Healthy Indoors Magazine - USA Edition

28 | MAY'S WAYS—January 2018 Roof drip-edge flashing and a gutter should be installed so that roof water flows into the gutter and not behind it. In the following photograph, roof water is leaking behind the gutter due to an improperly installed drip edge, and the water is flowing down the fascia board, which will result in paint peeling and wood decay. Water leaking behind a gutter — May Indoor Air Investigations Odors The house had a large, two-story great room that con- tained living room and dining room areas, with a spacious kitchen area along one wall. When I entered that part of the house, I noticed an omnipresent chemical odor. It was difficult to pinpoint the source, though, because there were so many surfaces emitting the odor. After carefully sniffing surfaces, I discovered that the odor was strongest at the exterior and interior corners of the drywall, as well as at vertical strips every 16 inches on center along the walls. Whoever had installed the drywall had used joint compound with added fungicide, and the chemical was off-gassing into the house. The couple either had to replace all the drywall, or cover the walls with alumi- num foil (which prevents off-gassing) and then a new layer of drywall. I think in the end, they may have sold the house, because the odor made it uninhabitable for the woman. I was called to inspect a newly constructed home in For people with allergies or asthma, it is of vital importance to isolate a heating and cooling system during construction or renovation. Supplies and returns should be closed and covered with plastic, and the system should never be run until the work is completed. During renovation, oil-filled, electric radi- ators can be used for heat, and portable or window air conditioners can be used for cooling. I recently inspected a house that had just been built. It was a beautiful property, with many characteristics that I recommend for families with allergies, asthma or other en- vironmental sensitivities, such as all hard flooring (wood, tile or vinyl), hot-water or steam heat, and an unfinished basement. Unfortunately, the exposed fiberglass insulation in the basement was completely full of mold growth, even though the material looked pristine. During construction, the rel- ative humidity in the basement had not been adequately controlled. Once construction dust (including sawdust) ac- cumulated in the fiberglass fibers, mold growth followed. Below-grade spaces are naturally cool and damp and thus prone to developing mold-growth problems, so the RH must be kept at no more than 50% in unfinished basement space and no more than 60% in finished-basement spaces. The air conditioning system was also full of sawdust, and mold grew on the air-conditioning coil. My Client with- drew her offer to purchase the property. In another property that was still under construction, the house backed up to a small hill. The gutter system had not yet been installed, and after several days of heavy rain, the basement flooded. The basement was finished, and after the flood, the floor, joists and subfloor all contained minor mold growth. These surfaces had to be cleaned and sealed, and the basement had to be dehumidified. At the exterior, work had to be done at the base of the hill, to direct water away from the foundation wall; and the gutter system had to be installed. In a fourth property, a couple had the home built for their retirement. Unfortunately, every time the woman was in the house, she experienced headaches from the odor. Eventually, she moved into a rented apartment. Her hus- band remained in the house, however, because the odor didn't bother him.

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