Staten Island Mold Inspections

Staten Island Mold Inspections

Staten Island Mold Inspections: Do Building Materials Contribute To Mold Growth?

Many prospective homebuyers and builders often ask the question if there are any building materials that are known to promote mold growth. This is not the most straightforward question to answer. Mold requires very specific conditions to grow mainly moisture, a food source, oxygen and temperate conditions for its ideal propagation environment. Unfortunately, gypsum board which is a common building material used in many homes and office buildings are a particular favorite of mold that they love to feed on. You may wonder why mold is attracted to gypsum board in the first place. Most gypsum board is paper faced. Papermaking involves the grinding of wood to make sheets. However not many people know that there is a chemical processing involved in papermaking that almost renders the wood used in the papermaking fully digested. This makes it very easy for mold to feast on, as the wood does not have to be broken down significantly to be consumed by the mold. It has been the finding of most Staten Island mold inspections companies that for this reason alone, many homebuilders are shying away from the use of paper faced gypsum board.

But remember that the paper facing only provides the nutrient source for mold. According to Staten Island mold inspections companies, it is the moisture that is actually contributing to the mold, not just the nutrient source itself. The truth is that if care is taken to keep the paper faced gypsum board dry, there is no reason that Staten Island mold inspections companies can find not to use it as a building material. So you may ask what special steps one must take in order to keep paper faced gypsum board dry. Staten Island mold inspections companies recommend that interior walls benefit greatly from the use of gypsum board that is paper faced. According to Staten Island mold inspections companies, when paper faced gypsum board is used on exterior walls, it can be disastrous in that it encourages mold growth.

However, Staten Island mold inspection companies find that there are certain areas in the house that paper faced gypsum board must not be used even as in interior walls. Shower stalls, steam rooms and even some kitchens are not best served when paper faced gypsum board is used. Therefore Staten Island mold inspections companies recommend to err on the side of caution and keep bedrooms, family rooms, living rooms and studies in paper faced gypsum board; while keeping rooms that are prone to humidity in other materials.