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 Maintenance - The Homeowner’s Responsibility
The final source of water/moisture entry problems is home maintenance which is often the
responsibility of the home owner.
We have inspected thousands of homes for indoor air quality problems including but not limited
to mold. During those inspections, it was determined that more than 60 percent of the mold
problems stem from a home owner’s lack of proper maintenance and general up keep of their
home.
Over 90 percent of the A/C system mold related problems result from poor filter maintenance
and condensate line cleaning.
Approximately 60 percent of the exterior shell moisture entry problems source from improper
upkeep of the exterior shell seal, doors and window seals, and the ignoring of roof repairs.
Improper additions or renovations and improper sizing of A/C systems have created major
problems.
The NY Mentality. The problem is compounded by the fact that many of our home buyers are
moving from what was often a maintenance free condo in the northeast. Their prevailing
mentality is that their new home should be maintenance free like their condominium in
Manhattan. That is why they paid so much for it!
Most home buyers have no idea what caulking is let alone where it should be applied and how
often.
As a result, I would strongly recommend that you hand every home buyer at closing an outline
of the maintenance schedule for every item in the home. From A/C filter changes to re-painting
and caulking. It should all be clearly identified with a schedule just like your automobile
maintenance schedule. When these problems do arise your inspection company should be
capable of investigating the cause and origin and assigning blame on the lack of proper
maintenance and upkeep, if such is the case.
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