Mold Testing Reports from Monroe

Project Type > Full Home Mold Testing Inspection Report

PROJECT SUMMARY

REASON FOR INSPECTION:

• Client is purchasing this home and is concerned about a musty smell noted upon entering. Client requested a full inspection to determine if any issues are contributing to the odors.

PROPERTY DESCRIPTION:

• This single family 2 story residential property was built in 1990 and is 3,116 ft².

LABORATORY RESULTS

ANALYSIS OF YOUR RESULTS:

• No Amplification: All mold spore levels were within the normal range of a healthy indoor environment.

JOBSITE PHOTOS

Elevated Moisture Noted Around Base of Upstairs Hall Bath Toilet

Light Mold Growth Possible on Some Contents in Basement

Older Furniture May Be Contributing to Some of The Musty Odors

Minimal Furnace Filtration Present

Old Water Damage & Mold Growth Behind Basement Shower

Back Wall of Basement Utility Room Is Wet & Has Mold Growth

Moderate Mold & Elevated Moisture On Interior Of Wall

Rodent Droppings Noted in In-Floor Insulation

HVAC:

HVAC Observations:

• The home is equipped with forced air electric heat.
• Filtration consists of a 1/2” pleated filter, which appeared to be in very dirty condition.
• No fresh air intake found on furnace system. Fresh air intakes can be very effective at lowering the interior RH in the home.

Recommendations:

• Install 4” Merv 11 pleated filter in tightly sealed filter box. These filters provide excellent particulate filtration and are much more forgiving of irregular maintenance schedules. Changing to a 4” filter will require you to hire a contractor to build a tightly fitting 4” filter box on your furnace.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY & TEMPERATURE READINGS:

CO₂ READINGS:

LOCATION:  Living Room

Observations:

• The living room has upholstered furniture present.
• The living room is furnished with carpeting that is at the end of its usable life expectancy. Old carpeting can hold mold spores or other allergens for long periods of time.
• The room is free of any elevated moisture or visible mold growth.
• Infrared thermal imaging revealed the room is clear of any suspicious temperature differentials.

Recommendations:

• Replace the carpeting.

LOCATION:  Kitchen

Observations:

• The tile and grout on the countertops is in good condition.
• The kitchen ventilation fan is of low quality and loud, but is properly vented to the exterior of the home and appears to function well.

LOCATION:  Laundry Room

Observations:

• A significant accumulation of lint was noted behind the dryer. However, the ducting appears to be in suitable condition and is properly vented to the exterior of the home.

LOCATION:  Upstairs Hall Bathroom

Observations:

• The bathroom appears to be free of any visible mold growth or water damage.

FLOORING:

• Elevated moisture detected in flooring adjacent to toilet. Often this is due to a slight failure of the toilet seal.  No evidence of significant structural damage was observed.

Recommendations:

• Contact a plumbing contractor to investigate the toilet seal. Replace if necessary.

LOCATION:  Master Bedroom

Observations:

• The bedroom is furnished with carpeting that also appears to be at the end of its usable life expectancy. Old carpeting can harbor mold spores or other allergens for long periods of time.
• The carpeting meets the threshold of a sliding glass door in this room. The carpet was pulled back to inspect the area inside the sliding glass door. This revealed a significant accumulation of dust and debris under the carpet in this area, but no evidence of visible mold, elevated moisture, or water damage was found on the carpet backing or tack strip.

Recommendations:

• Replace the carpeting.

LOCATION:  Bonus/Family Room

Observations:

• This bonus family room appears to have carpeting of the same vintage as the other rooms, but this carpeting is in better condition than that upstairs as it has likely had significantly less foot traffic.
• Some contents are present on the bookshelves here with a heavy layer of dust.
• A minor amount of possible mold growth was noted on the top of the television set downstairs. This slight speckling may be mold growth, or it could be the remnants of something like a cleaning detergent that was used and not wiped away from the surface effectively.

Recommendations:

• The surface of the television can be cleaned with a damp wipe and a mild detergent solution. Dry the surface to prevent further spotting, if that was the source of the speckling.

LOCATION:  Downstairs Bedroom

Observations:

• This downstairs bedroom appears to have carpeting of the same vintage as the other rooms, but this carpeting is in better condition, similar to that of the carpet in the bonus family room.

LOCATION:  Basement Bathroom

Observations:

• The basement bathroom has self-adhering vinyl tile installed in the floor. The tile around the base of the toilet appears loose and is peeling up. This is likely due to a failing toilet wax seal as described in the upstairs hall bath.
• The tile and grout shower in this bath appears to be in decent condition, with no elevated moisture detected in the shower surround. However, this shower has not been used in the preceding 10 years, so this may not be representative of any potential leaks in the grout.
• Access to inspect the back of the shower is possible from the unfinished utility room located in the basement. The back side of the shower surround reveals the tile is adhered to standard gypsum board. Visible black colored mold is present on the back of the sheetrock in this area. The mold appears to be primarily on the surface of the wallboard.
• This mold appears to be the result of failed grout at some point in the past. There is evidence of some replaced sealant or caulking present in the corner of the shower in this location. No rot or structural damage was noted in this area.

Recommendations:

• Contact a plumbing contractor to investigate the toilet seal. Replace if necessary.

LOCATION:  Utility Room

Observations:

• The utility room is currently unfinished. No ventilation is present in the unfinished utility room. As the client has planned to finish this room, the installation of some sort of constant flor fan should be considered to provide sufficient ventilation for this area.
• A South facing wall is insulated, with no sheetrock installed. The insulation was peeled off, and visible mold growth was noted on the surface of the OSB sheathing along this section.
• The OSB sheathing was physically wet to the touch, which appears to be due to condensation from the cold weather today and warm humid air condensing on the surface.
• An accumulation of rodent droppings was noted behind the insulation in both the ceiling cavity and behind the shower area. It is indeterminate if these droppings are old or new.

Recommendations:

• Remove the insulation from the wall.
• Once the cleaned area has thoroughly dried, encapsulate the area of mold staining with a latex-based encapsulating paint.
• Rather than re-installing batt type insulation in this area, consider a layer of spray foam insulation to prevent any further condensation from forming.