Diagnostic guides
Practical workflows adapted to specific areas and investigation goals.
Self-help workflow: an interior leak during snowmelt near the eaves
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: water marks below a roof valley
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a ceiling stain that appears after wind-driven rain
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a skylight drip that begins during thaw
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a stain near a chimney after rain
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: an exterior wall stain below a gutter
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Documenting electrical warning signs without opening equipment
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting electrical heat is a stop signal, not a diy clue hunt before opening or repairing the assembly.
Self-help workflow: a warm outlet or burning-plastic odor
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a ceiling stain that appears after shower use
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: fireplace odor when exhaust fans run
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: water appearing at the basement floor-wall joint
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Building a rainfall, grading and discharge evidence map
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting basement water starts outside the visible mark before opening or repairing the assembly.
Self-help workflow: a crawlspace odor that is strongest upstairs
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a diagonal crack above a door
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a draft felt around an exterior-wall outlet
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a drain that gurgles when another fixture empties
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a roof leak that appears hours after rain
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a stair-step crack in masonry
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a sump pump that cycles when it has not rained
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a suspected dishwasher leak
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a washing-machine drain that overflows
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: an intermittent leak around or below a toilet
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: attic moisture where soffit ventilation may be blocked
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: bubbling paint on an exterior wall indoors
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: condensation around an air-supply register
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: crawlspace condensation in warm weather
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: dark roof-deck areas that worsen in winter
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: frost concentrated around an attic hatch
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: one localized patch of wet attic insulation
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: sewage odor from a rarely used drain
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: small attic drips beneath frosted roof nails
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: water around a bathroom exhaust duct
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: water at a window corner during wind-driven rain
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Tracking crack endpoints, width and adjacent function
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting crack geometry is a movement record, not a verdict before opening or repairing the assembly.
Building a repeatable drying record after a moisture event
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting drying is a gradient through layers, not one surface number before opening or repairing the assembly.
Isolating shower spray, drain and supply-water pathways
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting tile is a finish, not the waterproofing layer before opening or repairing the assembly.
Logging seasonal crawlspace moisture without chasing one reading
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting why crawlspace moisture can peak in warm weather before opening or repairing the assembly.
Mapping attic frost before thaw erases the evidence
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting how one ceiling bypass creates a broad attic frost field before opening or repairing the assembly.
Mapping efflorescence height, weather and drying direction
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting white crystals show where water exited, not where it entered before opening or repairing the assembly.
Reading window leaks from first wet edge to sill drainage
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting why window sealant is not a drainage system before opening or repairing the assembly.
Self-help workflow: a bathroom that stays humid long after use
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a cold stripe on an exterior wall
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a crack along the ceiling-wall joint
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a floor squeak that changes with the season
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a musty attic odor strongest in warm weather
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a musty basement odor during humid weather
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: a radiator that is cold at the top
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: condensation on the room side of windows
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: cooking odor that spreads through the house
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: dark dust stripes on a ceiling or wall
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: fogging between insulated glass panes
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: high bedroom carbon-dioxide readings overnight
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: low water pressure at one fixture
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: one damp-looking patch on a concrete slab
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: paint blistering on a basement wall
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: pipes that click as hot water starts or stops
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Self-help workflow: white powder on a basement wall after storms
A safe, repeatable homeowner workflow for documenting the clue, comparing triggers and deciding when to stop and involve a professional.
Separating a cold line from moving outdoor air
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting thermal bridge or air leak: read the difference before opening or repairing the assembly.
Tracing a drain symptom across fixtures and vent paths
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting what gurgling drains reveal about air and water pressure before opening or repairing the assembly.
Tracing roof water by timing, slope and hidden travel
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting why roof leaks appear away from the defect before opening or repairing the assembly.
Using doors, fans and weather to map odor transfer
A safe, repeatable workflow for documenting odor location can be an airflow illusion before opening or repairing the assembly.
