Efflorrescence

[Jeffery L. Haynes]

Did an inspection and came across efflorescence that normally I would discount however the pattern was slightly odd....... made mental note and found this...

[Buck Hartley, CMI]

Good find!! Where goes the water coming from?

[Marcel Gratton]

Sill plates below ground, so much for I-Joists not rotting...

[Christopher Currins]

Where's the weeps?

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by mgratton

Sill plates below ground, so much for I-Joists not rotting...

Marcel in the picture it looks like the sill plate is in line with the top of one of those crawl vents and the brick looks like veneer.
Was it flashed and weeped?

[Jeffery L. Haynes]

I was called to do an investigative from drywall cracking and baseboard being slightly displaced. I met the plumber and builder at the site to discuss same.

Bob is correct about the sill plate and weeps, both are fine. The crawlspace itself is in good condition with little to no moisture intrusion.


Damage includes:
6 feet of Timberstand bandjoist rotted through
3 - 10' I-joist have to be replaced
1 - 10' Microlam has to be replaced
25 square of 3/4 OSB has to be replaced
16 sf of Insulation has to be replaced
(To do the job correctly the exterior brick veneer will have to partially be removed)

From what I have seen so far there is over $8 - 10,000.00 worth of repairs to be made, possibly more.

The culprit was a marble shower base that had a small 2 inch hair line crack that could hardly be seen. The plumber originally told the home owner and builder that it would be best to install a custom shower bed instead of a 5x5 culture marble base that simply sits on the OSB floor however they both felt that the marble was not only a better choice but cheaper as well.

Most marble manufacturer will take a 12" piece of fiberglass matting to use as a form and lip when pouring their bases and while this is fine for the walls, the problem (as the plumber knows) occurs when the marble base incurs small fissures around the drain hole. Since there is no liner under the base the results are as pictured which often go undetected.

The other problem that I noticed was that the load bearing microlam was installed over a foundation vent.... no support under same which counted for the trimboard displacement and drywall cracks.

The problem the home owner may run into is that many insurance companies will disclaim the structural damage because of the length of time involved...... it took at least 6 years for the subfloor to get to this condition.

The company that installed the culture marble is out of business... which is another reason insurance companies are disclaiming so many issues....... they have no recourse themselves.

[Bob Elliott]

I am surprised you were able to catch the hairline cracks in marble.
Good job.

Do not see the drain pipes ,in the picture of course.

[Jeffery L. Haynes]

Whenever I inspect a shower stall I let the water run for quite a while.... I actually turn on all the fixtures while I am under the house..... its amazing how many have small leaks that add up after awhile.....such was the case with the shower stall.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

I use one of these and have found several leaking showers.



http://www.professionalequipment.com...g-accessories/

[Jeffery L. Haynes]

Yeah, I have seen them.... however I like the shower (and other fixtures) to run so that I can also check for any leaks coming around the pipe connections themselves.

I am also leary about plugging a drain being that if I get distracted and forget to turn the water off then I am screwed.

Spoke with the owner yesterday.... the insurance company will pay to replace the shower stall but not the structural damages...... needless to say he is livid.

I advised him to pull out his policy and have them show him in black and white where they are not responsible. They said that any leak over 13 days old they don't have to pay for...............I think they are blowing smoke myself.

Nationwide is not on your side.........

Jeff

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by jhaynes

Yeah, I have seen them.... however I like the shower (and other fixtures) to run so that I can also check for any leaks coming around the pipe connections themselves.

I am also leary about plugging a drain being that if I get distracted and forget to turn the water off then I am screwed.

Spoke with the owner yesterday.... the insurance company will pay to replace the shower stall but not the structural damages...... needless to say he is livid.

I advised him to pull out his policy and have them show him in black and white where they are not responsible. They said that any leak over 13 days old they don't have to pay for...............I think they are blowing smoke myself.

Nationwide is not on your side.........

Jeff

His drain stopper has a hole in the middle to let water drain at the height of the mouth opening.
Pricey for a piece of rubber.
I could just make one with silicone.

[Nick Gromicko]

http://www.nachi.org/efflorescence.htm