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ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY

AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR
ALLERGEN TESTS for buildings
ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE
ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY
ANIMAL ALLERGENS / PET DANDER
ANIMAL ENTRY POINTS in buildings
ANIMAL ODORS IN buildings
ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
ASBESTOS-FREE INSULATION MATERIALS
ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings
ASBESTOS List of Asbestos-Containing Products
ASBESTOS Photo Guide to Materials / Products
ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Wetting Guidelines

ATTIC LEAKS, CONDENSATION & ATTIC MOLD
ATTIC VENTILATION

BASEMENT CEILING VAPOR BARRIER
BASEMENT HEAT LOSS
BASEMENT LEAKS, INSPECT FOR
BASEMENT WATERPROOFING
BATH & KITCHEN DESIGN GUIDE
BATHROOM VENTILATION

BEST CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES GUIDE
Best Interior Finish Practices
BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS
BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS in the HOME - EPA
BLACK MOLD, HARMLESS COSMETIC
BLACK MOLD, TOXIC & ALLERGENIC
BLEACHING MOLD, Advice about
Bisphenol-A, BPA
BOOKSTORE - ENVIRONMENTAL
BUYERS GUIDE - home inspections for mold

CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION
CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION
CARPET STAIN DIAGNOSIS
CARPET & other STAIN TESTS
CARPET TEST GUIDE
CABINETS & COUNTERTOPS
CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY
CABINETS & COUNTERTOPS
CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY
MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE to TEST CLEAN PREVENT
BASICS YOU NEED to FIND, TEST, REMOVE MOLD
BUYERS GUIDE - home inspections for mold
CAT DANDER in buildings
CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS - MOLD CLEANUP
DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP
FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD
FLOODS & MOLD CLEAN/PREVENT
FIND MOLD in buildings, HOW TO
HUMIDITY CONTROL TO PREVENT MOLD

INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS
INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE
INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED

INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
INSULATION MOLD
ITCHY FABRICS
LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION
LEED Building Designation & IAQ

MILDEW in buildings ?
MILDEW ERRORS - MOLD PHOTOS
MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION

MOISTURE CONTROL in buildings

MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE to TEST CLEAN PREVENT
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD
MOLD ACTIVITY in buildings
MOLD AGE - Old is the Mold?
MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
  Black Mold
  Brown Mold
  Green Mold
  Red Mold
  Yellow Mold
  White Mold
  Invisible Mold
  Meruliporia Mold Photographs
  Mildew Photographs
  Recognize Cosmetic Mold
  Recognize Harmless Black Mold
  MOLD GROWTH ON SURFACES, PHOTOS
  Stuff that is Mistaken for Mold
  White stuff that is not mold
MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD
  HARMLESS INDOOR PARTICLES
    BASKETBALL MOLD SYNDROME - BBMS
    Black stains from soot/thermal tracking
    Black stains from animals
    Black cosmetic mold
    Efflorescence & brown deposits
    Efflorescence & white or brown deposits
    House dust
    Pet Stains on Walls
    Pollen
    Sprayed foam insulation
    White stuff that is not mold
    Wood sap

MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX
MOLD by MICROSCOPE
MOLD in the PETRI DISH, PHOTOS
Mold on Books, Book Conservation
MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS
MOLD CLEANERS - WHAT TO USE
MOLD CLEANUP COMPANIES
MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD
MOLD CLEANUP with BLEACH
MOLD CLEANUP - WOOD FLOORING
MOLD CLEANUP - WOOD FRAMING & PLYWOOD
MOLD CLEANUP HEALTH RISKS
MOLD CLEANUP MISTAKES to AVOID
MOLD CLEANUP - SAFETY WARNINGS
MOLD CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS
MOLD CLINICAL REFERENCE TEXTS
MOLD CULTURES
MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE
MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE
MOLD EXPOSURE, FOOD HAZARDS
MOLD EXPOSURE RISK LEVELS
MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS
MOLD on or in CARPETS
MOLD ON DIRT FLOORS
MOLD FREQUENCY in buildings
MOLD GROWTH ON SURFACES, PHOTOS
MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, TABLE OF
MOLD GROWTH in/on BUILDING INSULATION
MOLD INSPECTORS & MOLD TESTERS
MOLD INSPECTION SERVICE
MOLD INVESTIGATION PROCEDURE TIPS
MOLD INVESTIGATION REPORTS
MOLD KILLING GUIDE
MOLD LAB REPORTS
MOLD LEVELS IN buildings
MOLD by MICROSCOPE
MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS
MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE
MOLD RELATED ILLNESS
MOLD LEVEL REPORTS
MOLD LEVELS IN buildings
MOLD by MICROSCOPE
MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS
MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE
MOLD RELATED ILLNESS
MOLD SAFETY WARNINGS
MOLD SPRAYS, SEALANTS, PAINTS
MOLD TEST KITS
MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS
MOLD TEST PROCEDURES
MOLD TEST REASONS
MOLD TESTING SERVICES
ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE
OXYGEN - O2
OZONE HAZARDS
Particulates & Allergens Indoors
Pesticide Exposure Hazards
PET ALLERGEN REMEDIES
PLASTIC CONTAINERS, TANKS, TYPES
PLASTIC HEATER VENT
PLASTIC ODORS-SCREENS, SIDING
PLUMBING SYSTEM ODORS
RENTERS & TENANTS GUIDE TO MOLD
SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO
SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP
SEWAGE BACKUP PREVENTION

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

TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES
THERMAL TRACKING & HEAT LOSS
TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES

VENTILATION in buildings

IAQ ISSUES, OTHER

More Information

Pet urine stains on a hardwood floor (C) Daniel Friedman Pet Stains & Marks in buildings - a diagnostic guide to identifying & removing animal stains
InspectAPedia®  -    

  • Photos & text aid identifying indoor stains caused by pets and other animals
  • Urine stains on floors, diagnosis and cure
  • Pet odors in buildings, diagnosis and cure of odors and allergens
  • How to identify pet stains and marks on building walls, trim, doors - evidence of animals in buildings

This article describes common indoor stains caused by animals and pets on floors and walls due to pet urine or simply from a pet frequently lying against or touching a building surface. These photographs also assist in determining when a building has previously housed pets or other animals even if none are currently present.

InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.

We discuss the cause and cure of various types of pet stains. Readers concerned with pet stains on walls should see Pet Stains on Walls.

Also see ANIMAL ODORS IN buildings for a discussion of the diagnosis and cure of odors due to animals buildings, and see CAT DANDER in buildings for a discussion of animal allergens indoors and how they are detected and removed.

When investigating a building for a mold problem, you can save mold test costs by learning how to recognize STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD or is only Harmless Mold but may be mistaken for more serious contamination - save your money. Save your mold test money, and increase the accuracy of your mold contamination inspection or test for toxic or allergenic mold in buildings: review these items to learn recognize non-fungal materials or even possibly harmless cosmetic "black mold" often mistaken for "toxic fungal growth."

© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

How to recognize black stains on indoor walls and trim caused by pets, not mold

Dog Stains on Building Drywall

Black indoor stain is dog dirt not mold

With a little thought we can easily distinguish pet stains on drywall from thermal tracking by the stain pattern and location as well as other details such as the absence of a heat source, or the identification of a location where we'd expect a pet to rest.

Similarly we can identify black stains on walls where people's heads rested while sitting on furniture or in bed (see photo link just below).

Black marks on interior walls such as the black "mold suspect stains" shown on the white painted drywall in this photo might be just be where the dog lay on the floor against the wall (stain at floor level in this picture) or in this photograph of black stains higher on a wall where people rested their heads in bed.

Also see see Pet Stains on Walls.

Provided the stains are due to simple contact between an animal and a building surface, the cures for dog or cat dirt marks on building walls or trim are simple cleaning or at most, re-painting.

Pet Urine on Building Walls or Carpets

When a dog, cat, (or in some reported cases humans) has urinated on carpeting we recommend that the carpet and carpet padding be replaced. The flooring or subflooring below the urinated-on carpet needs to be inspected for stains and penetration of urine as well.

Killing or Removing Pet Urine Odors?

Door scratched bare by shut in dog (C) Daniel FriedmanThere are lots of reasons that animals urinate in buildings, and pet owners know most of them: no access to a litter box, dirty litter box, dog shut indoors too long, dog or cat marking territory, fear, etc. A pet shut into a room and abandoned may have no choice about where it relieves itself (photo, left shows scratch marks from a dog who spent too many hours shut in a room).

Because urine leaves an odor in wood surfaces that is difficult to remove, once an area has been used as a cat or dog toilet, animals are likely to return to that spot to pee on it again. While special pet deodorizers and cleaners are available to clean and remove pet odors, we find that often the animals will continue to return to the scene of their accident or crime.

If the amount of urine was very small, an ounce, one event, covering just a few square inches, it may be possible to clean and seal the subfloor using a lacquer primer/sealer, clear shellac, or another appropriate re-finishing coating.

Readers should see ANIMAL ODORS IN buildings for detailed advice on how to find and remove pet and other animal or human odors and smells in buildings.

Pet Urine Stains on Building Floors - How to Recognize & Remove Stains in Wood Floors

Pet urine stains on a hardwood floor (C) Daniel FriedmanOften when an animal has urinated one or more times on a carpeted floor, later removal of the carpeting will disclose dark stains in the wood flooring of a finished floor.

Our photo (left) shows severe urine staining on a hardwood floor of a bedroom outside of a bath. The owner was unaware of the stains until the carpeting was removed.

The white colors in the stained area demonstrate the futility of attempting to remove the animal stains by bleach.

If stains penetrate only a millimeter of wood it might be possible to sand and re-finish the floor, or to use a combination of sanding, bleaching, and re-staining of the finish floor as we describe just below.

Reader J.W. comments on using hydrogen peroxide to remove pet urine stains from wood flooring: :

If you have pet urine on blond wood or soft light wood, then you can use hydrogen peroxide on the wood by applying several applications--just rub it in with a cloth or a brand new dry sponge and let dry then repeat often until your wood is light again. I had this problem when i pulled up a carpet that came with the house when i bought it 10 yrs ago & found dark pet stains on the soft yellow pine wood & realized it was pet urine.

We also have removed small areas of stains in wood flooring by working meticulously with diluted bleach and a cotton swab, applying bleach, then washing it off, in several cycles until the stained area of the wood reached a color closely matching the original wood flooring out of the stain.

Watch out: don't over-bleach flooring when trying to remove stains or you'll end up with a too-light area of wood. If you make this mistake, working carefully with wood stain products such as those made by MinWax you may be able to return the over-bleached wood floor area back to the necessary hue. Hydrogen peroxide is less risky in this regard.

But often we find that the urine stains have penetrated the wood so deeply that flooring replacement is about the only option if the occupants don't want to live with these stains.

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Technical Reviewers & References

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  • Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.

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MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD
  HARMLESS INDOOR PARTICLES
    BASKETBALL MOLD SYNDROME - BBMS
    Black stains from soot/thermal tracking
    Black stains from animals
    Black cosmetic mold
    Efflorescence & brown deposits
    Efflorescence & white or brown deposits
    House dust
    Pet Stains on Walls
    Pollen
    Sprayed foam insulation
    White stuff that is not mold
    Wood sap

  • Thanks to reader J.W. for discussing possible methods to bleach out pet urine stains in wood flooring, January 2011.
  • BASKETBALL MOLD SYNDROME - BBMS why dirt and stains may be mistaken for toxic harmful mold
  • Black mold on building surfaces that is harmless cosmetic material, not "toxic black mold" indoors
  • Black stains from soot/thermal tracking or marks on building interior walls caused by thermal tracking, this is not mold
  • Animal Stains or marks on building interior walls caused by dogs, cats or other animal stains on building carpets, floors, walls, doors, trim: how to diagnose and remove pet stains and odors.
  • Black cosmetic mold - such as black stains due to Ceratocystis or Ophistoma fungi that were on framing lumber at the time of construction may be completely harmless, cosmetic only. At Black cosmetic mold we discuss some simple but reliable ways to identify cosmetic molds that have been present since time of building construction. In our companion article, Recognize Harmless Black Mold, we discuss two specific harmless, cosmetic black molds commonly found on framing lumber.
  • Efflorescence & White Stuff white, tan, crystalline, tan, or other-colored mineral salts on foundations and masonry walls - white fluffy stuff or white crystalline stuff often found on building walls may not be mold at all, though it is an indicator of problem leaks, moisture, dampness. Efflorescence describes white fluffy crystalline material that is not mold. White Mold describes actual white or light colored mold in buildings.
  • House dust which may or may not contain mold, allergens, or other problems
  • Pollen may contaminate indoor dust
  • Sprayed foam insulation- that looks a little like certain fungal growths in crawl spaces or other building areas, usually yellow or white in color
  • Wood sap- clear or crystalline tan or yellow droplets found on wood framing, often in attics

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.
  • Home Reference Book - Carson Dunlop 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.
  • 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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