Humidity and development of mold on internal surfaces of building walls
Sato, N., Vittorino, F. and Brazolin, S.
2000 Proceedings of Healthy Buildings, Vol. 3 323
mold, modeling, humidity, residential, microbial growth, water damage, moisture, water vapour
Sato, N., Vittorino, F. and Brazolin, S., (2000), "Humidity and development of mold on internal surfaces of building walls", Proceedings of Healthy Buildings, Vol. 3 323.
Abstract:
The growth of micro-organisms in fa?ades and the interior walls of buildings is one of thelargest problems of building maintenance, especially in tropical and sub-tropical climateareas, as is the case for most of Brazil.
Micro-organism growth on interior walls is usually due to condensation or persistent waterinfiltration. Besides aesthetic and economic aspects, micro-organism proliferation on interiorwalls can cause serious problems to the health of the occupants. The first factor that affectsmicro-organism development is the availability of water in the wall.
This paper presents a study of the occurrence of mold in interior walls of several apartmentsof a housing estate in S?o Paulo, Brazil - the largest metropolitan area in South America. Theoccupation conditions, the building project, the types of material employed, aspect andlocation were all factors that determined the amount of humidity present in the coatings. Alsoa factor is the absence of air conditioning in the rooms - the situation in the great majority ofthe Brazilian dwellings. Some actions to minimize the occurrence of this type of pathology ininternal coatings of constructions are also discussed.