Fifty nine houses, selected on the basis of previous measurements of mold levels, were subjected to field inspection, testing and monitoring and the occupants subjected to health evaluation questionnaires and testing of blood and nasal secretions. Data on house performance, mold growth and health has been compiled in an electronic data base available for future researchers. The work showed correlations between measurements of mold growth and immunological reactions of occupants and that mold growth appeared to be more related to local moisture sources than ventilation levels.
The attic space of most residential buildings is well insulated from the house below, and therefore experiences extreme temperature conditions on seasonal and diurnal cycles. This can cause moisture entering the attic through the ceiling from the house, or through other leaks from outside, to accumulate in or on interior wood surfaces. This moisture accumulation leads to structural degradation and the growth of micro-organisms.
The Dutch E novation program is a national demonstration program in which dwellings with high energy consumption, moisture and mould problems and poor indoor air quality were renovated, with special attention to the selection of the heating and ventilation systems, thermal insulation and the building physical details. A number of indoor air quality parameters were monitored before and after renovation, showing an important improvement in the indoor air quality.
Three different examples illustrate the possibilities offered by the use of tracer gas methods for detailed airborne moisture transport studies in building. The first one concerns an individual dwelling with severe condensation problems, the second one gives an example of statistical data collection of humidity related parameters in 18 apartments and the last one focuses on the evaluation of the amount of water evaporating from the building materials of a recently built low energy dwelling and on the energy consumption required for drying the construction.
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