More about Mold

BSI-009: New Light In Crawlspaces — by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2009/05/22

An edited version of this Insight first appeared in the ASHRAE Journal. Think of the good old days—the Civil War, WWI, the Great Depression, WWII—crawlspaces were uninsulated. They were ventilated and they didn’t have ground covers—and they didn’t have problems. Why?

RR-0509a: Details for Mold-Free Homes — by Betsy Pettit — last modified 2008/10/20

A presentation discussing the causes of house failures due to mold.

RR-0509b: Details for Avoidance of Mold—Foundations — by Betsy Pettit — last modified 2008/10/20

A presentation discussing the details for building a dry foundation.

RR-0208: What You Need to Know About Mold — by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2008/10/16

This article answers your questions about mold, what it is, where it grows, how it spreads, how can I prevent it.

RR-0209: Mold Testing — by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2009/04/16

Although this article is titled "Mold Testing" it actually tells you why testing for mold is usually not needed.

RR-0210: Mold Remediation in Occupied Homes — by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2009/04/16

This article provides both general guidelines for mold remediation as well as specific guidelines for the typical locations where mold is most often found in houses.

RR-0211: Mold—Causes, Health Effects and Clean-up — by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2009/04/16

This article briefly repeats some of the information in the other mold articles but also includes information on how to prevent mold in residential structures.

RR-9902: Mold Control in Publicly Funded Housing Developments — by Betsy Pettit, FAIA and Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2009/04/16

This presentation examines health related building problems in public housing.

RR-0101a: Moisture, Building Enclosures, and Mold—Part I — by Building Science Corporation — last modified 2008/09/11

How water gets into a structure, why it doesn’t leave, and how these architectural flaws become HVAC headaches.

RR-0101b: Moisture, Building Enclosures, and Mold—Part II — by Building Science Corporation — last modified 2008/09/11

How water gets into a structure, why it doesn’t leave, and how these architectural flaws become HVAC headaches.

BSD-138: Moisture and Materials — by John Straube — last modified 2009/08/10

Moisture is involved in most building problems. The most serious tend to be structural damage due to wood decay, unhealthy fungal growth, corrosion, freeze-thaw, and damage to moisture sensitive interior finishes. Avoiding these problems requires an understanding of moisture, the nature of materials, and how it interacts with materials. This digest deals with these fundamentals.

Introduction — by Building Science Corporation — last modified 2009/11/12

This pamphlet offers guidance about residential building remodeling practices that foster healthy homes. See Section 2C to download the complete document.

BSP-060: The Mold Explosion: Why Now? — by Jospeh Lstiburek — last modified 2008/10/24

Today's houses make it easier for mold to find the food and water it needs to thrive. The cure is a quick cleanup and smarter choices in materials.