Air Quality
Mold and mildew are a major problem in warm, humid climates such as the U.S. southeast where as many as 70% of all homes eventually suffer from mildew problems. Mildew increases the risk of occupant sickness and causes expensive and frequent repairs and redecorating. Mildew is a mold that grows under warm, humid conditions. Optimal growth conditions are from 77° to 86° F (25° to 30° C), and between 62% and 93% relative humidity.
Other air quality problems are present as ambient air contains mold and mildew spores, bacteria, pollen, dust, etc. In addition, air leakage through structures carries moisture vapor with it, which condenses on colder surfaces. This condensation causes wood decay and contributes to the creation of microenvironments suitable for the development of mold and mildew. In older buildings, uncontrolled air leakage can be responsible for 50 to 60% of the heating and cooling energy consumption, and large capacity heating and air conditioning equipment is required. During times when even small temperature differences exist between inside and outside and/or no wind is blowing, leaky buildings still experience underventilated conditions.
BioBased 501 will:
Provide high quality indoor air to accommodate guests with allergies, etc.
Minimize energy and maintenance cost.
Eliminate drafts.
Eliminate convection inside wall cavities and reduction in air exchange between outdoors, attic, and the interior. This results in interior wall temperatures close to ambient room temperature and reduced radiant cold/heat experienced by guests.
Provide better dehumidification in summers due to more frequent operation of smaller a/c units.
Provide less fluctuation in interior temperatures in any season.
The solution is to build buildings as tight as possible and take full control of fresh air requirements with continuous mechanical ventilation. This minimizes unwanted air and moisture movement through the structure, and allows the intake and cleansing of the correct amount of air for the specific building. Buildings are complicated and, when using conventional insulation and air/vapor barrier materials, extremely tight construction is difficult and expensive to achieve.
