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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During my time as A Home Inspector 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; 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 home inspector 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 non-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. Dining 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.

This Video is presented to by Central California Property Inspections and NACHI TV