Preventing Mold Growth is Essential to a Clean and Healthy Environment in the Home for Families
Every homeowner knows that mold prevention is essential in maintaining a clean and healthy environment for their families and a New Hampshire real estate consulting firm is dedicating a building to just such a cause.
Charles Perry, a principal of Environmental Assurance Group in West Hartford, Connecticut, says that mold is a huge concern for lenders as well as homeowners. Since lenders usually hold 80 percent of the equity of a home, they have serious concerns about mold destroying the value and equity of a property. As a result, Perry agreed to showcase mold-resistant construction techniques in a home he was building in Chesterfield, N.H.
Built in conjunction with the Partnership for Advanced Technology in Housing (PATH), Perry’s home is designed to show how building processes and materials can help prevent against mold. PATH will monitor the home’s performance over time.
According to Perry, the home is a mold-safe home that incorporates a variety of techniques that combat and prevent mold growth. Materials such as paperless drywall have been used since mold thrives in moist conditions where it can grow on organic matter like traditional paper drywall. Although these kinds of materials often cost more than traditional building products, Perry claims that the potential savings in insurance and health are well worth it.
As a result of the energy crisis in the 1970s, construction began focusing on re-circulating existing air within the home to save on energy costs. This meant that air was not regularly exchanged and the American Lung Association has linked this problem in construction with an increase in asthma over the last thirty years. Re-circulating ventilation systems can exacerbate mold problems by redistributing existing mold throughout the home.
Since mold thrives in moist conditions, preventing excess moisture in the home is the best method to prevent mold growth. Once mold is present, however, removing it can be both dangerous and costly. Costs for mold cleanup can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.As the result of several strong lawsuits between homeowner and insurance companies involving mold cleanup, many insurance companies stopped covering mold as part of their standard policies. Some began requiring homeowners to purchase additional insurance specifically for mold.
As a result, manufacturers have created building materials specifically designed to resist mold. Perry incorporated some of these products into his home including:
- Georgia Pacific’s DensArmor Plus paperless wallboard that was tested by the Greenguard Environmental Institute as a microbial resistant material. Perry installed it using inorganic glues and tapes.
- American Mold Guard antimicrobial spray that Perry used to coat the wallboard and all of the wood.
- Dupont’s Fiberweb Typar wrap on the house and roof. This house wrap is designed to provide an air and moisture barrier but still allows the house to breathe. It allows moisture vapor to escape from the wall but keeps outside moisture from entering. It also provides a moisture barrier between the wall cavity and the cedar siding.
- The siding, comprised of Western red cedar, was coated with a product created by Cabot.
- Perry covered the Typar with Home Slicker, a rain screen made by Benjamin Obdyke Inc., which helps ventilate and drain moisture. The screen is designed to reduce premature peeling of finishes yet allow approximately three-eighths of an inch of airflow.
- CertainTeed creates wall insulation, under the name of Optima, which can be covered by CertainTeed’s Membrane, a permeable vapor barrier. CertainTeed also creates DryRight, an insulation for ceiling cavities that prevents mold growth. Perry used both of these insulation materials in his home.
Perry says that although many of these products are slightly more expensive than their traditional alternatives, few builders are willing to try them due to fear of being labeled an expensive builder.