What is the relationship between water and air? Well, when it is in your home, there is a direct relationship between the two. A little excess moisture, gone undetected, can create serious indoor air quality problems.
MOISTURE EQUALS MOLD
Modern construction techniques make living easier, but they also bring along their own potential problems. Old lathe and plaster walls have been replaced with more efficient gypsum-board "drywall". Cheaper? Yes. Energy-efficient? Yes. But what is drywall? Essentially, it is mined material pressed between two large sheets of thick paper. Simple, right? But what happens when that simple building material is hiding an undetected moisture intrusion?
Well, the porous paper around the gypsum acts as a sponge, absorbing the moisture and hanging on to it for dear life. And since half the time the affected side is on the back, in the dark, recessed wall cavity, it is very difficult for the moisture to evaporate. And is it remains.
ADDING TO THE EQUATION
Moisture is the catalyst that begins the process. The paper backing is the fuel that creates a home for the life about to spring forth. Now we have the optimum environment, but how does the actual mold come from? Well, here is a secret: It's already there, waiting to proliferate. Remember how we said that the bulk of the drywall material, the gypsum, was mined? It came from the ground and was then made into drywall. Those pesky, dormant mold spores are just laying in wait for the chance to spring forth when conditions are right.
Don't let it happen. Take the preventative steps to keep the moisture out. That is the first, and best, step to take in order to keep the mold at bay.
The Expert’s Corner
Copyright © 2009
20090303-2
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment