How to Diagnose Indoor Carpeting & Rug Stains Due To Building Air Leaks, Water Leaks, Mold, Pets, Other Sources
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Diagnose carpet stains from air leaks, water leaks, mold growth, pets, foot traffic, or thermal tracking
What causes those dark stains on building interior carpets along the walls? Photos & text identify thermal tracking, thermal bridging, air bypass, insulation defects and air movement in buildings
Questions & answers about the causes and diagnosis of all kinds of stains & marks on indoor carpets & rugs

This article describes how to identify and diagnose carpeting stains at the edge of carpets near walls in buildings focusing on the cause of various interior wall and ceiling stains and explains how to recognize thermal tracking, thermal bridging stains, building air leaks, and building insulation defects.

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Stains & Marks on Floor Carpeting - a Diagnostic Guide

Often dark rug or carpet stains are mistaken for toxic indoor mold - but they may not be mold at all. Our page top photo shows stains on carpeting left when a storage cabinet was moved. Further inspection for water damage, leaks, and mold would be appropriate if you see marks like this. Some common sources of carpet stains include:

Soiling from normal use including foot traffic
Spilled food or drinks
Pets: urine, poop, or just oil and dirt where pets spend time
Thermal tracking & dust deposition
Shading differences from variations in exposure to sunlight

See STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS and STAINS on buildings - QUICK GUIDE and STAINS on INDOOR SURFACES: PHOTO GUIDE as well as THERMAL TRACKING & THERMAL BRIDGING. See Black stains from animals for details about pet stains on building floors (urine) and walls (various) and see Pet Stains on Walls for diagnosing stains such as the black marks left by pets on walls. Readers should also see STAINS on Indoor Surfaces: PHOTO GUIDE and for outdoor stains, see STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS

To track down and fix thermal-tracking related stains (THERMAL TRACKING & THERMAL BRIDGING) readers should also see HEAT LOSS in buildings. Also see AIR SEALING STRATEGIES and AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS as well as AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION. For photos of snow melt on rooftops that also show points of building heat transfer and loss, see STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS.

Building Air Leaks & Thermal Tracking Marks on Floor Carpeting Near Walls

Stained carpet due to thermal effects (C) Daniel Friedman

Carpeting Stains along the wall/floor juncture: Alan Carson, a home inspection educator and researcher, has pointed out that we often see dark marks at the edge of floor carpeting where it touches or is close to wall baseboard. These marks are likely to be most severe where the carpet meets exterior walls.

These carpet stains at walls occur most often on the lower floors where we get infiltration (air moving in to the building space) from the basement or crawl space below. It is the counterbalance to the exfiltration (air moving out of the building space) issues found at the attic level.

As outdoor, basement, or crawl space air leaks into the building around wall-floor intersections, the edge of the carpet acts like a filter and collects dirt from the air leaking in.

These carpet stains are not mold: Some people mistake these "carpet edge stains" for toxic "black mold". If the carpet stains are pretty much continuous along the floor/wall juncture of carpeting and not elsewhere, and particularly if they do not appear elsewhere and are not related to other building water leaks, it is not very likely that these stains are mold.

About these photographs of carpet stains: Thermal tracking or "soot tracking" is visible along the wall baseboard in the photograph at page top - notice that gray line about an inch wide along the carpet where it meets the wall?

The more ugly dark brown stains at right angles to the wall are not thermal tracking but indicate that this floor was wet, causing rust or bleeding from a cabinet which had been placed in this location. This photo is therefore interesting (if a bit confusing) because it shows two different types of carpet staining.

High indoor humidity: If indoor humidity is excessive (say regularly over 50 or 55% RH) we may be encouraging mold growth in a building or we may be inviting excessive levels of dust mite activity which in turn increases the level of allergens in the building.

Usually soot marks, thermal bridging, or thermal tracking stains appear, if at all, in the building interior locations discussed in the remaining sections of this article.

Question: What Should We Do About Dark Black Shadows on Carpeting Around Walls or Furniture?

Black stains on carpet at walls (C) Daniel Friedman JB

We have a problem that none of our local "experts" (builder, carpet cleaner, pest guy) have any idea about or have ever seen. It presents as dark/black shadows around walls or an object that has laid on the carpet floor for awhile (months).

Our HVAC filters get black in It is very hard to get up. It is like something embedded in the carpet fiber. It occurs more upstairs than down.

The house is 4 years old, no pets, two adults, no smoking, in a new development in inland South Carolina, no apparent moisture problems, heat pump upstairs, gas down. [Photo at left].

We need advice on what to do. - J. B.

Reply: Decide if the Stains are Abnormal, Identify Probable Particle or Debris Sources, Correct the Source, Clean the Carpets

The fact that the dark stain is in such a straight line suggests that furniture or something else placed along the wall was protecting the "clean" area of carpeting from airborne soot or debris deposits, just as you suspect.

Start by taking a look at the common indoor stain types and sources we describe at STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS - that might explain what you're seeing on your floors. It's useful to make a distinction between dark stains that occur on carpets, floors, walls, ceilings due to deposition of ordinary house dust due to thermal tracking (THERMAL TRACKING & THERMAL BRIDGING) and stains that come from an abnormal or avoidable or even a potentially unsafe source such as gas fired heating equipment that is not working properly, leaks, or mold.

Also, from your description I wonder if you have a soot source - is your heating system oil-fired? Or worse, if it's gas fired and making soot that's very dangerous and needs immediate attention.

Watch out: soot produced from gas fired heating equipment of any kind is potentially very dangerous, even fatal, as it's a symptom of improper operation and possible carbon monoxide production.

Next Step: Initial Theory of Where the Soot Stains are Coming From: Ventless Fireplace

Here's our theory: The "dust" is soot from the gas pilot light in the downstairs ventless fireplace. It has been on since November. Off for a week. I have a filter element, installed in November, from the downstairs AprilAire that is black. The downstairs heat is gas - checked out OK last week.

Upstairs HVAC is a heat pump, also checked OK. Upstairs is little used, the heat/fan is normally off. House has always been dusty, not this black color. The soot floats upstairs and is conveyed down to the carpet by local downdrafts, against the cooler walls.

Anything in the way creates unusual patterns. Inside surface of all windows in house - black when cleaned. Outside not, garage not.

Does that theory make sense? How do we prove it? Should I send samples? If so, what's the procedure, how many, from where, cost?

Most important, how do we clean? A paid attempt, local ChemDry franchise, had never seen anything like it, wasn't sure that they could get it all out - didn't.

Reply: Correct apparent soot sources, check for other unsafe soot sources, clean, monitor

Your theory sounds plausible though without the benefit of expert onsite inspection of course one can only speculate.

Black looking carpet stains can be comprised entirely of house dust, or if as you may have done, you can find a source of soot, that is a likely particle source.

Part of understanding carpet "soot" stain diagnosis is the determination and interpretation of the stain location, pattern, and even time of appearance.

For example, if the stain appears only at the perimeter of building exterior walls we pose that that may be due to lower temperatures at the floor/wall juncture or even air leaks there.

I also agree with you that cooler exterior walls can cause downwards air movement in that location, depositing building dust or soot along the wall/floor juncture.

Other dark carpet stains such as in your photos can track to the location of furniture that has protected the not-stain area from particle settlement. Often we find darker carpet stains behind furnishings than in the occupied and walked-on space, perhaps also because those areas are less easily and less often reached for cleaning.

But your discovery of sooting at the gas pilot light on the ventless fireplace that has been sooting since November sounds to me like a good guess at a source of extra soot particles in the home, and your observation of a sooty deposit on windows supports that view too.

Set Priorities of Attention: Safety First

In terms of priority of attention and action, any gas appliance that is producing soot is potentially a dangerous carbon monoxide or combustible gas leak. So a first priority (after simply turning off the gas to the ventless fireplace) is to have that system examined and repaired to a safe condition. I doubt that soot production is normal. (Carbon Monoxide Gas)

Is Carpet Stain Testing Appropriate?

While it is possible to collect suspect particles such as black carpet debris by using a vacuum-operated sampling cassette or even by careful use of clear adhesive tape (discussed at CARPET & other STAIN TESTS and CARPET TEST PROCEDURE ), and while that same tape approach can be used for window surface debris, in my OPINION testing may not be warranted.

While particle identification would certainly be technically interesting (and a forensic lab fee may be as little as $50 or $100), even if a significant component of the dark carpet stain particles are identified as soot, we should not assume that the source you found is the only or most important one - not before performing a more thorough inspection of the building and its mechanical systems. In other words, while we love particle testing and identification (I operate a forensic microscopy particle identification lab), you should not use a test or two as a substitute for a thoughtful inspection of the building. (It took thought to track down that fireplace as a soot source.)

What to Try Now

If you agree that lab testing is not really necessary, you might prefer to spend your money and energy on

I'm not sure just what process the local carpet cleaner used, but I agree that if it was ineffective, you need to try something else. Sometimes we find that a stain that is very resistant to one approach is removed easily by another. A client spent a large effort using solvents to try to remove some brown goop that we thought was tile mastic. When she tried using plain water the goop came up easily - it was water soluble but was resistant to other solvents.

Cleaning of the carpeting: you may need to hire a carpet cleaning service that uses steam or even a rug shampoo and water extraction procedure. I'd avoid really wet carpet shampooing or any process that soaks or wets wall to wall carpeting if possible. Discuss the suspected type of stain and what was tried before with your new carpet cleaner in deciding what cleaning process is necessary.

Inspecting all other gas-burning appliances in the building to be sure that they are operating safely and properly

I'm not sure what portable air cleaner model you have been using but our experience is that while a portable air cleaner will remove some indoor air particles, there is no evidence that those devices move and process enough air to remove high levels of airborne particles throughout a building. However, if your home has central air heating and/or air conditioning, check and maintain your air filters - see AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS.

If the sooting is from a problem source and not simply the common room perimeter carpet staining that occurs in buildings due to air movement, cooler wall/floor junctions and normal house dust deposition, and if you clean the carpets and fix the soot or debris sources you can find by inspection, there's a good chance that the problem will not recur. If unusual carpet sooting stains recur, then further inspection and perhaps even testing would be appropriate.

Photographs & Diagnosis of Thermal Tracking and Other Stains on Carpeting

Carpets in a building are sometimes stained right along the building wall, particularly but not only at the exterior walls. Air leaks at the wall/floor juncture can occur due to building movement or simply sloppy original construction.

Air moving upwards through the building (due to upwards air convection currents) may draw incoming air at the wall/floor gap or cracks, thereby depositing dust and debris at that location. The result is a dark stain at the edges of carpeting along the building walls. Details about thermal tracking or "ghosting" are at THERMAL TRACKING & THERMAL BRIDGING.

Carpet stains at edges of or under furniture: Similar carpet stains due to air movement, possibly exacerbated by higher moisture where there is less air circulation, may occur under couches or other furniture whose skirts or other construction details interfere with air movement, causing a lower temperature (and possibly slightly higher moisture condensation) in those areas.

In our photo at left you can see the mark from a couch foot near the right side of the photo, cleaner carpet exposed below a floor runner, and darker stained carpeting that developed below this piece of furniture.

Blotchy carpet stains: When the furniture is moved the differences in carpet color or actual carpeting soiling and stains may be very obvious, especially where a couch skirt was in place.

Occasionally we also see more blotchy carpet stains with sharply defined edges where a spill has occurred or where a partial attempt was made to "wash" an area where thermal staining had previously occurred.

In this photo at right side a vertical dark line probably marks where a couch or chair skirt was in place.

Mold Stains on Carpeting

If you see carpet stains of any color, black, brown, green, yellow, in areas where there may have been water leaks from any source, you should suspect a mold growth problem, and further investigation of the carpet, the padding below the carpet, and the subfloor below that are all in order.

Mold stains on carpeting such as those in our photo at left are discussed in more detail at CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION.

More photographs of thermal tracking and other stains on carpeting can be seen at PHOTO GUIDE TO STAINS on Indoor Surfaces

We welcome more thermal tracking, soot tracking, air bypass leaks, and similar photos of indoor stains as well as text suggestions to expand this detail and would be glad to credit contributors.

Other Causes of Carpet Stains & Marks

Carpet Surface Staining from Air Movement, Leaks, Moisture

Skipping for now stains on carpeting that are due to spills of food, drink, or other stuff, and skipping pet stains from "accidents" on the rug by your dog, cat, or other pets, there are several common sources of carpeting stains and marks worth recognizing as they can tell us something about building conditions that may need attention.

Carpet stains from thermal tracking, air leaks, or areas of higher moisture that cause collection of house dust, candle or fireplace soot, heating system soot, may appear out of the normal walking-traffic areas.

If there are air supply registers in or near floors, air movement from the HVAC system may also deposit dust that appears as sooty stains around and close to the register.

Black or dark sooty stains on carpeting can appear from foot traffic but those marks will appear in the main walking path through a carpeted room.

Watch out: thermal-tracking-like stains on carpeting also appear along building exterior walls where there are air leaks, and may also appear as black streaks or smudges. See THERMAL TRACKING & THERMAL BRIDGING.

Questions & Answers regarding this article

Questions & answers about the causes and diagnosis of all kinds of stains & marks on indoor carpets & rugs.

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Thanks to Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for technical critique and content suggestions regarding thermal tracking.

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CARPET STAIN DIAGNOSIS
CARPET & other STAIN TESTS
CARPET TEST PROCEDURE

STAIN & BIODETERIORATION AGENT CATALOG
STAINS on buildings - QUICK GUIDE
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS
STAINS on/near CHIMNEYS
STAINS & FINISHES, INTERIOR
STAINS on INDOOR SURFACES: PHOTO GUIDE
STAINS & Thermal Tracking
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on ROOFS
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on STONE

'THERMAL TRACKING

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop. The Home Reference Book is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. InspectAPedia.com ^® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.

"The Elimination of Unsafe Guardrails, a Progress Report," Elliott O. Stephenson, Building Standards, March-April 1993
"Are Functional Handrails Within Our Grasp" Jake Pauls, Building Standards, January-February 1991
Access Ramp building codes:
- UBC 1003.3.4.3
- BOCA 1016.3
- ADA 4.8.2
- IBC 1010.2
Access Ramp Standards:
- ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), Public Law 101-336. 7/26/90 is very often cited by other sources for good design of stairs and ramps etc. even where disabled individuals are not the design target.
- ANSI A117.4 Accessible and Usable buildings and Facilities (earlier version was incorporated into the ADA)
- ASTM F 1637, Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces, (Similar to the above standards)
America's Favorite Homes, mail-order catalogues as a guide to popular early 20th-century houses, Robert Schweitzer, Michael W.R. Davis, 1990, Wayne State University Press ISBN 0814320066 (may be available from Wayne State University Press)
American Plywood Association, APA, "Portland Manufacturing Company, No. 1, a series of monographs on the history of plywood manufacturing",Plywood Pioneers Association, 31 March, 1967, www.apawood.org
Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
Asbestos: How to find and recognize asbestos in buildings - visual inspection methods, list of common asbestos-containing materials
Asbestos HVAC Ducts and Flues field identification photos and guide
Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print).
Asbestos Identification and Testing References

Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone

ASHRAE resource on dew point and wall condensation - see the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook, available in many libraries. The following three ASHRAE Handbooks are also available at the InspectAPedia bookstore in the third page of our Insulate-Ventilate section:
- 2005 ASHRAE Handbook : Fundamentals : Inch-Pound Edition (2005 ASHRAE HANDBOOK : Fundamentals : I-P Edition) (Hardcover), Thomas H. Kuehn (Contributor), R. J. Couvillion (Contributor), John W. Coleman (Contributor), Narasipur Suryanarayana (Contributor), Zahid Ayub (Contributor), Robert Parsons (Author), ISBN-10: 1931862702 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862707
- 2004 ASHRAE Handbook : Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning: Systems and Equipment : Inch-Pound Edition (2004 ASHRAE Handbook : HVAC Systems and Equipment : I-P Edition) (Hardcover)
  by American Society of Heating, ISBN-10: 1931862478 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862479
  "2004 ASHRAE Handbook - HVAC Systems and Equipment The 2004 ASHRAE HandbookHVAC Systems and Equipment discusses various common systems and the equipment (components or assemblies) that comprise them, and describes features and differences. This information helps system designers and operators in selecting and using equipment. Major sections include Air-Conditioning and Heating Systems (chapters on system analysis and selection, air distribution, in-room terminal systems, centralized and decentralized systems, heat pumps, panel heating and cooling, cogeneration and engine-driven systems, heat recovery, steam and hydronic systems, district systems, small forced-air systems, infrared radiant heating, and water heating); Air-Handling Equipment (chapters on duct construction, air distribution, fans, coils, evaporative air-coolers, humidifiers, mechanical and desiccant dehumidification, air cleaners, industrial gas cleaning and air pollution control); Heating Equipment (chapters on automatic fuel-burning equipment, boilers, furnaces, in-space heaters, chimneys and flue vent systems, unit heaters, makeup air units, radiators, and solar equipment); General Components (chapters on compressors, condensers, cooling towers, liquid coolers, liquid-chilling systems, centrifugal pumps, motors and drives, pipes and fittings, valves, heat exchangers, and energy recovery equipment); and Unitary Equipment (chapters on air conditioners and heat pumps, room air conditioners and packaged terminal equipment, and a new chapter on mechanical dehumidifiers and heat pipes)."
- 1996 Ashrae Handbook Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning Systems and Equipment: Inch-Pound Edition (Hardcover), ISBN-10: 1883413346 or ISBN-13: 978-1883413347 ,
  "The 1996 HVAC Systems and Equipment Handbook is the result of ASHRAE's continuing effort to update, expand and reorganize the Handbook Series. Over a third of the book has been revised and augmented with new chapters on hydronic heating and cooling systems design; fans; unit ventilator; unit heaters; and makeup air units. Extensive changes have been added to chapters on panel heating and cooling; cogeneration systems and engine and turbine drives; applied heat pump and heat recovery systems; humidifiers; desiccant dehumidification and pressure drying equipment, air-heating coils; chimney, gas vent, fireplace systems; cooling towers; centrifugal pumps; and air-to-air energy recovery. Separate I-P and SI editions."
- Principles of Heating, Ventilating, And Air Conditioning: A textbook with Design Data Based on 2005 AShrae Handbook - Fundamentals (Hardcover), Harry J., Jr. Sauer (Author), Ronald H. Howell, ISBN-10: 1931862923 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862929
- 1993 ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals (Hardcover), ISBN-10: 0910110964 or ISBN-13: 978-091011096
Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
Decks and Porches, the JLC Guide to, Best Practices for Outdoor Spaces, Steve Bliss (Editor), The Journal of Light Construction, Williston VT, 2010 ISBN 10: 1-928580-42-4, ISBN 13: 978-1-928580-42-3, available from Amazon.com
Brick nogging used as soundproofing is mentioned in this article on Popular Forest
Brick Nogging, Historical Investigation and Contemporary Repair, Construction Specifier, April 2006. Historical use of brick in timber-framed buildings, drawing on the investigations of the Kent Tavern in Calais, VT. "Brick nogging is a European method of construction which was brought to the new world in the early-nineteenth century. It was a common construction method that employed masonry as infill between the vertical uprights of wood framing." -- quoting the web article review.
Photo of very rough in-wall brick nogging at an architects website
Building Research Council, BRC, nee Small Homes Council, SHC, School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, brc.arch.uiuc.edu. "The Small Homes Council (our original name) was organized in 1944 during the war at the request of the President of the University of Illinois to consider the role of the university in meeting the demand for housing in the United States. Soldiers would be coming home after the war and would be needing good low-cost housing. ... In 1993, the Council became part of the School of Architecture, and since then has been known as the School of Architecture-Building Research Council. ... The Council's researchers answered many critical questions that would affect the quality of the nation's housing stock.
- How could homes be designed and built more efficiently?
- What kinds of construction and production techniques worked well and which did not?
- How did people use different kinds of spaces in their homes?
- What roles did community planning, zoning, and interior design play in how neighborhoods worked
The Circular Staircase, Mary Roberts Rinehart
Construction Drawings and Details, Rosemary Kilmer
"An Example of Colonial Paneling", Norman Morrison Isham, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol. 6, No. 5 (May, 1911), pp. 112-116, available by JSTOR.
Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack: the lower floors of this building contained spray-on fire-proofing asbestos materials.
Energy Savers: Whole House Systems Approach to Energy Efficient Home Design [copy on file as /interiors/Whole_House_Energy_Efficiency_DOE.pdf ] - U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Whole-House Supply Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Whole-House_Supply_Vent.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11880?print
"Energy Savers: Whole-House Exhaust Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Whole-House_Exhaust.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11870
"Energy Savers: Ventilation [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Ventilation.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Natural Ventilation [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Natural_Ventilation.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Energy Recovery Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Energy_Recovery_Venting.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11900
"Energy Savers: Detecting Air Leaks [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Detect_Air_Leaks.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Air Sealing [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Air_Sealing_1.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
Falls and Related Injuries: Slips, Trips, Missteps, and Their Consequences, Lawyers & Judges Publishing, (June 2002), ISBN-10: 0913875430 ISBN-13: 978-0913875438
"Falls in the home and public places are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States, but are overlooked in most literature. This book is unique in that it is entirely devoted to falls. Of use to primary care physicians, nurses, insurance adjusters, architects, writers of building codes, attorneys, or anyone who cares for the elderly, this book will tell you how, why, and when people will likely fall, what most likely will be injured, and how such injuries come about. "
Fiberglass: Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Health Concerns About Airborne Fiberglass: Fiberglass in Indoor Air from HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
Humidity: What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
Ice Dam Leaks in building attics and roof cavities, how to inspect for evidence of leaks, identify causes, and correct bad attic ventilation, improper roof venting, and these causes of attic mold or roof structure damage
"Insulation: Adding Insulation to an Existing Home," U.S. Department of Energy - tips on how to do your own check for the presence of absence of insulation in a home
Insulation: Selecting Insulation for New Home Construction, U.S. Department of Energy - "Your state and local building codes probably include minimum insulation requirements, but to build an energy-efficient home, you may need or want to exceed them. For maximum energy efficiency, you should also consider the interaction between the insulation and other building components. This is called the whole-house systems design approach."
Insulation Types, table of common building insulation properties from U.S. DOE. Readers should see INSULATION R-Values & Properties our own table of insulation properties that includes links to articles describing each insulation material in more detail.
Lighting, proper use of: proper aiming of a good flashlight can disclose hard to see but toxic light or white mold colonies on walls.
Mobile Home Inspections common defects unique to factory built housing, inspection methods
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST (nee National Bureau of Standards NBS) is a US government agency - see www.nist.gov
- "A Parametric Study of Wall Moisture Contents Using a Revised Variable Indoor Relative Humidity Version of the "Moist" Transient Heat and Moisture Transfer Model [copy on file as/interiors/MOIST_Model_NIST_b95074.pdf ] - ", George Tsongas, Doug Burch, Carolyn Roos, Malcom Cunningham; this paper describes software and the prediction of wall moisture contents. - PDF Document from NIS
Nogging: See this photo of exposed bricks on a building exterior on a building exterior in Canada. [Thanks to Carson Dunlop, Toronto - see References below].
Pergo AB, division of Perstorp AB, is a Swedish manufacturer or modern laminate flooring products. Information about the U.S. company can be found at http://www.pergo.com where we obtained historical data used in our discussion of the age of flooring materials in buildings.
Piquet Wall Construction: See this photo of piquet wall construction - involving timber-framed wall construction with long top girts, diagonal timber bracing, and small diameter logs placed vertically along with concrete chinking to fill in the wall plane.
Plank House Construction: weblog from plankhouse.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/plank-house-construction/ and where plank houses were built by native Americans, see
Large 1:6 Scale Plank House Construction / P8094228, Photographer: Mike Meuser
06/12/2007 documented at yurokplankhouse.com where scale model Museum quality Yurok Plank Houses are being sold to raise money for the Blue Creek - Ah Pah Traditional Yurok Village project.
Re-Bath, tub lining products is a bath tub relining manufacturer and distributor located in Tempe, Arizona - see rebath.com
Rubblestone Wall Filler: See this Lartigue House using exterior-exposed rubblestone filler between vertical timbers of a post and beam-framed Canadian building.
Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Second Edition, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen,A. S. Hyde, Jon R. Abele, ISBN-13: 978-1-933264-01-1 or ISBN 10: 1-933264-01-2, available from the publisher, Lawyers ^ Judges Publishing Company,Inc., www.lawyersandjudges.com sales@lawyersandjudges.com and also from the InspectAPedia Bookstore (Amazon.com)
The Stairway Manufacturers' Association, (877) 500-5759, provides a pictorial guide to the stair and railing portion of the International Residential Code. [copy on file as http://www.stairways.org/pdf/2006%20Stair%20IRC%20SCREEN.pdf ] -
What Mold and Allergens Look Like: mold identification photos to help identify mold - choosing what to sample in buildings
How to Clean Moldy Wood Framing & Sheathing How to clean/seal mold from/on exposed lumber or plywood subfloor or roof sheathing indoors - some suggestions based on our field and laboratory research
Lighting, proper use of: proper aiming of a good flashlight can disclose hard to see but toxic light or white mold colonies on walls.
Manufactured & Modular Homes: Modular Building Systems Association, MBSA, modularhousing.com, is a trade association promoting and providing links to contact modular builders in North America. Also see the Manufactured Home Owners Association, MHOAA, at www.mhoaa.us. The Manufactured Home Owners Association of America is a National Organization dedicated to the protection of the rights of all people living in Manufactured Housing in the United States.
Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens.
How to Find and Test For Mold in buildings A "how to" photo and text primer on finding and choosing the right spots to test for mold in buildings
Stuff that is not mold but is often mistaken for it - things you may not want to test. Also, not all "black mold" is toxic - here are examples of harmless black mold.
Simple Adhesive Tape Sampling of Moldy Surfaces - how to send a mold sample to our lab
Mold Sampling Methods in the Indoor Environment - In-depth article: detailed critique of popular mold testing methods - Is your mold test kit worth the bother?
Mold-Resistant Building Practices, advice from an expert on how to prevent mold after a building flood and how to prevent mold growth in buildings by selection of building materials and by anti-mold construction details.
Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen, Jon R. Abele, Alvin S. Hyde, Cindy A. LaRue, Lawyers and Judges Publishing; ISBN-10: 1933264012 ISBN-13: 978-1933264011
Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Second Edition, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen,A. S. Hyde, Jon R. Abele, ISBN-13: 978-1-933264-01-1 or ISBN 10: 1-933264-01-2, available from the publisher, Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company,Inc., www.lawyersandjudges.com sales@lawyersandjudges.com and also from the InspectAPedia Bookstore (Amazon.com)
Steps and Stairways, Cleo Baldon & Ib Melchior, Rizzoli, 1989.
The Staircase, Ann Rinaldi
Common Sense Stairbuilding and Handrailing, Fred T. Hodgson
The Art of Staircases, Pilar Chueca
Building Stairs, by pros for pros, Andy Engel
A Simplified Guide to Custom Stairbuilding, George R. Christina
Basic Stairbuilding, Scott Schuttner
The Staircase (two volumes), John Templar, Cambridge: the MIT Press, 1992
The Staircase: History and Theories, John Templar, MIT Press 1995
Steps and Stairways, Cleo Baldon & Ib Melchior, Rizzoli, 1989.
"The Dimensions of Stairs", J. M. Fitch et al., Scientific American, October 1974.
"The Elimination of Unsafe Guardrails, a Progress Report," Elliott O. Stephenson, Building Standards, March-April 1993
"Are Functional Handrails Within Our Grasp" Jake Pauls, Building Standards, January-February 1991
"Weather-Resistive Barriers [copy on file as /interiors/Weather_Resistant_Barriers_DOE.pdf ] - ", how to select and install housewrap and other types of weather resistive barriers, U.S. DOE
Weaver: Beaver Board and Upson Board: Beaver Board and Upson Board: History and Conservation of Early Wallboard, Shelby Weaver, APT Bulletin, Vol. 28, No. 2/3 (1997), pp. 71-78, Association for Preservation Technology International (APT), available online at JSTOR.
What Style Is It?: A Guide to American Architecture, Rev., John C. Poppeliers, S. Allen Chambers, Wiley; Rev Sub edition (October 6, 2003), ISBN-10: 0471250368, ISBN-13: 978-0471250364
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Stains & Marks on Floor Carpeting - a Diagnostic Guide

Building Air Leaks & Thermal Tracking Marks on Floor Carpeting Near Walls

Question: What Should We Do About Dark Black Shadows on Carpeting Around Walls or Furniture?

Reply: Decide if the Stains are Abnormal, Identify Probable Particle or Debris Sources, Correct the Source, Clean the Carpets

Next Step: Initial Theory of Where the Soot Stains are Coming From: Ventless Fireplace

Reply: Correct apparent soot sources, check for other unsafe soot sources, clean, monitor

Set Priorities of Attention: Safety First

Is Carpet Stain Testing Appropriate?

What to Try Now

Photographs & Diagnosis of Thermal Tracking and Other Stains on Carpeting

Mold Stains on Carpeting

Other Causes of Carpet Stains & Marks

Carpet Surface Staining from Air Movement, Leaks, Moisture

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