Fungal Defacement in Buildings: A Performance Related Approach

Fungal defacement on the inside surface of exterior walls is a common complaint in buildings in both cool and warm climates. The first part of this paper discusses the method by which the conditions for mold growth on inside surfaces were handled in the building community. Then, a short description of a performance based approach follows, succeeded by an analysis of all hygro-ther-mal parameters that intervene in prevention. The paper ends with a discussion of the performance requirements to minimize the risk of fungal defacement. The occurrence of fungal defacement is governed by a combination of ten parameters. The inside and outside climate and the vapor quantity released or removed inside are stochastic parameters that need to be considered when defining minimum thermal performances or ventilation flows to avoid fungal defacement.