Mold-Free Nation

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Mold-Free Nation

Builders and planners fight a scourge by starving it at the source.

http://www.kiplinger.com/personalfinance/magazine/archives/2006/04/mo

ld.html

Hurricane Katrina elevated the lowly mold spore to a prime

pestilence. But you need not have your home submerged for two weeks

to be attacked. All you need is a modern house designed and built to

be more airtight without controlled ventilation. Complex rooflines

are prone to leaks. Add to that extra bathrooms and more moisture-

producing appliances. No wonder there's a boom in lawsuits over mold.

But drier times are coming. Whole-house design will partly solve the

problem by integrating moisture control with energy efficiency.

Building scientists envision a standard for " moisture loads, "

similar to those for weight. For example, dehumidifying the incoming

air before it meets the air-conditioning system means you could run

a smaller AC unit. The effort is critical because in many states

insurance companies are excluding mold damage from builders'

liability insurance and homeowners' standard coverage.

Fortunately, mold-resistant building products, both inside the home

and outside, are available. Georgia-Pacific makes drywall faced with

fiberglass instead of paper, a favorite food of mold. In a 2,300-

square-foot home, that costs an extra $1,000. Builder

Speciale, of Austin, Tex., used the drywall throughout the home his

father, also named , now lives in. " In Texas, mold is a real

nasty word, " the elder Speciale says.

-- Mertz Esswein