mold / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...mold and that may become a big issue..  Condensation, humidity, mold and health Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, (or none at all). Put simply, some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, molds can cause nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing or wheezing, ey...

...mold can establish itself. That dank air will inevitably be circulated throughout your home, providing humidity, mold spores and a pretty nasty smell that will be the dominating odour of your home, furnishings, and your clothes, so you will take that aroma everywhere you go. Rotten huh? Crawlspace vapour barrier © Pes...

...mold formation. They most certainly are not based on the laws of physics,that is the one thing we know for sure. 3) The cheapest way to insulate a basement is on the inside, and using finishing materials that are moisture and therefore mold formation sensitive. This is a big problem, given the potential for mold proble...

...mold exposure, which is a common problem with poorly-insulated homes, particularly poorly-insulated basements with high-humidity that have not been designed to manage moisture properly. This is pretty much the definition of an Earthship in the way it would perform in Canada. Growing food in a cold-climate greenhouse cr...

...mold. With recent 'improvements' to construction in North America, we now use standard code compliant paper-faced drywall which can start to develop mold at about 80% RH. As we insulate and make homes airtight, they don't dry as easily, and common building practices trap moisture inside wall assemblies. Be careful not ...

...mold to grow in basements? Mold can grow on virtually any organic material as long as the moisture levels it likes and oxygen are present. Because mold eats or digests what it is growing on, it can damage a building and its furnishings. If left unchecked, mold eventually can cause structural damage to building material...

What is the difference between a slab on grade & a crawl space? A slab on grade, or ‘frost protected shallow foundation’ is exactly that, a slab of concrete on the ground. There’s more to it of course, but let’s start with a ‘win’ in the comprehension department shall we?  A slab on grade rests directly on the gro...

Mold in homes is a bad sign so how to get rid of it or prevent mold in drywall? Mold and mildew in homes develops in conditions of high humidity, most often in bathrooms, kitchens and basements, unless caused by roof leaks and other building envelope failures. Along with affecting the durability of your home, mold and ...

Homes built in the last 40 years in Canada are relatively airtight. Before that we generally relied on leaky uninsulated walls to provide fresh air and prevent mold and mildew, and they did that very well. Cost and comfort had us adding insulation, but not necessarily sealing our walls. The folly of this was quickly re...

...mold for our US readers), mildew and pest infestations in hemp board. The safer manufacturing process of hemp building materials not only reduces the risk of exposure to VOCs in the home, it amounts to a reduction in the manufacturing of toxic synthetic materials, thus protecting global air quality and waterways.  Appl...

...mold growth and rotting in basement walls - often caused by interstitial condensation. The following basement insulation techniques listed here are designed to offer the most sensible and durable options for interior insulation, exterior insulation, or ideally, a combination of both. These assemblies have been designed...