Occurrence and characteristics of moisture damage in residential buildings as a function of occupant and engineer observations

Questionnaires collected from occupants and visual inspections have been used to assess exposure related to moisture damage in buildings. Aims of this study were to find out if observations of moisture damage made by occupants were different from observations made by an independent inspector, and if inspectors' observations were independent of the observing inspector. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were collected from occupants of 363 residences; subsequently, the buildings were inspected by a civil engineer. A second examination was done in 15 buildings by another engineer with similar training and work experience. The questionnaire collected from the occupants included the same items as the inspectors' checklists related to occurrence of moisture damage, visible mould growth and odours. The inspectors collected additional data including moisture and temperature measurements and estimated size of damage. The inspector observed more damage sites than the occupants, and the overall agreement between the inspector and the occupants was poor (average kappa=0.23). On the other hand, the agreement between the 2 inspectors was higher (average kappa=0.41). Overall, the results suggest that studies related to moisture damage in buildings should preferably include standardised inspections by trained staff.