Carpet, Vinyl, and Wood Floors

            The subfloor framing typically is not visible for inspection due to floor coverings (carpet, tile, etc.). Carpet, vinyl, and wood floors near water sources (kitchens, laundry, bathrooms, etc.) need to be monitored regularly for wet conditions where mold can thrive. As vinyl ages, it has a tendency to curl at the edges and is particularly prone to trapping moisture under the vinyl, so they specifically need to be monitored regularly for curling and deteriorated grout or caulking. If you notice a discoloration of the vinyl, it is likely that moisture is under the vinyl. Determine where the moisture is coming from and repair whatever is causing it, and then have the flooring inspected by a qualified flooring professional.

           With wood floors in kitchens, laundry areas, and bathrooms, even a very minor leak can destroy it very quickly. A beautiful home a few years ago that had 3,000 square feet of cherry wood floors in the kitchen, pantry, dining room, living room, foyer, and hallway, with all the wood slats very intricately interwoven, unfortunately, had many of the wood slats bulging at their ends. Not much, but definitely noticeable in certain areas where the lighting was very good. Further evaluation of the flooring by a qualified flooring professional upset the sellers because they had spent $147,000 having the cherry wood flooring installed only one year prior. The flooring professional removed a slat from the pantry closet and found that the underside of the slat was virtually destroyed by wood rot, indicating a significant source of moisture from somewhere. And it was just a matter of time before the rot reached the surface. Further detective work found that there was a leak behind the dishwasher, so every time the dishwasher ran, the wood flooring in the kitchen was soaking up water. The wood flooring in other areas was getting soaked due to capillary wicking action. They determined that the wood floor, while beautiful on the surface, was a total loss. Fortunately, the sellers had some good home insurance that paid for replacing the floor.

        I do not pull back permanent floor coverings to inspect the underside of the floor covering or the subflooring itself, so any mold or subfloor damage would not be detected during a visual home inspection. There is always the possibility that moisture has penetrated beneath any floor covering, particularly in a kitchen at the dishwasher and sink, and in bathrooms at the bathtub/floor junction and the toilet/floor junction, and that any mold or subfloor damage would not be detected during a visual home inspection. Destructive testing or remodeling would be required for a conclusive determination. If renovation is contemplated for any area where vinyl, carpet, or wood floor coverings exist, I highly recommend adjusting your budget to compensate for unforeseen conditions. Trust me, you will find unexpected conditions that will cause your budget to inflate.

        I also recommend regularly monitoring all water supply lines and drainage pipes in areas where carpet, vinyl, or wood floors exist to help prevent moisture penetration into subfloor framing and resulting water damage or mold growth. Grout and/or caulking at floor/wall junctions also needs to be monitored regularly to help prevent moisture penetration into subfloor framing and resulting water damage or mold growth.
If you have any other questions about anything, simply contact me.

                 Thank you for using The Upscale Home Inspections Service.

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