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Moisture Intrusion
Moisture intrusion into a building can cause major structural damage and can threaten the safety of its occupants. If water gets into a building, we want to let it out. When an inspector knows what a properly installed building component looks like, then recognizing an installation defect is easy. Education and training on the best and latest building practices for controlling moisture are essential for every property inspector.
One of the main duties of an inspector is to identify and report building components that, due to improper installation or poor condition, may cause moisture intrusion. By studying moisture-resistant building practices and standards, a variety of the most common moisture-related problems in homes can be inspected for, found, confirmed, diagnosed, explained and documented during an inspection.
Moisture-related problems include rain penetration, structural decay, mold growth, high indoor humidity, condensation, a wet foundation, ice dams, and many other issues that are familiar to builders, homeowners and insurers. For the most part, these problems are preventable and manageable. While Benjamin Franklin’s advice that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” was originally focused on preventing fires, it applies equally well to preventing moisture problems in homes.
Also, many of the best practices featured in this course are tailored for important site-specific factors, such as climate and decay hazards that may vary widely around the U.S. The absence of these best building practices in a home’s construction should be reported and communicated by the inspector to his client.
Effective moisture management involves a degree of uncertainty. The best practices for moisture management should not be construed as absolutes. Equally effective or better alternatives are possible and may be discovered during an inspection. The absence of a particular building component discovered during an inspection may not necessarily mean that moisture problems exist at the property.
https://education.nachi.org/show.php?course_id=57&element_id=1194