New state of the art building technology eliminates plaguing moisture problems

Professor of civil engineering from the University of Alberta and former executive director of the Canadian Masonry Research Institute, Dr. Mike Hatzinikolas has develop a rain screen panel designed to eliminate moisture problems found in wall cavities. Eco Specialty Products Ltd. and co-sponsor, Environmental Education Foundation are conducting a 2-3 hour lecture on the subject at the Double Tree Guest Suite on 44th St. in Phoenix on May 6th at 8:30am.

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) April 16, 2004 -- Situations of toxic mold conditions are being regularly discovered in exterior envelopes of both residential and commercial buildings. Molds and fungus have been found in walls of buildings less than 5 years old and in regions that are considered to be arid. These conditions are being found in many different envelope situations with the common denominator being the absence of a fully vented water management system. In order for fungus and mold to grow they must have water and air. If moisture is trapped the formation of mold is inevitable.

One of the most visible systems contributing to the mold situation is that of standard and acrylic stucco. The EPS foam can absorb and trap moisture if a vented rain screen is not present. If any moisture is held, the potential for harvesting mold increases. The moisture turns to vapor and has the capability of traveling from the outside and settling in the wall cavity and eventually forming mold. In many states and provinces construction insurance is not available for the use of acrylic EIFS systems due to the problems associated. Class action lawsuits are prevalent and most are the result of leaking walls".

The Environmental Education Foundation is a leading the way on the subject of mold risk management awareness and offers a separate program focused on risk reduction associated with water intrusion and mold. The Foundation has joined forces with Dr. Hatzinikolas for this one-day event in hope to bring awareness to this problem to an audience of building design professionals and contractors locally in Phoenix. Troy Johnson, executive director of the EEF says, We are pleased to be a partner of this event and look forward to the presentation. The main problem in mold issues" is water intrusion and the prospect of having US builders and architects using a water resistant product is very exciting."

Korax Industries and Eco Specialty Products Ltd. are examples of two companies that have made a commitment to offer solutions for proper envelope construction and water management. Eco Specialty Products Ltd. manufactures a WeatherWall system that is highly water resistant and breathable external membrane. The final step in the installation of the system is a coat of elastomeric coating. This elastomeric coating is resistant to fungus, mold and mildew as well as being highly water resistant. If the water is not allowed to sit on the wall surface it will not contribute to the intrusion of water to the wall cavity. Even though the WeatherWall system is impervious to water, there is a possibility moisture will get in the wall structure. It could get in through penetrations or wall terminations. To combat this, the WeatherWall system incorporates the use or Korax Industries Rain Screen" panel. This panel functions as a fully vented rain screen cladding designed to remove any moisture that happens to migrate into the wall structure.

The rain screen panel was designed to effectively move any moisture entering the wall system. The rain screen is vented in such a way as to accommodate the intrusion of water anywhere in the structure and move moisture properly to the vented areas of the system. The wall cavity thus remains dry and ensures that air circulates at all times to ensure it will always remain dry. The rain screen cladding can be installed on many substrates including foam (for EIFS applications), wood frame, exterior drywall, concrete panel and water resistant panels. It can also be added to concrete and concrete block structures.

About Environmental Educational Foundation
The Environmental Education Foundation (EEF) is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the development and dissemination of information regarding hazards to human health and threats to the environment with particular emphasis on hazards or threats which are associated with occupying, purchasing, selling or owning residential, commercial or industrial property; testing methodologies and procedures to detect such hazards and threats; and programs and measures which mitigate or eliminate such hazards or threats. Contact: info@enviro-ed.org ; www.enviro-ed.org ; Phone: 480-659-9356

About Eco Specialty Products Ltd.
ECO Specialty Products is a Canadian born manufacturer and designer of over 70 innovative coating and cementitious products. Eco Specialty Products Ltd. is dedicated to providing high quality, environmentally friendly specialized architectural coatings for the construction industry. Eco, representing ecology, utilizes the latest technologies to produce high quality, low VOC solutions. For more information, please visit www.ecospecialty.com or email: myadvantage@ecospecialty.com. Phone 480-833-2593.