009	2009 using all sites
AQI > 100†	6	9	9	24	14	7	4	13	3	13	6	38	8
O3	4	.070	.074	.081	.079	.072	.065	.079	.068	.075	.071
PM10	2	42.5	52.5	52.0	42.5	44.5	50.5	66.0	49.0	52.5	48.5
† Number of days with Air Quality Index values greater than 100 at trend sites

Example Mold Inspection Report.

Note:  This is a recent mold inspection report from our main office.  However, it is a good indication of the type of mold problems that arise in the San Jose area.

General Information

• The home owner has had issues with respiratory illness and is concerned about the home’s indoor air quality.
• Leaks from the upper level bathroom had caused mold growth and water damage in the lower level of the home.

Furnace / HVAC

• Homes must have special care taken to ensure appropriate ventilation, and prevent the buildup of humidity and other pollutants.
• Current standards recommend 0.35 to 0.7 air changes per hour, this may be attained by installation of a ducted heat recovery ventilator or upgrading mechanical exhaust ventilation to function on a continuous flow (the recommended units for this method is a Panasonic Whisper Green exhaust fan).
• The estimated square footage of this home is 1900 sq.ft.
• The necessary flow rate to establish 0.35-0.7 ACH for this home is 89-177CFM.
• The furnace filtration is not sealed and left open to the garage.

Recommendations

• Hire a licensed HVAC contractor to install a new sealed filter box with a 4” pleated filter (MERV rated 13-15) to drastically improve HVAC filtration.
• Improve ventilation by one of the methods listed below:
  • Run the 3 currently installed exhaust fans for 24 hours per day 365 days per year.
  • Replace 2 bathroom exhaust fans with Panasonic Whisper Green 80CFM exhaust fans, set to run at 50CFM continuous flow, and for 60 minutes at 80CFM once motion-sensor has been activated.
  • Install a fresh-air intake on the HVAC system to achieve the recommended number of air changes per hour listed above.

Living Room:

• Increased moisture content was noted in laminate flooring near the affected area.
• The home owner had removed sheetrock on the ceiling and the partition wall.
• Moderate mold growth was noted on visible framing.
• No increased moisture readings were noted in sheetrock or baseboards.
• Visible water damage was noted in the sheetrock around the window, this is reportedly secondary to a previous leak from the window.
• RH: 54.0%     Temp: 72.7F     CO2 = 614ppm     CO = 0ppm

Recommendations

• Establish containment.
• Install HEPA scrubber for negative pressurization throughout the duration of work.
• Remove all laminate flooring and vapor barrier.
• Remove affected sheetrock, baseboard, and underlying insulation. (to include additional sheetrock on ceiling around area of leak, all baseboards near affected area, any contaminated sheetrock uncovered behind baseboards, and water damaged areas around the window)
• Clean/treat/encapsulate contaminated framing, sheathing, or subflooring.
• Perform detailed HEPA vacuuming of the entire contained area.
• Apply EPA-registered anti-microbial agents to the entire contained area via ultra-low volume fogger.

Attic:

• Adequate upper venting is installed and functional.
• Soffit venting partially blocked (3 bays fully blocked, 2 bays partially blocked).
• Bathroom exhaust fan not appropriately ducted to the exterior.
• No increased moisture content noted at the time of inspection.
• Heavy staining and mold growth noted on trusses and original sheathing.
• Moderate staining and mold growth noted on new sheathing at eaves, due to blocked soffit vents.

Recommendations

• Hire licensed roofing contractor to connect bathroom exhaust ducting to dedicated roof jacks with 4” collars.
• Hire licensed contractor to clear all blocked soffit venting and install appropriate protective baffles to prevent future blockage.
• Remediate mold growth as listed bleow.