Orlando Air Quality, Sealing Your Building Envelope

 

The most cost-effective way to cut heating and cooling costs, increase stability, improve comfort levels, and create a healthier interior atmosphere is to reduce the amount of air that flows in and out of your home. Before considering improving insulation or installing a vapor barrier, you should take care of those drafty utility penetrations, windows and doors. Weather stripping and caulking around doors, windows and utility penetrations are two simple and effective techniques for air-sealing that offer quick returns on investment. Weather stripping is used to seal components that move, such as entry and garage doors and operable windows. Weather strips take a lot of abuse and wear out frequently over a home’s lifetime, check them quarterly and replace as needed. Caulking (interior and exterior) is generally used for cracks and openings between stationary house components like; doors, windows, masonry cracks and ledges, utility penetrations any trim or siding joints.

Air Leakage

Air leakage occurs when outside air enters and conditioned air leaves your house uncontrollably through cracks and openings. When it is cold or gusty, an excessive amount of air may enter the house. During summer or warmer weather, conditioned air exits the building envelope, which can result in poor indoor air quality. Air leakage also causes moisture problems that affect the structure’s durability and the occupants’ health. Condensation is a major contributing factor to wood rot in most homes. An added benefit is that sealing cracks and openings decrease drafts, cold spots, and improves comfort. It is important to seal the fire barrier between the home and garage to reduce the chances of carbon monoxide poisoning. Never rely on air leakage for ventilation.

Detecting Air Leaks

The best way to reduce air leakage and controlled ventilation is to have a home energy audit performed on your home. The test, when performed by a licensed professional, will identify air leaks, air quality and if additional ventilation is needed. Before sealing air leaks, assess your ventilation needs for indoor air quality.

If you are planning an extensive renovation of your home, review techniques used for air sealing in new home construction and consider a home energy audit to identify all the ways your home costs you money by wasting energy. To seal air leaks, apply air sealing techniques and materials, including caulk and weather stripping.

How to Seal Air Leaks

Common places air leaks are found:

• Check the weather stripping on doors and windows.
• Check caulking on doors and windows. Old, dried and cracked caulking should be removed and replaced. There are many types of caulking for many different applications. You should know what type of caulk you should use before sealing those leaking windows.
• Check caulking where utility penetrations come thru exterior walls. Check plumbing, ducts, electrical wiring, cable TV and telephone cables comes through the floors, exterior walls, ceilings, and soffits.
• Install foam gaskets on electrical outlets and switches on perimeter walls.
• Dirty spots on insulation may be an indication of air leaks and mold. Look for leaks and seal with low-expansion spray foam. Large gaps may require the installation of flashing.
• Dirty spots on your walls, often around electrical receptacles and switches, or ceilings by vents or light fixtures, may indicate air leaks. Use foam gaskets or spray foam to seal leaks.
• Single-pane windows allow hot and cold air to transfer. Double-pane low-emissivity windows are more efficient and the cost to upgrade will be recouped in energy saving over a few years.
• Use foam sealant on larger gaps around windows, baseboards, and other places where air may leak out.
• Check your kitchen exhaust fan for air leaks. Stop air leaks by upgrading the exhaust fan or cover the vent to stop air leaks when not in use.
• Check your dryer vent to be sure it is not blocked. Lint will keep the dryer vent door from closing allowing air to leak in and out of your home. This will save energy and may prevent a fire.
• Check the bottom door sweep and threshold for pliability and damage. Replace damaged seals with energy efficient pliable sealing gaskets.

Fireplace Flues, Dampers and Chimneys

Fireplaces are a major source of air outflow. Keep the fireplace flue damper tightly closed when not in use.

• Seal air leaks around fireplace chimneys, furnaces, and gas-fired water heater vents with fire-resistant materials such as sheet metal or Sheetrock and furnace cement caulk.
• Check your makeup air vent damper to ensure it seals properly.

Fireplace flue damper doors are made from metal, constant heating and cooling can cause

the doors to warp, crack or break, creating a passage for air loss.

One way to seal your flue when not in operation is an inflatable chimney balloon. A chimney balloon is made of durable plastic and can be reused many times. It installs easily beneath your fireplace flue and can be removed easily. The balloon will automatically deflate within seconds if it becomes heated, if you forget to remove the balloon before making a fire. Balloons are available in various sizes online and in retail shops.

Sealing air leaks will not eliminate the need for proper insulation or radiant barriers that reduce heat flow through a home’s building envelope.

Frank Carr is the Owner / Inspector at First Choice Home Inspections in Deltona, FL serving Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Lake Counties.  Formerly in the building trades, Frank’s focus is a safe home and building FCHI. We believe that consumers have the right to expect the highest standards of thoroughness, fairness and effectiveness from their home inspector and that is exactly what we provide.

First Choice Home Inspections 
(386) 624-3893
Email:  home.inspections@aol.com
Website:  http://1homeinspector.com

Contaminated Chinese drywall

Health problems and metal corrosion in homes

Contaminated Chinese drywall has high levels of sulfur, which may be responsible for a rotten egg smell in affected homes, blackened or corroded pipes, failure of air conditioners and other household appliances, and health problems such as asthma, coughing, headaches, sore throats, and irritated eyes.

Health Problems Associated With Problem Drywall

Health problems that may be caused by contaminated Chinese drywall include:

• irritated and itchy eyes and skin
• difficulty in breathing
• persistent cough
• bloody nose
• runny nose
• recurrent headaches
• sore throats
• sinus infections
• asthma attacks

Contaminated Drywall Problems

Homeowners with contaminated drywall usually notice:

• a rotten egg smell within the home
• corrosion or blackening of copper and silver items within the walls and home
• frequent failures of air conditioning units and other appliances and electronics

“Contaminated drywall is indicated if two of the below corroborating conditions are present and drywall was installed between 2005 and 2008; or if four of the below corroborating conditions are present and the drywall was installed between 2001 and 2004”, according to the CPSC:

• copper sulfide or sulfur in the home as confirmed by tests
• drywall is marked as coming from China
• high levels of strontium in drywall core
• high levels of sulfur in drywall core
• elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide, or carbon disulfide emitted from drywall when tested in a chamber, and
• Corrosion of copper metal when placed in a test chamber with drywall samples.

Electronics and Appliances

Copper coils turn black

Contaminated drywall corrodes piping and wiring, which causes electronic devices and household appliances to work erratically or fail completely.  Components and devices that may be affected by contaminated Chinese drywall include:

• Central air conditioning evaporator coils
• Refrigerators, dishwashers and electrical ovens and ranges.
• Televisions, computers, and video gaming systems.

Identification and Replacement

According to the CPSC, “A visual observation of corroded air conditioning evaporator coils and/or electrical wiring by trained inspectors is believed to be a prerequisite for consideration of a home as having problem drywall. The Florida Department of Health has long included such corrosion as part of its definition of problem drywall homes.”

The cost of remediation for Chinese drywall can be immense including drywall, plumbing and electrical.  Remediation may include removal of contaminated drywall and installing new, problem-free drywall, removal and replacement of copper; plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems.

Additional articles on Chinese Drywall:

Chinese Drywall (Part 1)

Chinese Drywall (Part 2)
Chinese Drywall Links and Sources

Frank Carr is the Owner / Inspector at First Choice Home Inspections in Deltona, FL serving Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Lake Counties.  Formerly in the building trades, Frank’s focus is a safe home and building FCHI. We believe that consumers have the right to expect the highest standards of thoroughness, fairness and effectiveness from their home inspector and that is exactly what we provide.

First Choice Home Inspections
(386) 624-3893
Http://www.1homeinspector.com

Chinese Drywall Additional Information

I have had many calls from homeowners with questions about Chinese Drywall.  I perform home inspections and can identify the signs of Chinese Drywall.  I have performed research into Chinese Drywall and I hope some of the links below can be of use to homeowners and their search for answers.  If you are searching for answers to health questions verify with your home inspector that you do in fact have Chinese Drywall and consult your physician.  

Question:  What year homes were the most effected by Chinese Drywall?

Answer:  Chinese Drywall began arriving in the United States in 2001.  Home built from 2001 on may contain Chinese Drywall.  Homes repaired and remodeled after 2001 may contain Chinese Drywall. The problem with identifying a year that a home may contain Chinese drywall is that some builder suppliers may have had quantities siting in a warehouse or a builder or contractor may have purchased it and not used it until needed.  Homes built, repaired or remodeled up until 2010 or even later may contain Chinese Drywall. 

Good Synopsis, Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Drywall

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:  http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/drywall/guide_healthcare_providers.htm

US Consumer Product Safety Commission:   http://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Drywall/Topics/Where-has-problem-drywall-been-reported/

FL Dept. of Health:  http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/community/indoor-air/casedefinition.html

US Institute of Health:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2852858/

US Institute of Health:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2852858/pdf/ijms-11-00647.pdf

New York Times:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/business/08drywall.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&

Fox News:  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514636,00.html

Palm Beach Post:  http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/apr/07/sens-nelson-landrieu-call-recall-temporary-ban-chi/

CNN:  http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/24/chinese.drywall/

Chinese Drywall Litigation

http://www.laed.uscourts.gov/drywall/DrywallMarkings.htm

http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2009/07/27/102525.htm

http://www.jlconline.com/coastal-contractor/chinese-drywall-update-builders-burdened-by-repai.aspx#

IRS Chinese Drywall Deduction

http://articles.dailypress.com/2010-10-01/news/dp-nws-drywall-deduction-20101001_1_chinese-drywall-defective-drywall-drywall-releases-hydrogen-sulfide

http://www.irs.gov/irb/2010-42_IRB/ar11.html

If you suspect you have Chinese Drywall call your local home inspector for a home inspection and ask if they check for Chinese Drywall.  For health and breathing problems consult your physician.  I hope these links will provide you with the information you are seeking about Chinese Drywall.

Chinese Drywall (Part 1)

Chinese Drywall (Part 2)

Frank Carr is the Owner / Inspector at First Choice Home Inspections in Deltona, FL serving Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Lake Counties.  Formerly in the building trades, Frank’s focus is a safe home and building FCHI. We believe that consumers have the right to expect the highest standards of thoroughness, fairness and effectiveness from their home inspector and that is exactly what we provide.
First Choice Home Inspections
(386) 624-3893
Http://www.1homeinspector.com

Chinese Drywall (Part 2)

Since southern homes are exposed to higher temperatures and humidity signs of drywall will show up sooner on your copper pipes and air-conditioning coils.   Anything containing copper will be affected; plumbing, electrical wiring, electrical components, TVs, computers, electrical motors in mixers, blenders, drills, and on and on.

I would recommend anyone purchasing a home or suspecting they have Chinese drywall have their home inspected. A ridiculous range of 2003 to 2007 is often tossed around.  New construction or home repairs and remodels from 2001 until 2010 can be effected.  It can be one sheet or your entire house covered with Chinese drywall.  Pyrite oxidation may be the source of the sulfur compounds released by Chinese drywall.

I have done many inspections in Central Florida and always look for the signs of pyrite oxidation on copper plumbing and system components.  Google Chinese drywall and you will get thousands of articles about class action lawsuits, health issues, effects, problems, signs, property damage, and decreased home values.  This issue is far from over in fact it is only just being discover what the effects of Chinese drywall are.  Chinese drywall has been link to developmental problems with children, radiation studies, and other disorders.

Homeowners should be aware of and attempt to avoid the following scams which builders have reported to the Attorney General’s Office:

• Sale of bogus test kits. These can be expensive, often costing thousands of dollars, and are generally ineffective. The presence of defective imported drywall can only be determined through visual inspection. 
• Solicited home inspections costing thousands of dollars by “experts” with no apparent qualification. Homeowners should beware of cold calls and door-to-door solicitors. 
• Sale of sprays and applications which allegedly claim to miraculously cure the corrosion problem. Not only are these products ineffective, the addition of moisture may accelerate the corrosion problem. 
• Sale of ozone generators. Ozone will actually increase the chemical reaction between the drywall and copper and the corrosion will be accelerated.

Consumers who wish to file a complaint about these scams may do so by calling the Attorney General’s fraud hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226) or by filing a complaint online at http://myfloridalegal.com .

Chinese Drywall (Part 1)
Chinese Drywall Additional Information

Frank Carr is the Owner / Inspector at First Choice Home Inspections in Deltona, FL serving Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Lake Counties.  Formerly in the building trades, Frank’s focus is a safe home and building FCHI. We believe that consumers have the right to expect the highest standards of thoroughness, fairness and effectiveness from their home inspector and that is exactly what we provide.

First Choice Home Inspections

(386) 624-3893

Http://www.1homeinspector.com

 

Chinese Drywall (Part 1)

This topic has been going round and round again. Everyone has an opinion about Chinese drywall but the plain fact is 90% of the people giving the advice are not qualified inspectors and have something to gain by giving one-sided advice.  Stories featured in the New York Times, Orlando Weekly and other newspapers have followed the woes and the law suits related to Chinese drywall.

Chinese drywall began arriving in the United States in 2001 and was imported in larger quantities after the 2004 - 2005 hurricane repairs and continued in quantity until 2007.  Chinese drywall continued to be imported and used in home construction throughout the US.  Feb 2009, Senator Bill Nelson of Florida requested a ban on the defective drywall, and a bill urging the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to recall Chinese-made drywall and temporarily ban its import.  It was only in Nov of 2009 that the CPSC issued its report about Chinese drywall. Chinese drywall was installed in an unknown number of new construction projects throughout the US.  I have seen numbers like 100,000 homes built with and half a billion pounds of drywall imported after 2006.

US Congressman Bill Posey, “The problems experienced in homes with the bad drywall include sulfuric odors and corrosion of certain materials. The corrosion seems to affect copper air conditioning compressor coils, electrical wires, fire and carbon monoxide alarms, and brass fittings used in natural gas furnaces and other electrical appliances.”

Southern States are more affected because high temperature and humidity that cause copper surfaces to turn black and powdery, a chemical process indicative of reaction with hydrogen sulfide. Copper pipes, wiring, and air conditioner coils are affected, as well as silver jewelry. Homeowners have reported a variety of symptoms, including respiratory problems such as asthma attacks, chronic coughing and difficulty breathing, as well as chronic headaches and sinus issues.


Chinese Drywall (Part 2)

Frank Carr is the Owner / Inspector at First Choice Home Inspections in Deltona, FL. Formerly in the building trades, Frank’s focus is a safe home and building FCHI. We believe that consumers have the right to expect the highest standards of thoroughness, fairness and effectiveness from their home inspector and that is exactly what we provide.
Http://www.1homeinspector.com