Granted, this report is only relevant to a small percentage of Kansas City Homes – those who have pre-1960’s mortared limestone basement walls.  That said, we are seeing enough problems with these walls that knowledge of a potential risk should benefit those who do have them.

I like the old limestone walls because they are more robust than concrete and by any measure a better wall than masonry block.  Cost is the obvious reason they fell out of favor, clearly not performance. Typically 18” to 22” thick, these walls have so much mass that trees, water and earth will not overwhelm them, at least not to the extent that they do the lesser walls.  But while the limestone itself seems to be immune to deleterious effects from ground water, this is not true for all mortars.  We see about half dozen houses a year where mortar that bonds the stones together has been reduced to sand and a screwdriver easily penetrates right into the joint (photo).  This means the stones are no longer connected and stability is reduced to that of a gravity wall, that is, stones dry stacked one upon another.  In most cases, the wall still functions from its own dead weight, but it is no longer the wall it was intended to be.  And, sand is symptomatic of a greater problem.

So what happened to the mortar?  Chemistry is what happened. Things in nature try to achieve something known as pH balance. Acids have pH values under 7, alkalis above 7 and balance near 7. Rain is essentially distilled water that forms from evaporation and condensation, and being soft water previous generations often collected it for laundry and hair washing.  But with no appreciable minerals in it, rain water is out of pH balance so it sucks lime out of the mortar to correct its imbalance.  This takes a long time and happens primarily in locations with faulty water control such as improperly tapered grade or poorly functioning gutters and downspouts.

If you have limestone walls, use a screwdriver or ice pick to randomly stab a few mortar joints in each face.  If the probe penetrates a joint by more than a fraction of inch, you are likely going to find sand.  Repairs are fairly straight forward, reasonably priced and often optional.  I won’t try to define the solution here, but if you see sand send us an email and I will share repair information along with some names of people who can do the work.

Don Carter is a licensed structural engineer and managing general partner of Foundation Engineering Specialists LLC, a company specializing in residential
design and assessments: don@fdnengineering.com.

The road to owning a home is a wonderful experience, but one that requires new responsibilities. Homes that are newly purchased may require additional remodeling or repairs.

Potential home buyers or those remodeling older homes should be aware homes built before 1980 maintain the chance of containing asbestos. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was used in construction applications for the greater part of the 20th century.

This does not mean you should be afraid because asbestos exposure is easily prevented by taking simple precautions. It should be noted that most asbestos will not pose a threat to your health and safety. Many eco-friendly green insulation options exist which not only provide a safe alternative to asbestos, but can even reduce annual energy costs.

When asbestos deteriorates and its fibers become airborne, it has the potential of causing severe lung ailments such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. Physician diagnosis has been a difficult task because mesothelioma symptoms are so similar to other, less serious conditions. The negligence involved with the asbestos scandal has been one of greed and dishonesty. Manufacturers of asbestos were aware of its toxic qualities, but repressed this information from the public. It is tough to accurately gauge mesothelioma statistics because many cases go unreported.

If you locate any suspected asbestos, leave it alone. If you are having home renovations, performed, do not panic. In most cases, the best action is no action in regards to asbestos. These inspectors will assess the situation and oversee the work of all contractors involved and determine whether suspicious materials are present.

However, if removal is necessary, it must be performed by a licensed abatement contractor who is trained and licensed to deal with hazardous materials and removal projects.

With increasing technology and public initiatives, green alternatives exist which allow for an asbestos free environment. These healthy insulation alternatives include cotton fiber, lcynene and cellulose. According to studies performed by manufacturers, the use of cotton fiber can reduce annual energy costs by 25 percent! These options will provide a safe and healthy home, free of any damaging materials.

Recently, congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law. Included in this act were extensions to the tax incentives placed for energy efficiency in 2005, as well as new credits for homeowners who remodel or build using eco-sustainable methods. Some of the measures that are eligible for tax credits include added insulation to walls, ceilings, or other part of the building envelope that meets the 2009 IECC specifications, sealing cracks in the building shell and ducts to reduce heat loss. Storm doors paired with U-factored rated wood doors are also eligible.

The day the house fell
The Day the House Fell1 is the title of a book by Richard Handy, wherein he states, “About half the houses built every year in the U.S. are founded on expansive clays.  Half of those will eventually show some distress. Of the houses with expansive clay problems, chances are 1 in 5 that the house will become seriously affected.”

USDA maps show that 60 percent of Johnson County soil types are expansive clays, so if I’m doing the math correctly, that means that 1 house in 17 will have foundation problems. If this seems high, look in the Yellow Pages; you’ll find nearly 80 companies offering foundation repairs. Someone is keeping them in business.

The previous “Home Front” presented basement wall repair options, and in this issue we discuss realigning a crooked house. If you have sheet rock or plaster cracks, doors that stick, uneven floors, windows that won’t open, or basement wall splits, these are classic signs of a misaligned house. Misalignment can come from settlement or heave; either way, the cause is probably expansive clay soils rearranging your footings. Here are the popular systems used to correct settlement:

Underpinning. This method uses drilled or hand-dug holes positioned beneath the foundation footing. The depth of the hole is subjective, but the goal is to go deep enough to get past expansive clay and into sound soil. The hole is then filled with concrete to produce a pedestal from which jacks and shims lift and hold the house. It’s an old concept, with nearly 100 years of mixed history.

Helical piles. These are the screw-in devices shown in the last issue as tension tiebacks. They also work in compression, and can be screwed into the soil to a predefined torque, then used as jacking platforms. They work in lightweight structures where push piers won’t.

Auger piles. Sometimes called mini-piles, auger piles are made by drilling small-diameter holes under footings and filling them with steel and grout. Similar to underpinnings,they are smaller and thus more of them are required.

Pre-cast cylinders. This system works by pushing precast concrete cylinders into the ground to refusal. To make sure cylinders stay in line, a steel cable is strung through them, somewhat like beads in a necklace. Once in place, cylinders get a jacking pedestal on top and the house is lifted from that. There are mixed results with this system.

Push piers. This relatively new system uses a hydraulic jack stand and the home’s own weight to push steel tubes into the ground. Think of a bumper jack without a base plate. Instead of the house going up, the jack shaft goes down, penetrating into the ground. I put five push piers under my house in 1990 and they have held well. Push pier advantages are certified product capacity (required by some cities), reduced secondary damage to landscaping, and faster turnaround.
Each system has one thing in common: They are only as good as the person who installs them. Do your homework, as there are a lot of pretenders in the foundation
repair business. If you need a tiebreaker, call one of the several engineering companies that specialize in foundations.

1 The Day the House Fell, by Richard L. Handy, PhD, © 1995, ASCE.

Don Carter is a licensed structural engineer and managing general partner of Foundation Engineering Specialists LLC, a company specializing in residential
design and assessments: don@fdnengineering.com.

Cladosporium:
is profuse and is essentially a cornucopia of spore when air monitoring either inside or out-doors. This genus contains approximately 20-30 different species, most abundant in dry weather, branching chains produce dry spores that are released by twisting of the spore-bearing hyphae as they’re drying.
Outside: Can be found in many soils, plant litter, and old plants and leaves, some of the species are plant pathogens.
Inside: Found just about anywhere indoors including but not limited to bathroom tiles, kitchen tiles, moist windowsill’s, laundry areas, textiles, and any other wet areas of the home. Some species of cladosporium grow at temperatures at or below 32 degrees (F) and can be found on many refrigerated foods.

Alternaria:
is one of the most common found molds geographically and contains approximately 40 -50 different species, very few
of which are commonly found indoors, and is easily dispersed through the air.
Outside: Found in soils, textiles, dead organic debris, foodstuffs, and is a plant pathogen that often found on dead plants.
Inside: When moisture is present, alternaria can grow on just about any organic substance.

Acremonium:
Is a slimly mold commonly found in areas of extreme moisture around the home and can be dispersed through water flow or droplets. The old dried – up spores are capable of dispersion by air. This common mold includes
approximately 80-90 different species.
Outside: Found in soils, dead organic material, foodstuffs, and hay.
Inside: Requires extremely wet conditions in order to multiply, and under such conditions can likely be found anywhere in the home.

Ceratocystis / Ophiostoma:
separate genera that are so similar that they are generally grouped together, and represent approximately 50-60 different species. The production of wet, slimy spore is typically dispersed by water flow, droplets, or insects.
Outside: Sometimes referred to as “lumber mold” this genera is commonly found in lumber yards and forests.
Inside: Can typically be found on wood construction materials.

Chaetomium:
contains approximately 80-90 different species, and is common geographically. These spores are formed inside of fruiting bodies, and are released by being forced through small openings in the fruit body being dispersed by wind, water flow or droplets, and insects.
Outside: Found in soils, dung, wood materials, straw, cellulose substrates and various seeds.
Inside: Very common on sheet rock paper that has been saturated by moisture, and on cellulose and wood construction materials.

Stachybotrys:
is ubiquitous, and represents approximately 15 different species, requires a significant amount of moisture to reproduce slimy spore and is commonly dispersed by water flow, droplets, or insects.
Outside: Found in soils, decomposing cellulose material, decaying plant debris, leaf litter, and seeds.
Inside: Common on wet materials such as wall board, jute, wicker, and other paper materials.

What is it? Where is it?

Medical research indicates that mold is the number one cause of allergic symptoms. Mold naturally occurs in home, office, and school environments, and many thousands of different molds exist, but only a few of them are known to cause significant health problems, of which Stachybotrys chartarum (toxic black mold) and Aspergillus niger(widespread in indoor environments) are the most common. Mold can be found in every area of your home: attics, basements, bathrooms, carpeting, ceilings, chimneys, closets, raised foundation crawl spaces, doors, flooring, garages, kitchens, ventilation systems, walls and framing, and windows. It grows in most building materials, including concrete, dry wall, carpeting, wall paper, fiberboard, ceiling tiles, and thermal insulation.

Molds reproduce by making spores that cannot be seen without magnification. Mold spores move naturally through the indoor and outdoor air. Because mold requires an environment with a high moisture content in order to grow and thrive, it should not pose major problems in an environment such as Salt Lake’s. However, because many homeowners do not regularly inspect their own homes for water and drainage leaks, mold problems do occur in our homes and buildings.

How do I make sure it’s not in my home?

It is in your home, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You are breathing it as you are reading this. However, you can prevent it from growing and thriving in your home, and affecting your health, by inspecting your home on a regular basis (monthly at a minimum) for water and drainage leaks. This means:

1. Removing all the items stored under your sinks and inspecting the water pipes, water shutoff valves, and drainage pipes for leaks. If you detect leaks, have them repaired immediately by a licensed plumber.
2. Inspecting around sink basins, bathtubs, and shower stalls for deteriorated grouting or caulking. These are areas where water can penetrate into the structure’s walls and framing, allowing mold to thrive in those spaces.
3. Using your eyes and nose for visual and olfactory clues. If you see mold or smell musty odors, chances are great that you have mold in your home.

You should also use your exhaust fans in your bathrooms and kitchens or open whatever windows are located in those rooms to help prevent a build-up of moisture in those areas and a subsequent growth of mold or mold-like substances.

If I have it, how do I get rid of it?

Most of us know what mold looks like and smells like. If you believe that you have mold in your home, you should first seek out and correct the problems that are providing the mold with the moisture that it needs to grow and thrive. Reducing moisture, removing all visible signs of mold, and disinfecting surfaces with chlorine and ozone, is the best way to combat a mold problem. Please read the attached “Mold Remediation” page for information about mold remediation techniques. 

Where can I get more information?

The HomeTeam Inspection Service is not a mold testing laboratory and, therefore, we cannot state unequivocally whether any form of mold is or is not present. When we do smell musty odors or see mold-like substances growing, we do, and always have, noted it in our reports. If you want additional confirmation, toxic mold test kits are available at The Home Depot (plumbing department, item #761-572) or at Lowe’s (product item #174419). If you need to know what type of mold is present in your home, we urge you to seek the services of a qualified and licensed industrial hygienist or a qualified and licensed mold testing laboratory. Only they have the necessary laboratories set up to determine unequivocally what types of mold, if any, are growing and thriving in your home. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at any time at 913 642-3515 or 816 810-3515.

Mold Remediation

Deciding When to Call a Professional

With the prevalence of household mold cases across the nation, many homeowners are wondering whether or not they can clean up mold themselves. The answer is yes, but without knowing the type of mold is growing in a home or the extent of the problem, many contractors are hesitant to recommend homeowners tackle a mold infestation themselves. Homeowners trying to decide whether or not to clean up mold themselves should realize that there will be a significant difference in the approach used for a small mold problem (total area affected is less than ten square feet) and a large contamination problem of more than 100 square feet. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a homeowner wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) may handle small cleanup areas. However, for larger areas, the EPA advises hiring an experienced, professional contractor. For in-between sized cases, the type of containment and personal protection equipment to be used will be a matter of personal judgment. Any home that has sustained major water damage or flooding needs to be inspected by a qualified water loss specialist.

If, after evaluating the problem, homeowners decide to clean mold themselves, they should keep in mind that they will be exposed to potentially toxic mold, strong detergents, and disinfectants. Steps should be taken to protect residents’ health during cleanup:

1. Wear a full- or half-face respirator with a P-100 filter to prevent inhalation of airborne spores.
2. Minimize exposure to disinfectants and contain the area in which you are working.
3. Wear protective clothing that is easily cleaned or discarded.
4. Use rubber gloves.
5. Ask family members or bystanders to evacuate areas that are being cleaned.
6. Air out the house well during and after the work.
7. Bag and discard moldy items.
8. Dry and dehumidify affected area for two or three days.
9. Remove moldy items as soon as possible to prevent further release of spores.
10. Use non-ammonia soap or detergent, or a commercial cleaner, in hot water, and scrub the entire area that is affected by the mold.
11. Use a stiff brush or cleaning pad on cement-block walls or rough surfaces.
12. Rinse cleaned items and dry thoroughly.

Disinfecting agents can be toxic for humans, not just molds. They should be used only when necessary and should be handled with caution. Disinfectants should only be applied to thoroughly cleaned materials. Do not use disinfectants instead of, or before, cleaning with soap or detergent. When using disinfectants:

1. Allow the disinfectant to remain on the surface for the prescribed time before rinsing.
2. Ventilate work area thoroughly.
3. Make sure the entire surface is wet.
4. Properly dispose of extra disinfectant and runoff.

The cleaned areas should be thoroughly dried and any sponges or rags used to clean the mold should be discarded. The key to mold control is moisture control. Keep the area dry and the humidity level below 45 percent. 

If a water invasion occurs, it is important to eliminate the water source and dry water damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.

If mold returns after a cleanup, it may indicate an undetected problem, such as a leak. If mold contamination is extensive or if the homeowners ever feel unsure of themselves during the cleaning process, a professional abatement company may need to be consulted.

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There are many, many valuable web sites with information about mold assessment and remediation. Simply type in keyword “mold” in any search engine and you’ll receive thousands of replies. Be sure to check the site sponsor(s) for legitimacy (or conflict!), but you will undoubtedly find something viable related to what you’re looking for.

The following is a short list of web-based mold information that we at The HomeTeam have referenced in the past and feel comfortable recommending:

General Information:

www.epa.gov (type “mold” at search queue and several documents will appear)
www.3m.com/market/safety/ohes2/mold/
www.moldsense.com
www.hometest.com
www.kansascity-homeinspections.com

On windows if just the sill and brick mold (the exterior trim on the window) are bad I recommend repairing it. If we find the jambs (the sides that hold the tracks) are starting to go or maybe the sashes (the moving parts of the window) it may be more economical to do a replacement window. Sometimes I suggest a full replacement unit, depending on homeowner preferences and how much longer they will be there.

Homeowners need to be very wary of the repair crew that tells them it’s time to go ahead and just do all the windows now to prevent rot later. I’ve seen cases where the owners were pressured into replacing perfectly good sills and brick molds just to “not have to worry about it later.” With some maintenance those units may have lasted for years.

In our area another very common form of rot has to do with siding. Many homes are to the point now that full replacement is a good idea. However, many homes are going to be fine for years by replacing a few panels and using a band board across the bottom. Each home needs to evaluated to see how extensive the repairs need to be. It’s your wallet so don’t let someone else spend what’s in it.

To prevent future damage to your home keep bushes trimmed so that there is at least 12” between them and the siding. This allows air to flow and dry out moisture. Additionally, anything that rubs on the siding or windows acts like sandpaper and slowly eats away at the structure. Besides, nicely trimmed landscaping creates a great first impression.

Tony Drew
HandyFolks, Inc.
www.handykc.com
913-269-7191