To obtain a copy of a specific publication, users should contact the publication's publisher directly.
Abstract
Sustainability, involving the use of recycled materials, and energy efficiency, requiring high levels of insulation, are the current trends in architecture. In recent years, mold has increasingly become a source for indoor air quality problems in buildings. It is not an accident that this problem is increasing. It is a direct consequence of the way in which exterior walls are constructed in current practice. In the past, exterior walls were uncomplicated structures without insulation, and with vast capability for storing any water that got into the wall assembly. Modern construction methods and materials, combined with the need to insulate, have changed this. More organic materials that can support mold growth are used in wall construction. Construction practices moving toward lighter assemblies have removed materials that are able to store water that enters the wall. These trends have resulted in a stock of buildings with the potential to be sensitive to moisture problems and mold growth. This paper discusses the differences in construction that have made current construction methods and materials more prone to mold problems, and the way these problems can be avoided.
Sustainability, involving the use of recycled materials, and energy efficiency, requiring high levels of insulation, are the current trends in architecture. In recent years, mold has increasingly become a source for indoor air quality problems in buildings. It is not an accident that this problem is increasing. It is a direct consequence of the way in which exterior walls are constructed in current practice. In the past, exterior walls were uncomplicated structures without insulation, and with vast capability for storing any water that got into the wall assembly. Modern construction methods and materials, combined with the need to insulate, have changed this. More organic materials that can support mold growth are used in wall construction. Construction practices moving toward lighter assemblies have removed materials that are able to store water that enters the wall. These trends have resulted in a stock of buildings with the potential to be sensitive to moisture problems and mold growth. This paper discusses the differences in construction that have made current construction methods and materials more prone to mold problems, and the way these problems can be avoided.
Date
4/2009
4/2009
Author(s)
Roger Morse; Stephen Lattanzio
Roger Morse; Stephen Lattanzio
Page(s)
227-236
227-236
Keyword(s)
sustainability; recycled material; energy efficient; mold
sustainability; recycled material; energy efficient; mold