The Responsible Solutions to Mold Coalition, a consortium of building material companies and associations, academic and government organizations, has announced that August is Mold Awareness Month. 

The Responsible Solutions to Mold Coalition, a consortium of building material companies and associations, academic and government organizations, has announced that August is Mold Awareness Month. The coalition is taking this opportunity to remind builders and homeowners alike that building green means building dry.

“It’s fair to say that ‘green building’ is the dominant trend in construction today-as builders strive to utilize recycled materials, or materials that are low in embedded energy or are low in energy usage,” said Mike Poellinger, chairman of the RSMC. “Both are important goals, but they must be pursued in a way that allows buildings to manage and repel moisture. Energy-efficient buildings can often trap unwanted moisture-or buildings that feature renewable building materials such as bamboo flooring, for example, may not prove to be highly durable, thereby defeating a key goal of the green building movement: sustainability.”

According to coalition, building green homes means designing, building and maintaining them in a way that keeps moisture at bay. Because a damp home not only deteriorates more quickly, it can also create an unhealthy environment that becomes moldy and attracts insects and other vermin.

The RSMC is funded by grants from USG Corporation, National Gypsum and American Gypsum.

For more information on these and other mold-resistant building tips, please visit www.responsiblemoldsolutions.org. Also a copy of a free brochure on mold-fighting tips is available by e-mailing info@responsiblemoldsolutions.org.