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A 15-year-old single-family residence was pur­chased for year-round occupancy in a popular ski area of Idaho. During the first spring in the home, thefamily noted water dripping from the ceiling of the kitchen. The dripping continued fora couple of days, and then the condition appeared to resolve itself. The family forgot about the problem until […]

Ninety percent of the homes in the United States are insulated with fiberglass insulation. There has been much debate as to whether or not fiberglass is a human carcinogen, and for a period of time fiberglass insulation was labeled with the warning “probable human carcinogen.” Although the material did not change in any way, the […]

if you think you have a mold problem or if you are sick in your home and suspect mold is to blame, I recommend contacting a reputable professional to do an investigation. The self-test kits found at local hardware stores are not accurate. They may tell you there is a problem when there is not […]

Moisture Problems Associated with Building Insulation The addition of thermal insulation into wall cavities has had a major impact on moisture control in buildings. As buildings have become tighter and better insulated, the opportunity for water vapor to dry out from wall and roof assemblies has been reduced. Trapped water leads to wall assembly failures. […]

John Banta was called to evaluate a home for radon. The owner had received a do-it-yourself radon test kit as a gift from relatives. When he fi­nally got around to performing the test, he could not believe the laboratory results. His daughter’s room registered 24 picocuries, six times higher than the EPA’s recommended action level. […]

The infiltration of water vapor as a soil gas is a common problem that may be due to several conditions, including high water tables, un­derground springs, or hardpan soils that cause excess water to remain at the surface. Certain soils hold moisture so that, instead of perco­lating through the soil, water vapor evaporates and travels […]

A variety of natural and human-caused soil gases can infiltrate structures and lead to in­door air quality problems. Soil gases can be sucked into basements, crawl spaces, and floor slabs if negative pressurization exists within or under a structure. You can prevent this prob­lem by creating a physical barrier between the soil and the home […]

Stanley Watras had worked as an engineer for 11 years at a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. At the end of each workday, he and other plant em­ployees were checked by a monitor that measured radiation levels. This procedure ensured that they had not been contaminated by unsafe levels of radioactivity while at work. In […]

The use of asphaltic and bituminous tar mix­tures for dampproofing is standard practice. These petrochemical-based materials are known carcinogens. There are several other readily available products made for this pur­pose that are more healthful choices. The fol­lowing products may be specified for damp­proofing foundation walls or other walls adjacent to soil: Cementitious Dampproofing • Thoroseal […]

Foundation Water Management Dampproofing is used to form a water — resistant barrier on the outside of stem walls where they come into contact with the earth. This treatment is especially important wher­ever there is a crawl space or basement be­low grade. Along with proper grading and perimeter drainage, dampproofing is used as protection against […]