April Showers Bring May… Mold?

With spring fast-approaching, many of us can anticipate lots of rain in the forecast. A popular rhyme we learned as children taught us to expect that ?April showers bring May flowers?. But have you ever stopped to consider the potentially ugly side of those April showers? Today we’re talking about mold and mildew, and how your home?could be more susceptible to expensive and unhealthy moisture damage than you may think.

Unwanted moisture in your wall system can wreak havoc on your home. ?Mildew, mold growth and rot are serious problems that can become living nightmares for any homeowner. With the growing movement towards improving the energy-efficiency of homes, many people are adding insulation to the exterior of their homes and not considering the moisture concerns they may be creating in the process. When you seal up a home to reduce energy loss, you may also be reducing the home’s ability to breathe, and that’s just asking for moisture damage.

Not only is moisture damage costly and time consuming to repair, it can also cause health problems. Molds can produce allergens, irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances. In many cases,?the problem is severe by the time it is detected. These problems, commonly known as “sick home syndrome”, create unhealthy and even dangerous living environments. Homeowners need to choose insulation products that do two things:

1.)??Allow the wall to dry when exposed to water from the outside

Water from wind-driven rain and snow can enter the wall system through leaks in the building envelope.?Building materials must be designed to channel bulk water out of the wall and allow air to move through the system sufficiently, drying the wall completely.

2.)??Allow water vapor from inside the home to escape.

The average family of four produces four to six gallons of water vapor each day through activities such as cooking, cleaning and showering. That vapor must be able to escape from your home, so moisture does not accumulate and cause problems in the walls.

Fullback? Insulated Siding was designed to specifically address these?two issues while adding insulation, beauty and durability to the wall.

The contoured foam insulation in Fullback? Insulated Siding is made of expanded polystyrene, a breathable material that does not absorb moisture and allows water vapor to escape from your home. Building scientists measure breathability in terms of a? perm rating. According to ASTM, a ?perm rating? of 1.0 or less is considered a ?significant vapor barrier?. Fullback? has a perm rating of 5.0.

It?works just like Gore-Tex?, a waterproof, yet breathable material popularly used in hiking shoes and other athletic apparel. Gore-Tex? allows moisture generated by your body to escape, while still protecting you from the elements. Fullback? does the same for your home.

Fullback has?been in the field for 20 years with ZERO MOISTURE CLAIMS, and we have years of testing to back its moisture performance.

Click the video thumbnail to watch my short clip explaining the results of?our moisture performance?tests, or click the PDF to open our more detailed?literature sheet.