Mold House Tour and Scientific Causes: Disaster Production Home Build in Houston Texas
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- Meet our friends Anil and Nilima Mittal- they're suing the biggest production home builder in the USA. With help from Jason Earle, 20-year mold inspection veteran (GotMold.com), we tell the story of how this mold disaster of a brand new home began, and how their health has suffered because of it.
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I certainly understand the comments blaming the HVAC contractor, but I was an HVAC contractor in new Energy Star homes for about 10 years before I got out. If the HVAC should never be out in an unconditioned space, then Architects and builders should be making space for them within the envelope. The HVAC subcontractor has no choice but to put it in crawlspaces and attics. The builder doesn’t put enough in the budget for whole house dehumidification either. The HVAC system is simply reacting to the limitations that the architect and builder themselves placed. Now, in this home, I saw some pretty poor craftsmanship including using floor joists as ducts. But the ENTIRE INDUSTRY is broken. There is no required training or certifications for tradespeople in the South. And no inspections either, so nothing prevents the builder from getting away wit( sub standard work. Consumers don’t do their research, they make decisions, not on quality or science, but on what the monthly payment will be. Your house is the biggest purchase you will ever make. Production homes are all garbage. I would rather live in an apartment than live in a track home for these reasons.
Manual J called for 4.25 tons of cooling, 6.5 tons were installed. When I questioned the HVAC sub why an almost 50% oversized set of units were installed he literally said "The builder told us to install those". The HVAC sub had his hand tied in equipment selection and the install was doomed from day 1. I have had some VERY good HVAC sub work on previous houses, this particular one Davis AC is/was horrible. I've had their techs tell me that cardboard boxes in my house generate heat, they have left ducts unsealed, over crowded plenums, crushed ducts, improperly zoned 2 oversized units etc. There are LOT of good HVAC contractors out there, unfortunately production builders are not willing to pay for good or quality, just cheap and fast. There is an old adage, any project can only comply with 2 of the 3: cheap, fast, good.
@@BigAnil i agree and i am sorry you went through all that. I am starting a design consulting business for these very reasons.
@@timdestasiohvac
I’ve been in HVAC for 25 years. I was just talking to my brother today (he is in the trades too) and said “the industry is broken”.
Tim - I’ve been thinking about doing consulting too. Heatloss calculations. Hvac design. Equipment sizing. Coming at you from Calgary, Canada.
@@Onward1969 Yes, I'm thinking about doing the same once I move to the coast next month. Best wishes to you!
Great, we need MORE consultants (they can be HVAC techs or contractors also- that’s best imho). Let me know if I can help any of uou guys level up, it’s something I love to do.
This is NOT an isolated incident.
It's RAMPANT, especially in apartments.
Intl Bldg Codes need to see things like this.
This!!!! This is the answer. After getting mold sick, and dealing with building issues I've been seriously concluding that we have to get the building codes changed. It's the only answer to hold these builders accountable.
Many US states either have no code or don't meaningfully enforce code. Also, for example, in MN where I live, the state didn't adopt the latest international building code. My impression is that the international code is pretty good as a baseline, but that many US states just aren't keeping up.
There are already so many codes that the code inspectors can't keep up. Codes won't prevent this. If you hire a good home inspector you will catch 95% of problems. This kind of problem is very rare. The extensive codes that already exist make it so difficult to build as it is.
I am very glad that House Performance is publicizing this issue. I had a very similar experience with my first Houston area home. The homeowner stating that he suddenly felt that the onus of having to be the expert, that resonated with me. I in the end actually did become an expert, I got some HVAC licensing and certificates, iAQ too; but this is so not how its suppose to be.
Kudos for you! I'm also glad to know you're shedding light on this mold issue, it's so pervasive and unfortunately few people are really concerned about it. Thanks!
Great video. Classic mechanical system and depressurization issue that we see here in Florida often. Mixed with a poorly sealed building envelope, its a recipe for disaster.
Good for you! We just bought a house and found a ton of mold the seller just painted over to hide everything. Too many crooks in the business.
Welcome to texas - MOST BUSINESS FRIENDLY STATE IN THE USA - no regulations
13:07
Stop building roofs (Plural) around rooms, fit the rooms you need under a roof (Singular).
You don't need that many peaks and valleys. Sure a little bit improves aesthetics but that's not a little. That's off the pleasing aesthetic reservation. That's a crowd of gnome hats.
Not to mention roof penetrations for those solar panels.
any addition of peaks/valleys is adding possibilities for issues, I agree totally with having 1 roof for a home
I disagree on the sentiment to just make simpler roofs. There are numerous products now to do a belt and suspenders approach to water shedding in valleys. Form should follow function yes but there should also be form.
@@2ndChanceAtLife what is the issue with a properly sealed roof penetration?
@@zefrum3 I am on the same page as you, the only problem is production builders will not spec those products as they usually cost a little more and require a little more skill/labor to install.
About 90% of my business in my HVAC/R business is trouble shooting systems such as this...although none have been this bad. I tell all of my customers with existing and about to be built homes and buildings to be involved, asked a ton of questions to see if the installers even know what they are doing or have any training and/or advice and inspect, inspect and inspect.
I'm a licensed architect in NJ and NY and I seem about the fact then when something is built wrong the people who get blamed or are sought to compensate financially is the builder, owner, subcontractor or inspector but NEVER the architect even though he/she charges BY FAR the most hourly rate and is the only one who takes a state oath to look after the good of the public and be a fiduciary for the owner. Astounding. When are we going to start holding architects responsible? When are we going to start demanding that we go back to the practice 100 year ago when the architect was a project manager that was intimately involved from when the project is just a twinkle in the owner's eye to the owner furniture shopping?
Very good point, Ric, though I do feel sorry for most architects- they spend the longest with the client often, and are expected to know everything about everything. But I do agree that many of these problems are designed into the homes, and that's got to stop.
The suggestion that a purchaser can stop construction on their production home is inconceivable. If there is no good code inspection jurisdiction, get a third party inspector as part of the contract, or just walk away.
I don't believe anyone said the purchaser can stop production. I think the statement was that you need someone on the project who will halt production when there is an issue and not simply try and meet a deadline. In our case the building super was simultaneously building more than 20 houses and not paying attention to any. Walking away from a house is not feasible in most housing markets. Imagine you have either sold your current house or your lease has expired and you come to closing of your new house to find defects. If you don't close not only are you homeless you will likely pay $50K or more for the same model house simply due to price increases between the date you contracted to have the house built and the date you close. Standard 3rd party construction inspections will not catch these issues, they do not perform tests like duct blasters, blower door, Manual J reviews etc. To properly inspect a house would simply be cost prohibitive in addition to the fact that no production builder will provide your inspector with the information required to properly inspect and validate the work done on the house.
THIS GOES ON IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN HOUSTON, BECAUSE OF THE BUILDERS USING UNSKILLED LABOR TO PUT IT IN AND BUYING THE EQUIPMENT!!!
Are you in Houston buddy?
The guy saying AC in attic is bad - he obviously does not know very well. I live in Houston area for 18 years. I have a PhD in ME (in air flow, thermal field) and know well about AC and actually been inside many attics. It's perfectly fine to have AC in the attic. Mine are - never have any mold issues.
The key is moisture and as long as the attic is well vented - you are very unlikely have mold issues assuming your AC is installed and runs properly and no plumbing problems. As long as your condensation water inside the coil (evap unit, usually in attic) drain properly - mold is a non-issue.
New trend in home-building is to have good insulation in attic yet sometimes builders are not careful about the proper ventilation of the attic. It's OK to seal the attic from the main living area but should not seal it from the outside. Proper installation of soffits, various vents (best to have active fans) are essential for your attic and roof system.
@Xiang Li, my 15 years experience testing homes makes me disagree with you. Many MEs and mold inspectors are out there prescribing more attic ventilation, and then when the mold gets worse people like me get called in. There is no one way to solve a problem, of course, but cold equipment and ducts in a superheated, humid attic are definitely the cause of lots of problems.
Attic fans are not allowed based on IECC due to energy standards and depressurization of the attic. Your right about adequate attic ventilation. None of it is really 'designed' just meet the 1/150 and no need to test no matter the roof shape. Plus homeowners either don't grasp the concept of filter changes or they install MERV 13 1" filters which are problematic in most single stage hvac systems.
I'm happy he has the resources o try fighting he company who harmed his family with their terrible HVAC design and install. I wish the same was possible for all people affected. I hope people see this and questionnaire own health issues. So upsetting. I have universal healthcare where I live - this is unacceptable.
Agreed
@@HomePerformance I wish there was a product like Aerosolized mould killer to kill what has infested everything in their house. Like the aeroseal caulking some passive house builders use for sealing at the drying in phase. But I'm not sure that house can be saved in the state it's in. :(
There is no way to remediate a house that far gone, costs would be stripping it down to bare framing!
@@AmandaComeauCreates I wish too, but the dead mold is still going to be there and then there’s the fact it’s more harmful to health when it’s dead. Not to mention the mycotoxins that aren’t even alive to kill. The biggest problem in the mold industry is they get away with selling treatments and killing protocols that destroy homes. One word; removal.
IMHO the house can never be remediated effectively. The majority of the house was built with engineered wood products. Those products cannot be effectively cleaned of all mold even using methods like dry ice blasting. Those wood products would need to be encapsulated after the visible mold was mechanically removed. Encapsulation does not prevent the outgassing of Mycotoxins, that is what makes you sick. The only part of that house that should be reused is the foundation/slab. It should be torn down and rebuilt.
I have asked multiple hvac companies about flex duct. They often just say it needs to be installed correctly.
Or they shrug.
They really don't want the labor involved in building solid duct.
Yes, labor is a problem lately. Partly why I installed my own ductwork.
Sheet metal cost a lot more. And it's a skilled trade which has been nullified over many years now. Dragging flex across an area takes no skill including connecting it to the main supply duct. Ironically, when flex was starting to be used back in the 60's it was only allowed with a maximum of 6 ft length and only for branch connections to supply outlets. Within a few years that all got forgotten about as the costs in installing flex duct is extremely low compared to sheet metal. When I'm asked to correct duct problems I will use sheet metal in place of the existing flex or I won't do the repair.
Great video Corbett. And so sad to see.
I am a mechanical engineer. This was an excellent video for my knowledge. Also, this is what happens when you do a design-built HVAC.
what do u mean 'design-built HVAC'?
Does "design-build" in this case mean duct runs were not detailed in architectural plans, and instead were left to the HVAC subcontractor to develop during installation?
If the homeowners like the neighborhood, they
should look for an all-systems approach for the solution, but more than likely it will come out of their pocket. They need to have a team work together with a mold specialist, HVAC & insulation trades, energy auditor, drywall, etc...
All the HVAC flex duct removed, including behind the walls supplying the first floor. Lot of sheetrock will come down to access duct behind the chases.
After all the proper mold remediation takes place a competent insulation contractor needs to be brought in and either 2"-3" of closed cell or 6"-7" of open cell spray foam needs to be applied to the entire roof deck and soffits in the attic and soffit walls.
All the garage ceiling sheetrock needs to be removed so the upstairs floor can be sprayed from below. Any walls inside the front/rear porch attic areas that meet the living space needs to be also spray foamed.
All the penetrations on exterior walls need to be sealed, and even consider removing all the interior door and window trim to shoot low expansion foam (blue can) to seal the window & door rough openings.
After proper air sealing and insulating, a competent HVAC contractor needs to install all RIGID insulated duct work and an ERV system to introduce controlled outside air that's been filtered and dehumidified so the air in the home is balanced. Ideally all powered exhaust vents (kitchens, bathrooms, garage) should be tied into the ERV so when they exhaust air the proper amount of make-up air is supplied by the ERV.
The HVAC system needs an actual Manual J calculation using real data points, not "standard" or "default" figures.
An in-line whole house dehumidifier should be installed in the HVAC system that can control humidity in the house.
An upgraded air filter using a 4" thick box filter and possibly a UV light should be considered.
Basically the house should control air going in and out. Air sealing, foam insulation and the ERV in the HVAC system should all work together to control humidity and eliminate condensation.
Good luck
What's a good source to find a air quality tester? One that will be honest. Home kit perhaps?
Love this!
Good luck your contract with spec builder usually limits your access to site
It's just sad.
I'm confused as to what the issue that caused the mold. Was it because of leaky ductwork?
Depressurization of home via HVAC
Getting ready to build a house for myself and after looking at and dealing with the building codes, I can tell you this has less to do with the builder and more to the IRC. They keep making houses "energy efficient " meaning tighter and tighter and they never Breath. Wonder why houses for even the 1800's don't have these issues. They breath. You are sealing in everything that is bad. If the house was not so "Energy Efficient" the moisture would have somewhere go. You lock into the houses now days. I will bet if you go back to the start of using Tyvek, you will see the start of these problems. Go back to build houses that leak air and willing to be the problem will go away.
Actually, Crazy Man, the IRC requires outdoor ventilation too- once again, it’s a thing that gets missed/skipped during plan and build.
So i live in the Houston area and I have a few houses and I am doing a major rebuild. I can tell you that this homeowner's problem is most likely due to not enough or any ventilation from the soffit to the ridge, which would promote the ducts to sweat causing the condensation in the attic spaces. Havent watched but 7min so far of it, but pretty sure. EDIT: Im seeing a lot of OSB based materials like I-Joists and osb sheathing; not causing the problem, but these products are much more mold-able. SYP, sothern yellow pine, is used as commodity materials in this part and SPY is very mold and pest repellent and tolerant, Id say pretty close to cedar. However, OSB is manufactured from hardwoods, which have no resins that prevent mold growth; matter of fact the sugars in hardwoods promote molds.
In your climate zone sealing off attic ventilation will actually reduce the likelihood of sweating ductwork. The ducts are sweating because of the dew point, not necessarily from heat.
It’s lack of air exchanges and no whole home dehumidification, on top of a poorly installed HVAC with 180 duct turns imo. Too many holes in the ceiling too and an unconditioned attic space with the AHU. Just my 2 cents.
Pardon, you are 100% wrong. Duct work is wrapped in R8 insulation to prevent surface condensation. The purpose of soffit to ridge ventilation is to always have air flow. You can have 99% humidity and still dry condensed water with air movement. If the soffit and ridge are air tight, then that humid air will eventually condense but there is no air flow to dry it. Moreover, as all joints in a HVAC system and the connected duct work will undoubtably have leaks, the indoor blower fan will put not just the living space under negative pressure but also the attic; even more so if you have unsealed and uncaulked can lights.
Btw, check out minute @1:32 look at all those can lights in his garage…
“If it can’t dry, its gonna die.”
ewwww.
it looks like no one designed the ventilation to positive pressure the house and push dry conditioned air out instead of sucking damp outdoor air in.
you can't run a dry climate setup in a humid area like that.
Yes and get this: i have yet to find an HVAC company in the North Houston area that will put in an ERV, and even a dehumidifier was a hard ask.
B-roll footage from Hawthorne Station 😅
I just want to say that flex duct, when installed properly, is not a problematic material. If it’s run straight, pulled tight, supported every two -three feet, bends made with fittings, joints, double strapped and sealed with mastic and insulation sealed to the plenum insulation, it’s excellent. The duct itself is plastic so it will fail when the plastic deteriorates… which should be in a couple hundred years.
wrong. most recent code only allow for flex duct to be used on the last 8? feet of a branch. It is a problem and always has been
@@zefrum3 that may be code where you live but it ain’t where I live.
Anybody who wants to pay for the labor /material of a well designed, airtight full sheet metal install won’t regret it but not everybody will see the value and that’s how a lot of good contractors lose bids to cheap flex flingers. I’d rather have manual D’d airtight properly assembled flex/ductboard system than a sheet metal system slapped together by rules of thumb and maybe some mastic where you can see it. The latter is what most of the homes in my market have. Sheet metal does not solve all problems.
@@zefrum3 and kindly don’t treat codes as gospel my friend. There are a lot of stupid things allowed by code and really good things not required.
@@paulgaras2606 kindly dont presuppose i am treating codes as gospel, dont forget code is a de minimus standard. Its a fact that flex duct is not the best product evident that is always upsized from hard pipe and it is almost always installed incorrectly and the installs are usually a claustrophobia-inducing spider web. Also duct board is another terrible product. I am very surprised anyone with a little knowledge of duct work would argue duct board is better than sheetmetal. On the value side, if flex duct is more value, why is it cheaper? Thats a non sequitur. Hard pipe wont fall a part over time or from UV purifiers and it can be cleaned; not so with flex. Wheres the value?
You’re talking about bad installations. I’m talking about good ones. Contractors who design per manual D, install per best practices, test for airtightness and delivered airflow can get just as good results with liberal use of flex as with sheet metal. You gotta sell the job. If customers will pay for sheet metal then sell sheet metal. But whatever you do, design it and install per industry best practices and you’ll do well. It can be flex and duct board or sheet metal. But the real problem in the situation In This video is that nobody designed anything, nobody understood principles of airflow or the value of well sealed ductwork, probably didn’t get how insulation works either, and nobody tested anything after it was built. Sheet metal would not have fixed that.
Worst place to live i lost my life never move to this place
I can confirm, D. R. Horton sucks
Who was the “architect” who designed these homes?! He should be in prison.
The architect probably had nothing to do with the decisions that led to the situation in this house. It’s always a comedy of errors that lead to this situation.
not the architect, its the HVAC contractor mostly with the builder taking onus too, as he chose the building materials and 'over saw' the installation of the mechanicals
That complex roof design is a travesty. You can see the shading on the asphalt shingles where it’s still retaining moisture from the last rain. It’s overall a cocktail, but mainly the subcontractor who did the HVAC is to blame for the cause. But you are onto something though, architects don’t know anything about creating a healthy home, it’s all about aesthetics to them.
@@zefrum3 funny thing is the contracts between the builder and the subs allows the builder to essentially get off scot free. Based on contracts signed by the subs with the builder, the responsibility to defend the case and in the event of an award pay for damages falls on the subs.
@@BigAnil you mean the subs contracts have indemnification to the builder?
Most builders construct garbage these days.
these days? it has always been the case. Building standards have gone way up over the past 44 years.
The air quality in all of these sick buildings is contributing to the Alzheimer's epidemic.
Inhalational Alzheimer's disease: an unrecognized - and treatable - epidemic - PubMed
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26870879/
The mold expert’s explanation of the cause makes no sense. Air conditioning doesn’t create a negative pressure unless there are defects in the system or it’s design. Nonetheless, this does highlight an epidemic problem where most homeowners will never connect the dots.
This duct system has more supply leakage than return leakage. His explanation was perfect imo.
Well that would certainly do it in the living space, CL. But the visible mold on the duct in the attic implies low airflow/super cold discharge temp.……Did you diagnose it?
Probably lots and lots going on in those systems, which is not unusual- bet a lot of Houston attics might look like that though, no? No testing while we were there, just inspecting and recording.
@@HomePerformance
The roof is an absolute engineering disaster with multiple points of failure that are just waiting to happen if they haven't already. Are the lower vented roofs isolated from the taller roofs? Because if they're not the highest peaks are going to pull from the lower peaks and not from the eaves...
@@HomePerformance definitely common to see on ductwork in a vented attic, especially if they have longer run times or lower desired setpoints (below 75ish)