Leaking House in Shaughnessy Discovered by Vancouver Home Inspector

We were called to inspect this property in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood, in Vancouver. The house was an old character home, and upon arriving, a strong, musty smell was noticed at the main floor.

We climbed up to the roof to take a look at its condition:

Here we can see the older cedar roof, with extensive moss growth and deterioration. This roof covering needed to be completely replaced in most areas. Thermal imaging from below showed moisture leakage into the ceiling space, and around the base of the chimney:

When we reached the other side of the home, a moisture stain was visible at the top of the wall:

We climbed up to view the flat roof above – here we can see the built-up (tar and gravel) roof, which was in poor shape. If you look at the wall, you can see the repaired patch where leakage was occurring. The homeowner had “repaired” the leak using roofing tar – an improper and temporary fix. We can also see large amounts of growth on the roof covering.

This inspection included an Indoor Air Quality test, so we sealed off the house and took four air samples, and one air sample outdoors (approximately 9m upwind) as a control sample. The results came back showing high levels of Aspergillus and Stachybotrys, which are both toxic molds (they release mycotoxins, which are harmful to humans). Side effects of these mold toxins include respiratory problems, headaches, fever, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.

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