Microsoft word - 23 mold issues

MOLD ISSUES
What is mold?
building shortcuts and some materials that serve as food for mold are commonly blamed for Mold is a type of fungus. It is part of a group of mold in homes. Constant moisture in walls can living organisms that are very common and destroy a house from within by rotting wood, serves an important role in the environment. devouring the paper of sheetrock and glues that Penicillin, an antibiotic that has saved many lives, is a type of mold, as is yeast. However, mold can grow on bread and other types of The presence of mold can be tested through food, making it unfit to eat. Mold can grow on surface testing (swab or tape contact) or air the walls, floors and ceilings of your home as sampling. However, testing for mold is not a conclusive measurement of the amount of mold present or the amounts to which people are exposed. If mold can be seen or smelled, it is a spores are found in every region in North America. As long as spores, water, food and oxygen are present, mold will reproduce2. When an influx of moisture enhances the living conditions for mold, they proliferate to a degree that could threaten health of the building occupants and cause building damage. Improper building design, faulty building techniques, 2925 Galleria Dr • Arlington, TX 76011 Phone: (817) 640-4900 or (877) 336-4532 • Fax: (817) 633-2000 Web site: http://www.DemilecUSA.com • E mail: [email protected] MOLD ISSUES
Health Effects
Prevention of mold
Common health problems associated with mold Mold spores are always present in the air, on exposure are allergic reactions and respiratory our bodies and construction materials, so therefore it is impossible to have a mold-free house. But what can be achieved is to deny chemicals called mycotoxins. Mycotoxins, if mold of the conditions for active growth. Mold present in sufficiently high concentrations, can requires oxygen, food, water and spores to become active. Water is the single element that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has can be easily controlled to effectively prevent identified approximately 200 toxin-producing mold growth. Water can enter into a home by molds3 and has remediation plans for mold in various methods such as air infiltration, rain, schools and commercial buildings4. One of the roof leaks and sewage backup. Design of rain more commonly published one is Stachybotrys screens in construction also reduces the ingress Chartarum, a greenish-black mold often found of water. As part of on-going preventative inside wet walls. Stachybotrys feeds off organic maintenance, immediate corrective action to material and requires a steady supply of water. buildings damaged by water must be employed It grows rapidly in high cellulose material such as, but not limited to, fiberboard, wooden Hot air holds more water in the vapor state than structures, cellulose insulation and dry wall. colder air. When hot humid air comes into contact with the cold sheet rock on the inside of 3 http://www.epa.gov/mold/append_b.html 4 http://www.epa.gov/mold/publications.html houses in the summer, the vapor condenses to 2925 Galleria Dr • Arlington, TX 76011 Phone: (817) 640-4900 or (877) 336-4532 • Fax: (817) 633-2000 Web site: http://www.DemilecUSA.com • E mail: [email protected] MOLD ISSUES
liquid water that triggers the growth of mold. Additional Information on Mold
The usage of loose fill insulation, such as APA - The Engineered Wood Association
fiberglass and cellulose, allows the free assemblies (it must also be emphasized that using wet blown cellulose requires adequate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In the design stage of construction, installation of low air permeance insulation, such as SEALECTION® 500 spray foam insulation,
Environmental Protection Agency
insulation prevents the uncontrolled movement of air through wall assemblies. The air space, in combination with the breathable spray foam insulation having low air permeance, allows the NAHB National Mold Resource Center
assemblies before infestation can occur. The usage of SEALECTION® 500 is a positive way
in designing buildings free of mold-infestation. 2925 Galleria Dr • Arlington, TX 76011 Phone: (817) 640-4900 or (877) 336-4532 • Fax: (817) 633-2000 Web site: http://www.DemilecUSA.com • E mail: [email protected]

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