Things are not always as they seem. For example, at an attorney's home in West Palm Beach Florida, an insurance adjuster informed the occupant that the floors were stained and discolored because of humidity, and that the client must be at fault due to not using the AC unit or leaving the doors open. The adjuster wanted to deny payment on the claim based of this. Humidity can cause mold to grow on your clothes,  furniture and walls, but in this inspector's opinion humidity does not cause moisture stains and warping to appear on the floor, especially not in a uniform pattern outlining the floor joists in the crawlspace under the house.
Upon inspection under the house,   the mold inspector found that the water heater was leaking and the water from it was hugging the floor joist and causing the regular patterns and staining on the floor above.  
In addition, small mushrooms sprouting from the walls and ceiling were the result not of humidity but of past AC condensation leaks from above.



Property Address: West Palm Beach
Date: 1-5-06

In regards to visible mold and moisture damage the following was found. Mold and moisture stains as well as spaulding plaster and 3 small dead coprinus mushrooms were observed on walls and ceiling in and around the closet of downstairs office area. This was directly under the air handler near the top of the stairs. You should  have an AC contractor make any required repairs to stop condensation leakage. It may be required to remove the entire condensation drain line for replacement. It appears that a section of the condensation drain line in the wall or floor under the air handler is leaking.

For mold removal remove all wall and ceiling material from the north 1/2 of this closet and from short wall directly north of this closet. Also, remove all floor materials in closet under air handler above this area,  bottom 4 foot of wall material from this same AC closet as well as the floor of this AC closet which was badly water damaged and visually moldy. 

We observed two long narrow sections of water damaged floor about 5 foot apart. These two sections of floor were wood, were warped and also stained with black and red stains. These floors as well as the sub floor under them would have to be removed.

The Insurance adjuster reported that this damage was from humidity. Humidity can cause mold to grow on wood but this was more extensive than what would be expected from humidity alone.

Also, if the moisture damage on the floor was from humidity it would not follow the outline of two support beams as observed on the surface of the floor by this inspector. Humidity would cause problems all over the entire floor. Humidity in this unusual well defined pattern observed would defy logic and science unless temperature differentials in the floor resulted in cooling in specific areas only.

Floor in the water damaged areas were tested with a Ray tec laser thermometer and was found to be the same temp of all other floor areas. It  was nowhere near dewpoint thus there is no reason for humidity to condense in the water damaged areas only. 

This damage was not the result of humidity but was the result of hot water leaking from the water heater's temperature pressure relief valve. Water dripped down and held onto parallel floor joists under the water damaged sections of the floor. Initially this was the inspector's theory when crawl space was not seen, however, later during the inspection confirmation of this condition was observed by the West Palm Beach mold inspector.

At the house's south side wall outside this stained area inspector observed through a small opening in the crawl space water running out of the wall from where the hose bib exits the south wall not far from the pool. This water was not from a leaky hose bib pipe, it was from the water heater's temperature pressure relief valve outlet pipe as it was 132F water, while the wall was only 90F.

Water at this temp can only be from the water heater. Water heater was roughly 6 foot from here, also the water heater was making noise indicative of a water heater pushing hot water from the tpr valve.

Some of the water adheres to two separate support beams that runs parallel to the stains observed and years of experience in attics and crawl spaces shows that clinging onto beams is a very common path for water flow. The water soaks up from the support beams under the sub floor up through the floor via capillary action and the water is running parallel to the support beams which is why the stains are in two long lines and not all over the floors. The stains stop short of the support wall because the wetness on the beams under the house partially stop at the support structure under the support wall.

Water was observed to be coming out of the bottom of the wall in the bathroom near this area. This was the bathroom wall that abuts the exterior.

When an outlet cover plate was removed from this bathroom wall very moist warm air poured out of the wall and the outlet was observed to be very rusty and in need of replacement because of the extensive rust in this outlet. This bathroom wall was wet when tested with a moisture meter.

The water heater producing to much pressure and/ or temperature is a safety concern itself and should be replaced as soon as possible. Also, remember to replace the above mentioned outlet.

The tpr valve line should not stop inside the wall. Discontinue  use of this tpr valve pipe and install a new one that terminates outside the wall.

Wetness on the sub floor inside in the crawl space was more widespread than initially thought and thus if the conditions are not repaired the floors above will receive more damage.

Due to the elevated inner wall spore levels and /or elevated moisture levels confirmed with a moisture meter, this west palm beach mold inspector recommends removal of 12 foot long wall that divides rear TV room from the water heater containing bathroom. The entire south wall of bathroom and entire closet in this area should be included as well.

Perpendicular to the above wall, also remove wall material between a) the TV room window located not far from the TV and remove b) wall material from wall behind bathtub and wall materials from between the two above a) and b) locations.

See interior schematic 2 for details on wall areas in need of removal, the circled areas are walls areas in need of removal.

Remove at a minimum wall material in the circled areas from the floor 4 foot up.

Because of warping, water damage, and staining on the floors, as well as mold and water damage on the bottom side or sub floor observed from the crawl space,  the damaged sections of floor, other areas of the floor that were not damaged would also have to be removed and replace to match areas that were damaged. 

Note that the house and floors were well maintained overall and not neglected. Humidity levels in the house were not elevated. Water from the above mentioned AC and from the water heaters leaky temperature pressure relief valve piping both simply caused hidden water damage and mold.

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