The Pros and Cons of Carpeted Bathrooms

Carpeted Bathrooms

During your Home Inspection from your InterNACHI Inspector the problems listed below will be checked for. You Home Inspector will note any existing or problems and make recommendations as needed.

Carpeted bathrooms are bathrooms that have carpeted floors instead of traditional floor surfaces, such as tile or vinyl. Despite their tendency to foster mold and bacteria, carpets are sometimes installed in residential bathrooms for aesthetic purposes. Carpets should never be installed in bathrooms in commercial buildings.

Advantages of carpets in bathrooms:

  • They make bathrooms appear more warm and inviting.
  • They are softer than tile and many people find them
  • comfortable on bare feet.
  • Bathroom slip hazards are reduced. It is easier to slip on hard bathroom surfaces, such as tile, than on carpet.
  • Installation is generally quick and inexpensive.

Disadvantages of carpets in bathrooms:

  • The pad beneath the carpet may soak up large amounts of moisture.  Some of the common ways that carpets may come into contact with moisture in bathrooms include:

a.  Steam from the shower will condense on the carpet.
b.  Water splashes from the tub or shower.
c.  Water sheds from shower/tub occupants as they step onto the
     carpet.
d.  Water splashes out of the sink.
e.  Water drips from the vanity.
f.   Water leaks from the toilet.

The presence of moisture in the pad will lead to the growth of decay fungi on the wood or oriented strand board (OSB) sub-floor. The sub-floor will be decayed and weakened by mold. Mold also releases spores that can cause respiratory ailments, especially for those with certain health problems. Inspectors can use moisture meters to determine if there is excess moisture beneath a carpet.

  • In addition to potential mold growth beneath the carpet, bacteria can accumulate in carpeting that surrounds the toilet. Bacteria are contained in urine, which can be accidentally deflected onto the carpet.

Recommendations for Clients

The following are recommendations that your InterNACHI inspector can pass on to there clients who are experiencing urine- or moisture-related problems with their bathroom carpet:

  • Clean the carpet regularly to remove any mold or urine that may be present.
  • Keep the carpet as dry as possible. Various devices exist that prevent water from bypassing the shower curtain.
  • Install a bathroom fan, if one is not installed already. If a fan is installed, operate it more often.
  • Inspectors can inform their clients about why they are experiencing problems.

In summary, carpets installed in bathrooms can trap moisture and urine, substances that can cause structural damage and health problems.

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Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?

Summary

airducts_lgU.S.EPA,Office of Air and Radiation
Indoor Environments Division (6609J)
EPA 402-K-97-002, October 1997        PDF Version (18 pp., 280 K, about PDF
Knowledge about air duct cleaning is in its early stages, so a blanket recommendation cannot be offered as to whether you should have your air ducts in your home cleaned. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges you to read this document in it entirety as it provides important information on the subject.

Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. It is important to keep in mind that dirty air ducts are only one of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. Moreover, there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust or other particulate mater in air ducts poses any risk to your health.

You should consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned if:

There is substantial visible mold growth inside hard surface (e.g., sheet metal) ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system. There are several important points to understand concerning mold detection in heating and cooling systems:

Many sections of your heating and cooling system may not be accessible for a visible inspection so ask the service provider to show you any mold they say exists.

  You should be aware that although a substance may look like mold, a positive determination of whether it is mold or not can be made only by an expert and may require laboratory analysis for final confirmation. For about $50, some microbiology laboratories can tell you whether a sample sent to them on a clear strip of sticky household tape is mold or simply a substance that resembles it.

If you have insulated air ducts and the insulation gets wet or moldy it cannot be effectively cleaned and should be removed and replaced.

If the conditions causing the mold growth in the first place are not corrected, mold growth will recur. You hire a Certified Professional Home Inspector, to determine if you have any sources of moisture intrusion that could lead to mold growth. Inspectors who belong are members of InterNACHI are trained and taught how to indentify possible moisture intrusion.

Ducts are infested with vermin, e.g. (rodents or insects); or

Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers.
If any of the conditions identified above exists, it usually suggests one or more underlying causes. Prior to any cleaning, retrofitting, or replacing of your ducts, the cause or causes must be corrected or else the problem will likely recur.

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GFCI & AFCI Protection in Your Home

During my time as A Home I come across many homes that are not adequately protected by a.GFCIs.   A GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) this outlet is a device that adds a greater level of safety by reducing the risk of electric shock. It is my duty and responsibility a Professional home inspector to alert my client to this condition. Sometimes during the home inspection process I may find that a GFCI outlet is present but not working.

Most building codes now require that GFCI protection be provided in wet locations such as the following: all kitchen counter receptacles; all bathroom receptacles; all exterior receptacles; ext gfci receptacles in laundry and utility rooms; receptacles next to wet bar sinks; all garage and unfinished basement receptacles except receptacles that are not readily accessible or single receptacles for appliances that are not easily moved; receptacles near a pool, spa, or hot tub and; light fixtures near water. Downstream. it is possible that when the home was built that GFCI protection was not required in all of these areas. Sense home inspectors are not code inspectors and building codes are constantly changes, your home inspector may know if they required when the home was built. The should how ever not the lack of GFCI protection in these areas.

  A GFCI outlet may be wired in a branch circuit, which means other outlets and electrical devices may share the same circuit and breaker. When a properly wired GFCI trips, the other devices downstream from it will also, lose power. If you have an outlet that doesn’t work, and the breaker is not tripped, look for a GFCI outlet,  that may have tripped. The gfci_outletnon-working outlet may be downstream from a GFCI device. The “dead” outlets may not be located near the GFCI outlet; they may be several rooms away or even on a different floor. GFCI outlets should be tested periodically – at least once a year. All GFCI devices have test buttons.

AFCI. (arc fault circuit interrupter) are 15-amp and 20-amp 120-volt circuits. Microsoft Word - SAFETY ALERTS.docDining rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, sunrooms, closets, hallways, or similar areas in today’s modern homes must be AFCI protected.

An arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) is a circuit breaker designed to prevent fires by detecting non-working electrical arcs and disconnect power before the arc starts a fire. The AFCI should distinguish between a working arc that may occur in the brushes of a vacuum sweeper, light switch, or other household devices and a non-working arc that can occur, for instance, in a lamp cord that has a broken conductor in the cord from overuse. Arc faults in a home are one of the leading causes for household fires. AFCIs resemble a GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter) in that they both have a test button, though it is important to distinguish between the two. GFCIs are
designed to protect against electrical shock, while AFCIs are primarily designed to protect against fire.

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Well & Water Quality

 

 


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What to Expect From A Home Inspection

Influenced by the changes in the economic and legal environments over the past30 years, home inspection   reports Home Inspection Bakersfield Cahave changed to accommodate increased consumer expectations, and to provide more extensive information and protection to both inspectors and their clients.

  

Development of Standards

Prior to the mid-1970s, inspection reports followed no standard guidelines and, for the most part, there was little or no oversight or licensure.

  

As might be imagined, without minimum standards to follow, the quality of inspection reports varied widely, and the home inspection industry was viewed with some suspicion.

  

With the founding of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) in 1976, home inspection guidelines governing inspection report content became available in the form of a Standards of Practice.

  

Over time, a second, larger trade association, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), half-banner-1came into existence, and developed its own  standards. 

  

InterNACHI has grown to dominate the inspection industry and, in addition to its Residential Standards of Practice, it has developed a comprehensive Standards of Practice for the Inspection of Commercial Properties. 

  

Today, most types of inspections from mold to fire door steel fire door  inspections are performed in accordance with one of InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice.

  

As a consumer, you should take the time to examine the Standards of Practice followed by your inspector. If he is unaffiliated with any professional inspection organization, and his reports follow no particular standards, find another inspector.

Certified by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - Click here to verify.

  

Generally speaking, reports should describe the major home systems, their crucial components, and their operability, especially the ones in which failure can result in dangerous or expensive-to-correct conditions. Defects should be adequately described, and the report should include recommendations.

  

Reports should also disclaim portions of the home not inspected. Since home inspections are visual inspections, the parts of the home hidden behind floor, wall and ceiling coverings should be disclaimed.

  

Home inspectors are not experts in every system of the home, but are trained to recognize conditions that require a specialist inspection.

  

Home inspections are not technically exhaustive, so the inspector will not disassemble a furnace to examine the heat exchanger closely, for example.

Standards of Practice are designed to identify both the requirements of a home inspection and the limitations of an inspection.

  

Electrical Issues found during A home inspection.

Electrical repair not compleetd under a kithen sink

During one of my recent that I was performing here in Bakersfield, I came across quite a few electrical issues. I wanted to share some of them with you today, in order to give you an idea of what Home Inspectors come across during are day to day activities, and what you might be looking for when looking at homes to purchase. These defects will also give you an idea of why should always hire a Licensed Professional to make repairs or additions to your home. Most home owners do not have the proper training or knowledge to complete complicated task such as adding Electrical wiring to there home.

                                                     (Electrical outlet added in a garage) 

Non professional electrical additions Electrical outlet added in a garage.  are not only safety hazards that can cause someone to be electrocuted they can also start fires.

                                                                                                                                 

                                              (Exterior light fixture added in correctly outside of garage)

Many home fires are related to Electrical shorts1403 Hadar 017 caused by non professional work  done by a home owner or non licensed handy man.

 

1403 Hadar 022 Loose exterior light fixtures can allow water behind the fixture. This can cause the wiring to short out, and possibly start a fire. Electrical breaker or fuses do not always trip when they are suppose to in order to prevent wiring from shorting out and causing fires. Young children can also grab a hold of loose fixture and pull it off the wall, exposing the electrical wiring and possibly causing them to be electrocuted.

 

Any time you are not sure a repair has been completed correctly, call a professional certified home inspector. To inspect the work for you.

All InterNachi Home Inspectors are Certified Professional Home Inspectors.

Protect your investment when buying a home whether it is a new a home or one your buying re-sale. A home inspection

, performed by certified home inspector from InterNachi can help you feel at ease with your purchase and possibly save you from future unexpected repairs and expenses.

Central California Property Inspections is a top home inspector in the Bakersfield, California Home Inspectors guide on Inspectopia.com. InspectionNews: Home Inspection Information - Everything A Home Inspector Needs To Know About Home Inspections © 2012 Central California Property Inspections. Hosted by Inspector Pages.