How Does a Bad Building Envelope Foster Mold, Mildew, and Wet Rot?

Moisture control is vital to the smooth operation of any building. When you control the moisture in your building you protect yourself and your tenants or coworkers from adverse health effects. Moisture control in buildings is crucial to avoid both complications with human health and structural performance.

Both a loose building envelope or one that allows air transfer where it shouldn’t and a tight building envelope that doesn’t allow for the appropriate movement of air, contribute to moisture inside the building and limit the useful service life of a building. A poor building envelope leads to wood decay, discoloration, electrical shorts, and health problems.

Mold, mildew, and wet rot cause problems with indoor air quality, structural problems, and outdoor appearance problems. The International Energy Agency recommends that to avoid mildew and growth the monthly average humidity on interior surfaces should not go beyond eighty per cent.

A bad building envelope encourages water vapour migrating from the outside to the inside of the building instead of the other way around.

Here we have explained how moisture, mildew, and wet rot spreads due to a poor building envelope.

• Leakage and rainwater impingement: Impingement and rainwater are the common contributors of mold, mildew, and wet rot. Rainwater can be identified and stopped by coming up with a building envelope that prevents rainwater from entering ceilings and walls.
• Movement of moist air: Moist air can penetrate through the roofs and walls. There is lack of appropriate air movement such as moist air moving out.

We recommend that you consult a professional to inspect and potentially repair your building envelope in order to better control indoor air quality.

Westerly Restoration provides building envelope and restoration services in Vancouver, BC, and throughout the lower mainland.

If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about building envelopes or restoration, please call us at (778) 881-2877 or use the convenient form on our Contact page.