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Preventing Mold, Water Leaks and Water Intrusion

Other than just having a high humidity level in the home (because you have a humid climate), water leaks and water intrusion into the home or building is the most common reason for toxic black mold problem.

Below are types of water leaks and places where unwanted water can enter the home, and ways to avoid these types of water intrusion problems.

Leaking or Busted Pipes:

Condensation or rusting on or around a pipe is a sign of a leak. Covering cold surfaces, such as cold water drain pipes, with insulation helps to prevent condensation.

The most difficult part of preventing leaking pipes is determining whether or not they are leaking in the first place, since they are normally concealed from view. 

These are signs that you have a leak or busted pipe:

• You can hear running water sounds when nothing is turned on.
• Musty odors that seem to originate from walls or floors.
• Running toilets and dripping faucets.
• Abnormally high water bills.
• A water meter reading that changes when you aren’t using any water for an hour.
• Discolored or damaged walls.
• A cracked or damp foundation or slab.
• Warm spots on concrete slab floors, mildew, or excess moisture under carpets.
• Regular sewer backups.
• Areas in the yard that are too wet and with unusual plant or grass growth.

Foundation:

To prevent water from collecting around the foundation, and seeping up through the walls, make sure the ground slopes away from the foundation.

Here are some additional tips in preventing water seepage through the foundation:

1. 1. Ensure the floor is well ventilated and walls are properly sealed against moisture entry. Polythene put over damp ground can help prevent dampness rising into the house.
2. 2. Insulate your home properly. In the winter, insulated ceilings, walls and floors have temperatures similar to those of the warmer air inside the home, therefore condensation is less likely to form.
3. 3. Prevent rising damp from entering a foundation wall by improving your home’s perimeter drainage. Direct all surface rainwater away from the home through drainpipes, culverts, French drains, etc.
4. 4. If no other methods are feasible, a last resort would be to install either a physical or chemical horizontal damp-proof course.

Roof:

1. 1. Ways to Inspect for a Roof Leak.
2. A common cause of leaks is from cracked or damaged chimneys. Look for loose brick, cracked mortar joints, and a solid metal or concrete cap on top.
3. Look for water stains on the inside ceiling, and on the beams in an attic.  Beams that have been exposed to water will become weakened and cause a sag in the roof.
4. Look for any visible damage such as cracks, tears, splits. These will most likely lead to leaking.
5. Closely inspect all roof penetrations (i.e. skylights, chimneys, vents, etc). Look for signs that the cement is separating from the surface, especially at a vertical penetration of the roof.
6. Check areas where different materials meet such as metal to brick, shingles to metal, etc. These surfaces expand and contract at varying rates and will pull away from each other. Make sure the seals between materials are tight, not loose.
7. You can attempt to find a leak from the inside by using a flashlight and tracing the leak uphill.
8. 2. How to Protect/Maintain the Roof.
9. Inspect your roof at least twice a year. Especially proceeding harsh weather conditions and between seasons.
10. Roofs will weather under the heat/sunlight. It can essentially be “baked” and become dry and brittle (alligatoring), hence it is more likely to split and eventually leak.  Metal components of the roof can rust and corrode, and asphalt-based plastic cement used for seals around pipes, vents, and other penetrations may deteriorate over time and leak. You can apply a coating to some roofs to create a layer of waterproof protection.

3. Ice Dams and Leaks.

1. Leaks caused by ice dams occur when warm, heated air from the home begins to migrate through the insulation and into the attic area of the house. Without proper ventilation, this warm air collects in the attic area and may warm the underside of the roof decking.

Cold outside temperatures keep the top outside layer of moisture frozen and the warm decking melts the bottom layer of ice turning into liquid water. This water will run down the shingles until it meets the "dam" at the gutter line. With no escape route, the water pools, then backs up underneath the shingles and enters the attic area through nail holes and seams in the roof decking

4. Ways to Minimize the Occurrence of Ice Dams.  

1. Keep the attic adequately insulated.
2. Do not cover the attic soffit air intake vents with insulation (add these to your home if you don’t have any).
3. Ensure attic has sufficient air exhaust outlets and airflow is distributed evenly throughout the attic (peak mounted ridgevents maximize air flow).
4. An ice and water shield can be installed at the eaves of the home and under the shingles to prevent water from entering the home.
5. Install electric heat tapes in the gutter system.

Windows:

Condensation on or around the window is the sign of a excessive moisture. If this is happening, use a sealant around the window to make sure that it is completely air tight.

Walls:

Taking measures to reduce water leakage through the roof, leaky pipes, and the foundation (see above for each of these), as well as through the gutters (below) will go a long way in keeping the walls from collecting too much moisture.

In addition to this, make sure that the air pressure is not too high on the positive side (see Ventilation tips below). However, you do want the air pressure inside to be slightly positive.

Also, make sure that the relative humidity level is below 55% to prevent your walls from taking in too much moisture. Use dehumidifiers if necessary.

Gutters:

Clogged or faulty rain gutters can cause excessive water leakage through the walls, roof, and foundation of the home. You can clean your rain gutters with a light broom, a garden hose with a controllable-spray nozzle, or by using one of many gutter-cleaning devices on the market.

Adding perforated covers over your rain gutters will cut down on the frequency of cleaning. Rainwater and some dirt/small debris can permeate the cover but large debris, such as large leaves and twigs, cannot. These covers can typically be found in a local hardware store for only a couple of dollars for about every 4-feet of length.

Make sure your gutters' downspouts are properly cleaned too. Spray water into the gutter or the top of the downspout to ensure it drains freely and with no obstructions. Water must also be diverted away from your home's foundation. 

If you don't have a spout going directly into a drain system in your yard and toward the street or a drainage basin, use splash blocks. These relatively small devices will channel the water from your downspout and away from your home and only cost a couple of dollars.