The Inspector's Journal Forums
Username:
Password:
Save Password


Join TIJ Forums
Lost Password?
Subscribe to TIJ's Newsletter

 All Forums
 Technical Forums
 Attics & Insulation
 Moisture in attic
Business Risk Partner's ASHI endorsed policy provides competitive E&O insurance to home inspectors.  
Previous Topic: Insulation Identification please! - Topic - Next Topic: Mold in Attic New TopicReply to TopicShare Topic Printer FriendlyBookmark this Topic
Posted By  
View Profile
New Member

Machias, ME
Posts: 20
Joined: Jun, 2004
Currently offline offline
  
Thread Start First Page
[#1] Posted: Dec 05 2005 - 7:49:41 PM
Reply with Quote
Hi All,

Situation:
Bathroom vent terminates in a poorly ventilated attic in a small one story home. The home owners complain of heavy condensation on all windows and on the chimney that is exposed all the way down. One bedroom has persistent mildew spots on the interior walls. None of these spots appear anywhere else in the home. I am certain that the condensation is a result of high relative humidity indoors.

Question:
Why does the mildew just appear in this one room? It is the only room painted ALL black, could it be something in the paint?



Download Attachment:
Image Unavailable! Sorry you must be logged in to view images.
Click Here For Free Registration
45.26 KB


Download Attachment:
Image Unavailable! Sorry you must be logged in to view images.
Click Here For Free Registration
35.32 KB

Thanks,

Eric
Machias, ME
www.holminspections.com
View Profile
Editor - TIJ

Kenmore, WA
Posts: 12154
Joined: Dec, 2003
Currently online online
  
Moisture in attic
[#2] Posted: Dec 05 2005 - 8:15:35 PM
Reply with Quote
Hi,

Is it the room where adults sleep? Adults pump a lot of moisture into the air at night. If the rooms of that wall are poorly insulated, you'd be getting condensation on them wherever nailheads cool the surface or there are air leaks. That condensation will feed the mildew.

Get that attic vented to the exterior, get a good ground cover on the soil beneath the home if there is a crawlspace and ventilate the home better.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

View Profile
New Member

Machias, ME
Posts: 20
Joined: Jun, 2004
Currently offline offline
  
Moisture in attic
[#3] Posted: Dec 06 2005 - 9:09:55 PM
Reply with Quote
Thanks for your input Mike

Only the daughter sleeps in that room, but they did mention that the door is nearly always closed. The mildew spots are random, i.e. not on nail heads. The parents' room is right next to that room and the walls show no growth (high moisture with heavy condensation on the windows though). There were dozens of candles in the daughter's room and she seemed like the type to sit in there and burn them in her black room with gothic jewelry hanging all over the place. She did complain of headaches once the *mold* appeared (of course) but maybe she is just asphyxiating herself.

I did explain to them the importance of getting the bathroom fan vented outdoors and improving the attic ventilation. I did not mention any of my thoughts about the young lady though!

Thanks again,

Eric
Machias, ME
www.holminspections.com
View Profile
Member

West Bend, Wisconsin
Posts: 189
Joined: May, 2005
Currently offline offline
  
Moisture in attic
[#4] Posted: Dec 07 2005 - 05:51:38 AM
Reply with Quote
Hi Eric,
Just some otherthings I have run into for these problems.

1. Window treatments - blinds, curtains, shades
this restricts the warm are from getting to the window pain making the surface colder and thus more apt to have condensation.

2. Heat Register
Either not loacted under window or being blocked by furniture or restriced by damper.

3. Window direction
Window may have northerly facing making the glass a bit cooler the the other

Houses are very dynamic and these problems rarely are a simple one hit solution although I have seen something as simple as a teddy bear against an exterior wall insulate the heat away from the wall which led to mold growth on the wall behind the bear.

Carl
West Bend, WI

Carl Eisen
Appletree Home Inspections LLC
www.appletreeinspections.com

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
- Yogi Berra
Active Member

lawrenceville, georgia
Posts: 354
Joined: Sep, 2005
Currently offline offline
  
Moisture in attic
[#5] Posted: Dec 07 2005 - 10:56:03 AM
Reply with Quote
Quote:Originally posted by holmer

There were dozens of candles in the daughter's room and she seemed like the type to sit in there and burn them in her black room with gothic jewelry hanging all over the place. She did complain of headaches once the *mold* appeared (of course) but maybe she is just asphyxiating herself.

I did explain to them the importance of getting the bathroom fan vented outdoors and improving the attic ventilation. I did not mention any of my thoughts about the young lady though!

Thanks again,

I think I would have spoke to her parents about the candles as relates to carbon monoxide and headaches.

I appraised a home about 15 years past and the family room was next to the water heater closet. The vent flue bonnet was half off center. Carbon monoxide was entering the family room. I asked the home owner if She had been experiencing headaches or drowsiness. She said yes. I showed her the vent and explained the problem. She seemed grateful and about three weeks later I received a nice letter of gratitude from her in the mail.

End of story,

Paul Burrell

Active Member

Walpole, MA
Posts: 390
Joined: Mar, 2002
Currently offline offline
  
Moisture in attic
[#6] Posted: Dec 07 2005 - 2:38:37 PM
Reply with Quote
Contact Stephen King...he'll figure out the black-room/Gothic-kid/mold spots issues. He can drive over...
View Profile
New Member

Machias, ME
Posts: 20
Joined: Jun, 2004
Currently offline offline
  
Moisture in attic
[#7] Posted: Dec 07 2005 - 6:30:37 PM
Reply with Quote
Paul,

I take your point. I made that comment tongue in cheek but I think you have a valid point there. Maybe she IS lighting all those candles at once. I guess I am naive about those things, it just seems so preposterous.

Thanks,

Eric
Machias, ME
www.holminspections.com
   
Previous Topic: Insulation Identification please! - Topic - Next Topic: Mold in Attic New TopicReply to TopicShare Topic Printer FriendlyBookmark this Topic
Jump To:
The Inspector's Journal Forums © 2002-2010 all topics or replies that are posted on The Inspector's Journal
are copyrighted material of the original author that posted the topic or reply.
Go To Top Of Page 
 
Pick an RSS Feed

The views expressed on this website are the views of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the sponsors.
© 2002-2009 Copyright DevWave Software Inc.
Find a Home Inspector

Powered By: Snitz Forums 2000