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Mold proof drywall ? You Must Be Kidding! InteriorAPedia © Is the new "mold resistant drywall" a viable product? Enter your search terms Submit search form   Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com

• Using mold-resistant or "mold proof" drywall or gypsum board products as a step in preventing mold growth in buildings - advice

This article reviews the benefits and limitations of using "mold resistant" drywall or "Sheetrock^(TM)" (which is a trademark) as a step in building mold-resistant construction. While this material may be a good idea for some problem-prone building locations, avoiding mold growth in buildings requires more than just this product. Below we raise a concern about the probable effectiveness of "mold resistant drywall" in large part because a careful reading of the manufacturer's data places very constrained limits on how this new and more expensive drywall is promised to perform. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Both of the major drywall companies are now marketing drywall which is advertised as offering "mold and mildew resistance". I was excited to hear about this because drywall in buildings, when it has gotten wet or been subjected to prolonged high moisture, is a very common place for mold growth. We find problem-mold both on the visible or room-side and often on the hidden or wall-cavity side of drywall.

What are you getting if you buy the new "mold resistant" gypsum panels to use after your mold remediation project?

First, Possibly Gouged: at a central New York mold remediation project the contractor told me that his local supplier was charging him four to eight times the cost of "regular" drywall (which he calls "sheetrock" (a trademarked name) or "gyp board" which is slang for gypsum panels.

Second, Promised very little: if the USG submittal sheet for "Sheetrock^(R)" Brand Humitek^(TM) Gypsum panels is any indicator, the manufacturer has given themselves an impressive escape clause. Quoting from the product limitations on this USG document, using its item numbers:

1. Avoid exposure to temperatures exceeding 125 deg F (Translation: keep it away from your boiler flue, it's not fire-rated).
2. Avoid exposure to excessive or continuous moisture before, during and after installation. Eliminate sources of moisture immediately. (Translation: if you put this material in an environment where mold grew on your old drywall, we're not promising that this product will perform any better.)
3. Not suitable for use in high moisture areas such as tub and shower enclosures, gang showers, and other areas subject to direct water exposure. (Translation: you shouldn't have used your old drywall in the bathroom and you shouldn't put this new product near the tub, sink, or shower.)
4. Non load bearing.

The moisture and mold resistance of this material is cited as "Per ASTM C473, the average water absorption for panels is not greater than 5 percent by weight after two-hour immersion." (Translation: sounds great, doesn't it?)

Use mold resistant gypsum panels with hesitation and caution

This product sounds like a great idea but ... considering the limitations stated by the manufacturer, I would want to see a lot more about the make-up, testing, and field-use experience of this material before I'd pay the premium suppliers are getting to provide it to your mold remediation contractor.

Anyone who has used moldproof drywall and sees what they think is mold growing on this new product is welcome to send a sample to my lab.

If your sample comes from Humitek™ or any other drywall manufacturer who provides mold-resistant drywall, I will process your sample pro-bono. See www.inspect-ny.com/sickhouse/bulksamp.htm for easy to follow mold sampling procedures and mailing instructions.

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