CASE STUDIES

UNDERSTANDING MOISTURE INTRUSION

AND MIGRATION PATHWAYS
OCTOBER 2016

VICTOR COPPOLA, CGP

Environmental Advisor Scientist Principal

GreenWorks Environmental, LLC

Healthy Starts at Home
2105 Princeton Ct., Allenwood, NJ 08720 (732) 223-2073 www.greenworksllc.com

@GreenWorksLLC @VictorVerde0927
 JOHN UMINA
Sr. Environmental Investigator Building Materials Specialist CRMI, CMR, CCMI

DID YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE:

25 Years in the Building Community
Owens Corning Basement Finishing System
Building Professional Institute (BPI) Trained
Exterior Products and Flooring Specialist
Certified Mold Investigator / Remediator
Mold Sensitized Individual / Mold Survivor
I am a chef & love a good steak and cigar
Ask for my Digital Business Card

I joined the GreenWorks family after experiencing health related mold issues and
realizing how prevalent enviro concerns are in our homes. It has become my mission
to educate and bring awareness to the causes of Sick Building Syndrome.

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 Why Moisture Management
Poorly managed moisture is the primary driving force leading to Sick
Building Syndrome that often shows up as biological contamination,
building material biodeterioration, structural settling and overall IAQ
degradation. Having a good working knowledge of the Water Cycle is
the first part of assessing how our Built Environments collide with the
Natural Environment. But getting into the minutia of Moisture Migration
Pathways is whats ultimately needed to truly understand ones home
environment.
Victor Coppola, CGP

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 The TIPPING POINT
Talk about moisture and the health of our homes
often revolves around a series of Seemingly
Insignificant Events.
That transition line - where we go from
everythings fine to disaster is called the
Tipping Point. It can reveal itself at any time.
You will know when it hits; look for the puddle or
health complaints from the occupants!

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Remodeled Older Home

(Built ca. 1945, major expansion 9 years earlier )

Home built in 1945 on basement and

crawl
Home is immaculate where Home
Inspector called out Moisture concerns in
basement due to slight staining on walls
and strange odor in the finished basement
No puddles or history of flooding
One older sump chamber and one newer
observed with high silt line in chamber
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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Remodeled Older Home

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Finished Basement Clues

Note stains on baseboard and tile flooring

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Finished Basement Clues

Sump pump chambers and sediment lines

Newer secondary chamber Why????

Older corrugated pipe chamber shows
seasonal high water table within inches of
finished floor (not good!)
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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Finished Basement Clues

Note door frame stains
We pull the baseboard

Moisture Readings
(not always reliable)

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

What About Soils

Soils information tells more of the story.
Good draining soil, but Cemented Pan
makes basements not recommended.

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

How Can You Be Sure?

Moisture meters are intermittent (at best).
Groundwater levels fluctuate.
Other physical clues can be subjective.
But overall environment created is hard to
dispute as to the life forms attracted
Testing for Water Damaged Building
(WDB) indicators like: Stachybotrys,
Chaetomium, & Aspergillus / Penicillium
often quantifies how bad moisture is.
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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )

1 Story Ranch in great neighborhood

Family has been looking for years
Outside of issues w/gutters, leaders, crawl
moisture (slight) and moldy showers
Typical vacant home.
EXCEPT FOR 1 THING:
THE HOUSE SMELL IS NOXIOUS!!!!
(Can smell it 50 feet away)
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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

Your typical issues

But what is that smell?

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
Courtesy site visit, reviewed inspection
report, no mention as to odor issue
Due to elusive nature of odors, GWE
recommends full Enviro Site Consultation
with testing before buying home

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )

7 months later Client buys home, hires

another enviro firm to remediate home,
installs new kitchen, bathrooms & paints
When start floors, moisture readings very
elevated, floors dewatered & finished

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
3 months later Noxious Smell Returns
Kids get sick better then sick again with
random rashes, ear infections, sinusitus
Husband develops open lesions in throat,
blurred vision, headaches, respiratory
Noxious Smell absorbed by occupants
hair
GWE contacted, but hire another firm
again (who is almost immediately fired)
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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

So What Could it Be?

(Moisture Drives Home Biology Which Has An Aroma)

Odor investigation uncovers 3 different

odorous areas throughout the home
Crawl Space First subfloor delaminating

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
Weather station with remote sensors used
to assess homes relative humidity. From
62% to 77% throughout home too high

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
Moisture migrating into subfloor (now
delaminating) from elevated humidity (soil)
and failing windows (main floor)

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
Flood testing of windows show intermittent
moisture intrusion, weather station shows
elevated relative humidity thought home

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
Start with crawl space ventilation system
and remediate delamination (experimental
client doesnt want to rip floors)

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
Then Dry Ice Blast -160F kills odorous
micro organisms

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
Windows presenting unique challenges
with isolated odors

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
Sheetrock catcombed holding odors

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
Hydrogen Peroxide reveals infestation
within plywood.

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
Closed Cell Spray Foam reinforces
plywood, moisture barrier, biocide no VOC

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

Smelly Bank Owned Home

(Built ca. 1948, Bank Owned, Vacant 4 years )
Spray Foam Application Video

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

New Custom Home

(ca. 2010 with reused / expanded 1920 foundation)

Home is all top line construction with spray

foam insulation, radiant floor heat, etc.
The Prospective Buyers 12yo daughter
has mold sensitivity and childhood asthma
Home is immaculate where some water
from Sandy hit crawl space which was
visually immaculate as well

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

New Custom Home

(ca. 2010 with reused / expanded 1920 foundation)

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 The Yard Drain
(How far from home do you inspect?)

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 Gutter Holding Water
(Very Common. Ever see the Algae Plug clog a gutter?)

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Crawl with Concrete Slab
(Very clean, note spray foam on foundation)

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TGIs Lam Beam SprayFoam

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Old Poured Foundation
(What hydrology indicator do you see?)

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Whats in Old Foundation?
(Is that charcoal?)

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Lots of Stuff!

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Whats Spray Foam Lift?
(Closed Cell Foam doesnt stick to Everything!)

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Open Duct Drop-Downs

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 Whats This Leader Fix?
(Why landscape guys dont make good drainage decisions)

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Inaccessible Areas

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 Whats Wrong Here?
(Typical SmartVent Type Flood Vent Installation)

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

1950s RANCH (remodeled)

(Home Inspector Inspected with Written Report)

Clients looking to start a family and want

babys room air quality inspected.
Home extensively remodeled recently.
Home inspection report didnt show much.
Simple air test and visual observations
reveal significant moisture intrusion.
How would you handle this inspection?

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1950s RANCH (remodeled)
What's Wrong here?

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See Anything Suspicious?
(Can you believe that a Home Inspector missed this one!)

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Floor Vent Issues?
(What do you see here?)

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Rusty Register Covers
(With water comes elevated humidity migration)

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Inside the Duct Collar
(what could the rag be for?)

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Inside the Duct Collar
(Water intrusion video by the Client)

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Whats Up with Floor Tiles?
(Under loose piece of carpet in hall closet)

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 Public Data

Somewhat Limited Soils

(Dwellings Without Basements)

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 Public Data

Soil Drainage Tendencies

(Reveal Hydrology of Site)

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 Public Data

1930 Historic Aerials

(Historic Site Use - Farmers Loved Wetlands)

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The Water Main
(Flooded Chamber)

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 Invasive Investigation

Moisture Barriers

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 Invasive Investigation

Moisture Creep

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 Invasive Investigation

Saturated Base Plate

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 Invasive Investigation

Subfloor Moisture Barrier

(5/8th Inch Plywood)

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

WET HOME FOR 30 YEARS

(CA 1970 Bi-level Construction)

Owner thought wet crawl was way home

was supposed to be. But we know better:
State mapping & observations confirm wetlands
Flat / negative grading around home
No Ventilation in crawl space + condensate dripping
Clogged gutters and underground piping
Suspect gutter layout and pitch
Front yard flat grading / negative pitch

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

30 YEAR WET HOME

(Ca. 1970 Bi-level Construction)

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Channel Drain Assessment

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Dew Point Effect in Crawl

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Crawl Space White Wash

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Clogged Discharge Lines

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Simple Hydrology Tool

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Driveway Hydrology Deflector

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Still Water in the Garage

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

New Home Construction

(Same Old Developed Neighborhood)

Previous home built 1940s on basement

Nothing unusual about water intrusion

2 homes scraped and re-built

Now getting HO in basement

Pumps running continuously

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 CASE STUDY DISCUSSION

New Home Construction

(Same Old Developed Neighborhood)

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Water Discharge at the Curb

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Catch Basin in the Street

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Home Rear Yard

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 Public Data

Rear Finished Basement Wall

(Note Sheetrock Patch)

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 Client Photo

Finished Basement Closet

(Interior Central Wall)

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 Public Data

2012 Enviro Aerials

(Public Data via NJDEP GeoWeb w/Enviro Layers)

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 Public Data

1930 Enviro Aerials

(Public Data via NJDEP GeoWeb w/Enviro Layers)

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 Public Data

Historic Topography Mapping

(Public Data via NJDEP GeoWeb w/Enviro Layers)

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 Public Data

Soil Mapping
(Dwellings with Basements / Public Data Via NCRS)

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 Public Data

Depth To Saturated Zone

(Dwellings with Basements / Public Data Via NCRS)

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Soil Boring Profile
(Hand Auger w/5 Extension Rod)

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Hand Auger BUCKET
(Saturated Soils @ 2.5 Feet)

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This is a Filled Wetland!

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 Hydrology Inspection Checklist
(Some Pointers to Consider)
1) Review the Property Survey & Property Disclosure Document for
clues as to the sites hydrologic properties & history
2) Interview buyer (& seller) as to concerns, health issues, etc. that
could be impacted by elevated humidity
3) Perform a limited Natural Resource Inventory of the site & area
Streams, Wetlands, T&E Species, Tidelands, Soils, etc.)
4) Be Aware of Seasonality (Late summer dry spells vs Wet Winters)
5) Research Historic uses of the property
6) Assess exterior Water Management Strategies (WMS)
Grading, Gutters, Piping, Wet-Wells, off-site concerns
Do the same for Off-Site areas (Neighbors)

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 Hydrology Inspection Checklist
(Some Pointers to Consider)

7. Assess common interior water problem areas and look for clues
Bathrooms, Boiler/Utility Areas, Below Grade Rooms
Stains, Efflorescence, Material Swelling / Deflection
French Drains, Sump Pumps, Dehumidifiers, Ventilators
8. Insects Whats Creeping & Crawling
Cave Crickets, Centipedes, Springtails, Mites, Spiders, Rodents
Just visitors or are they residents / see Complete Life Cycle?
9. The Nose Knows What does it smell like?
Vapor Intrusion / MVOCs / Formaldehyde / Petroleum
Odors Damp Musty, Sweaty Sock, Sweet Prickly, Cat Urine
(But I have no Cat), Foul Raunchy Type odors all tell a story as
to what is causing the aroma, often tied to a moisture source.

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 Hydrology Inspection Checklist
(Some Pointers to Consider)

10. Hidden sources of moisture (Visual)

Lumber vs. Engineered (Free H2O/Lignins & Wood Rot-White)
Cheap wood/particle board in undersides of furniture / Contents
Basement Finishing Sys (Walls, Ceilings, Vinyl Floating Floors)
Sub-Slab drainage pipe networks
Municipal Rqmnts to hold stormwater / Groundwater Mounding
Dry Wells & Recharge Chambers
11. Technical Equipment Assistance
Moisture Meters (Surface vs. Penetrating)
IR Camera (Phone devices are good & inexpensive)
Borescope (stand alone or for todays smart phones)
Hygrometers, Portable Weather Stations

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