Its funny that most people do not believe that mold is more of a problem with newer homes than older ones. When I speak at events and tell people this information, it normally raises some eyebrows followed by a question from someone in the audience about how they can prevent mold growth in their new home. So I decided to post my answer for all to see.
Now, if you’re thinking about building a new home, hopefully you’ve realized by now how dangerous mold can be, and that the best way to deal with it is to prevent it from growing in the first place. By designing a new home, you are in a position to make some very important decisions that will either cost you or save you a lot of money in the future in mold remediation.
Because of organic materials, air-tight structures, and careless construction practices, new homes are often moldier than old homes. But, in addition to fixing these problems, you can incorporate mold and moisture resistance into the design of your home. Here are some things you may want to pay extra for to prevent mold problems in the future:
1. Rainwater can pool between the ground and your home foundation. Make sure the ground slopes down at least 6 inches within the first ten feet from each exterior wall so that water runs away from your home.
2. In addition to having a strong roof, you can opt for a high-quality roofing membrane to add further waterproofing protection.
3. Instead of using ordinary concrete, you can mix in a waterproofing compound to make your floor slab, garage floor, basement floors, and any other concrete floors impervious to water penetration. If the concrete becomes wet, it will dampen walls resting on the concrete floors.
4. As an additional water barrier for concrete floors, you can install a high quality water proof barrier to keep water from rising out of the ground to wet the concrete.
5. Spend extra to ensure your plumbing water supply, drain, and sewer pipes and plumbing fixtures are installed by a master plumber.
6. Have your heating and cooling ducts made with sheet metal and have any insulation on the outside of the duct, not the inside. This makes it easier to clean the interior of the duct of mold contamination later on.
7. Vents in the kitchen, bathroom, and for the dryer, should exhaust directly outdoors by sturdy pipes. They should not go through the attic, crawl space, walls, or ceiling where moisture and dirt can collect.
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