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.
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.
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.
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.
