N.H. home a study of ways to fight mold

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N.H. home a study of ways to fight mold

House showcases resistant techniques and materials.

Philadelphia Inquirer - Philadelphia,PA*

By Alan J. Heavens

Inquirer Real Estate Writer

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/real_estate/20071021_Breaking_the_mold

..html

There are better ways to build a house, especially if you want to

keep mold under control, believes.

" Mold is a huge issue for my clients, especially lenders, since they

have 80 percent exposure to the problem through [the] mortgage,

compared with the homeowner's 20 percent equity, " said ,

principal of Environmental Assurance Group, a lending and real

estate consulting firm, in West Hartford, Conn.

So when some clients suggested that make the year-round house

he was planning to build on the site of a lakeside summer cottage in

Chesterfield, N.H., a showcase for mold-resistant construction

techniques and products, he agreed.

" I said I'd be happy to do it but that because this was my house,

I'd establish the ground rules. "

The result is a " mold-safe model home. " Completed in September, it

was built in conjunction with the Partnership for Advancing

Technology in Housing (PATH), which will monitor how the house

performs over time. Products and techniques used were chosen based

on his research and PATH's input, said. With his approval,

PATH brought some manufacturers into the project.

Mold-prevention strategies are considered prohibitively expensive by

a lot of builders. begs to disagree, though he declined to put

a price tag on the 3,000-square-foot, two-story structure.

" In a house costing a quarter of a million dollars, paperless

drywall represents one-half of 1 percent, or $1,250, " said.

" I spent $2,500 on a commode and two light fixtures for one of the

bathrooms. Is $1,250 too much to invest in an effort to get mold

coverage put back into homeowners' insurance policies? "

Mold thrives most often in moist conditions, which - combined with a

nutrient source such as soil, dust, and products that, like

conventional drywall, contain cellulose or other dead organic

matter - provide the ideal environment for colonization.

Though indoor-mold problems have always existed, they were

aggravated by changes in home-construction techniques wrought by the

energy crisis of the 1970s. Creation of energy-efficient houses in

which the air inside is not regularly exchanged has been linked by

the American Lung Association to a dramatic increase in asthma cases

in the last three decades.

Correcting moisture problems is often the best way to stop mold

growth. Depending on the extent of damage, though, cleanup costs can

run into the tens of thousands of dollars. After several high-

profile lawsuits over costs involving homeowners and insurance

companies, many insurers dropped mold coverage completely from

standard policies or began requiring special and expensive riders

with higher deductibles.

Building products have been developed that resist mold or create

barriers to the moisture it needs to thrive. Many of them were used

in 's mold-safe house in Chesterfield:

Georgia-Pacific's DensArmor Plus paperless wallboard, listed for

microbial resistance by the Greenguard Environmental Institute, was

installed with inorganic glues and tapes (information at www.gp.com).

The wallboard and all the wood in the house were coated with an

antimicrobial spray developed by American Mold Guard

(www.americanmoldguard.com).

The house and roof were wrapped in Dupont's Fiberweb Typar

(www.typar.com), which acts as an air and moisture barrier while

simultaneously allowing moisture vapor to escape from the wall

cavity to the outside. It was installed before the exterior siding,

which was natural cedar in keeping with the rural, lakefront view.

The Western red cedar siding was sprayed with a specialized coating

made by Cabot (www.cabotstain.com).

The Typar housewrap was covered with Home Slicker, a ventilating,

self-draining rain screen made by Obdyke Inc., which has

its headquarters in Horsham. Home Slicker drains moisture from

behind the siding and down the house, reducing the chances of

premature peeling or blistering of finishes. It allows about three-

eighths inch for air flow (www.benjaminobdyke.com).

CertainTeed, based in Valley Forge, provided its Optima insulation

for the walls of 's house, and its DryRight insulation for the

ceiling cavities, both of which are designed to deny mold a food

source. The insulation is covered with CertainTeed's MemBrane, a

permeable vapor barrier (www.certainteed.com).

Residential builders have not capitalized on these products,

said, " since [they] are afraid of being first, and don't want to be

known as higher-cost producers. "

" They are not going there, they don't want to be cutting-edge, they

want to do it the way they have always done it because that's the

way they always have done it. "

Taking the opposite view is G. Schaal, director of sales and

marketing for Paparone Homes of New Jersey.

" Builders are concerned about health and litigation issues, so the

construction techniques and materials we use are designed to deter

mold growth, " Schaal said.

" Some builders put dehumidifiers in houses if they know the buyers

will be finishing the basement at some point, " he said. " They coat

the exterior basement walls with waterproofing systems such as

Tuff 'n' Dri, and, in most cases, the residential industry has

shifted from porous concrete block to less porous poured concrete,

to prevent moisture intrusion. "

In townhouse construction, Schaal said, " if the builder uses

Sheetrock between the units instead of block walls, the procedure is

to spray the sheets with a bleach product to kill anything that

could have grown if they were exposed to moisture. "

In existing homes, said Jim Mellon, president of Mellon Certified

Restorations in Yeadon, " the sources of the mold have to be located,

the areas have to be contained, material removed under controlled

circumstances, then vacuumed, washed and vacuumed again. "

Drywall is porous, and if there's mold it will spread, Mellon said.

Mold can be cleaned from hard furniture such as tables, but soft

furniture like couches have to be gotten rid of.

Residential mold doesn't get quite the same attention now that it

got a few years ago, but that doesn't mean the issue has gone away,

and others said.

" If the house smells, it is a problem that must be dealt with, " said

McCann, an associate broker at Prudential Fox & Roach's

Center City office. " Even if testing doesn't find mold, sellers have

to disclose any and all moisture problems, because if they don't

disclose, there's always the chance of a lawsuit by the buyers. "

Still, McCann said, buyers haven't requested mold testing in any of

the houses he's sold in the last six months to a year.

" If there is no odor involved but the home inspector notices it,

he'll tell the buyer to have someone check it out. "

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Stop Mold in its Tracks

The way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture. Here

are some effective strategies:

Reduce indoor humidity (to 30 percent to 60 percent) by venting

bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources to the

outside; using air conditioners and dehumidifiers; increasing

ventilation; and using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing,

and cleaning.

Clean and dry any damp or wet building materials and furnishings in

24 to 48 hours.

Clean mold off hard surfaces with water and detergent, and dry

completely.

Prevent condensation. Reduce the potential for it on cold surfaces

(including windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by

adding insulation.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

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Contact real estate writer Alan J. Heavens at 215-854-2472 or

aheavens@....