Executive Order 13423 Technical Guidance - Moisture Control
General Principles and Commitments
Establish and implement a moisture control strategy for controlling moisture flows and condensation to prevent building damage and mold contamination.
Technical Guidance
Introduction
Moisture Control in Public and Commercial Buildings
The National Academy of Science Committee on Damp Indoor Spaces and Health concluded recently that excessive moisture in buildings is a serious public health problem. Excess moisture in buildings is associated with a number of serious problems, including occupant health and productivity, and degradation of building materials and equipment. Occupant health and productivity can be jeopardized by a number of problems associated with damp indoor spaces, including mold and mildew, dust mites, cockroaches, and accelerated release of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) at high relative humidity levels, to name a few. Cosmetic or structural failures can occur when building materials are exposed to excessive moisture, causing decay, corrosion, or chemical reactions. Increased maintenance costs, expensive repair and remediation, and a shorter useful building life are also closely linked to poor moisture control in buildings. Many of these problems are preventable when buildings are designed, constructed, and managed effectively to control moisture.
Architects can design buildings that control for moisture and mitigate future problems through a careful focus on three specific areas: drainage and storm water management, enclosure design, and mechanical systems. Proper drainage and storm water management divert rain water and snowmelt away from buildings and paved surfaces to an appropriate destination. Proper enclosure design allows structural components of a building and the intersections between to work together to manage the flow of rain water, water vapor, heat, and air. Specifying appropriate mechanical systems allows for indoor humidity control, condensation minimization, and reduction in mold growth. Overall, proper design incorporates preventative measures that simultaneously deliver moisture control and provide for occupant health and comfort.
Builders can translate an architect's design and moisture control plan into tangible components that will ultimately be managed by operations and maintenance (O&M) professionals. In general, a builder's role in moisture control is preventive in nature. Once a building's design is finalized, a builder should follow a set of moisture prevention principles that includes controlling the impact of moisture on building construction materials, implementing the moisture control plan, and constructing the enclosure and installing plumbing and HVAC systems so as to prevent moisture problems and facilitate preventative maintenance.
O&M professionals can keep most moisture problems from occurring by following a straightforward process of inspection, cleaning, replacement, and repair. In the event of moisture intrusion, O&M professionals are often first responders in a position to limit or avoid occupant health impacts and the need for costly building repairs. It is also critical for O&M professionals to understand the moisture control elements of the building's design and installation. Once a building's design and construction is understood, O&M professionals should develop an inspection-driven moisture prevention process that includes maintenance of the roof drainage system to divert water away from the building structure; the foundation drainage system to divert water away from the building structure; the drainage system for parking lots, sidewalks, and other impermeable and low permeable surfaces; and periodic inspection of building materials and components for water damage.
EPA is currently developing detailed guidance for moisture control in commercial and public buildings to help building professionals, facility owners and managers, architects, building construction personnel, and O&M professionals achieve these objectives. The new guidance will complement EPA's existing guidance on mold remediation in schools and commercial buildings, and its new online mold course.
The Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers provides model guide spec language to assist agencies in meeting these requirements.
Major Resources
WBDG
Design Objectives
Indoor Air Quality and Mold Prevention of the Building Envelope, Mold and Moisture Dynamics, Sustainable—Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality
Model Contract and Specification Language
Other
(Note: draft EPA moisture control guidance will be available in 2006.)
