ASHRAE Provides New On-Line Mold Management Manual

[Michael Brown]

ASHRAE News Release

December 12, 2003

ASHRAE Offers Information on Control of Mold, Moisture

ATLANTA - 'How should buildings be designed, built and operated to minimize problems with mold and moisture' may be the No. 1 question asked today in the construction industry.

A new online technical resource from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) will help provide the answer. Mold and Moisture Management in Buildings contains 22 ASHRAE Journal articles and papers presented at ASHRAE IAQ conferences and ASHRAE's semi-annual meetings.

"This collection provides extensive technical background along with specific suggestions for avoiding mold- and moisture-related problems," Lew Harriman, a member of ASHRAE's technical committee on moisture management in buildings, said. The papers and articles address mold fundamentals, moisture movement in building assemblies, dehumidification and HVAC systems, and also discussions of typical problems and solutions for both commercial and residential buildings.

"Problems associated with mold and moisture seldom fall neatly into any single professional responsibility," according to Harriman. "Biology, medicine, engineering, architecture, construction and building operation all contribute to understanding and managing moisture in buildings. When difficulties occur, they usually expose gaps between these disciplines and often expose shortcomings of our overall understanding of the behavior of moisture and its consequences."

The collection can help the professional community as well as the general public understand the technical issues surrounding mold and mildew, according to Harriman.

The cost of Mold and Moisture Management in Buildings is $49 ($35 ASHRAE members). It is available only via download from the Bookstore at ASHRAE.org at http://resourcecenter.ashrae.org/store/ ... 174&page=1.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 55,000 persons. Its sole objective is to advance through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve the evolving needs of the public.