Re: Mold Prevention coatings applied during new construction

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Contrary to the sentiments expressed in the second post, there are
opinions in the industry that differ. All coatings are formulated
differently in that some, like silicone/silane based systems behave
like a vapor barrier "locking moisture in". Latex / acrylic latex,
more specifically synthetic acrylic latex systems are porous. In
the same way house wrap is designed, it allows the materials to
breathe.

This thread seems to be a running advertisement for the microshield
guys posting with aliases that are actually applying MICROBAN (as
seen on their website. Guys, Microban doesn't do the job - It
can't pass the ASTM standards for dry film fungal resistance hence
Sentinel kicking it to the curb over a year ago. Additionally,
you're advertising an encapsulant on your website, see above. Aegis
is a silicone based quat solution no matter how they try to dress
it up. It harbors exposure concerns, and service life limitations
relative to moisture this is why it doesn't have a manufacturer
backed warranty - good luck finding the applicator when it fails
even if he is the undisclosed founder of the organization that
backs the warranty under a different company name in another state!
Nice try.. Robert. PCG is nothing but an opportunistic fraud
taking advantage of a vunerable Florida market. They mislead you
by making illegal claims and getting their users in trouble for a
quick buck, (see EPA treated Article Exemption PR notice
www.epa.gov), their so called technology officer is named in a
lawsuit involving St.Jude where he developed a product that - see
for yourself, its sickening: (www.mnd.uscourts.gov/Tunheim) a
cohort real estate scam artist with other lawsuits on file in
kansas and indiana. BUYER BEWARE.

Regardless of the opinions stated in other posts, overall, coatings
can be a good thing when used in combination with high quality
control standards at the site. Unfortunately, quality control is
difficult, especially for production builders. Water will find its
way in as a result of a constructin defect - mistakes happen.
Moisture accumulation can be realized even with the slightest
miscalculation or circumstance. Coatings ensure a water problem
remains a water problem and helps to prevent it from growing into a
bigger issue such as mold and mildew infestation. If your goal is
to prevent mold, this may be the only weapon considering the
sometimes inevitable persistence of moisture and ubiquitous mold
spores.

What to look for in a coating? Water based chemistry is good but,
watch your VOC's You don't want to put additional outgassing paint
in the building. Smelling inside the open container does not
establish residual odor. Some coatings have low odor while in the
can but, what about after it dries? The TRUE dry time is sometimes
indicative for residual odor. Know the additives: Don't fall for
the tricks of the trade "our products are EPA compliant" or, they
are EPA registered. This means nothing unless you know what's in
there! Would you want your children living in a house where there's
a high chloride or other organic biocide chemical lingering? Look
for coatings that have clearly identified additives such as boron,
copper, or silver. These are inorganics. Quats (quarternary
ammonium chlorides / compounds), are not. These organics degrade
and often wash away in the presence of moisture. This is why your
painted house has mold on it even though the can said it contained
a mildewcide. You be the judge of what to use but, collect the
facts first. Some additives including certain quats have FDA
approvals such as those for cosmetics. Others like the companies
using silver additives with FDA clearance for indirect food contact
use, medical device, NSF for potable water, etc. will tell you
straight up front what's in there. FYI: USBorax (borate maker),
when interviewed by Midwest Construction News last month, threw
their own product under the bus. They said it's not as effective as
it should be for mold and mildew resistance. This is true.
Borates are not powerful enough to resist mold alone... This is why
the coatings have undisclosed supplemental biocides that they won't
tell you about. If the additive is EPA registered or, if the
finished product is EPA registered DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. EPA
doesn't test or approve anything. All testing is directed by the
manufacturer and EPA doesn't provide assurance of safety. All a
registration means is that EPA is aware of and keeps tabs on the
company's claims as this is what they do as a regulatory agency.
When choosing a coating, employ common sense and look for the best
manufacturer's warranty like anything else you would buy.

The Chemist

On 10/26/04, Scott Perry wrote:
> The reality is if a combination of good building and a
> quality/safe Anti Microbial coating is applied you are safer and
> better off than doing nothing. There are plenty of well built
> homes that experience a water intrusion or moisture realted
> problems. You are better off applying a coating a penny's/sq
> ft. I know of a company called EnviroCare Corp.
> (www.envirocarecorp.com) They own a silver based technolgy that
> carries a 20 year product and remediation warranty. I would
> suggest to anyone bulding a home, that they take a look......and
> choose a quality builder.
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> On 10/26/04, Scott Perry wrote:
>> On 8/27/04, Greg Weatherman wrote:
>>> People,
>>>
>>> You are placing way too much trust into antifungal sealers,
>>> paints and coatings. Pay more attention to correcting the
>>> cause of the water or condensation intrusion. There is no
>>> antifungal sealer, paint or coating that can win the fight
>>> against mold and spore-forming bacteria if the source of
>>> water or condensation intrusion is not corrected.
>>>
>>> It is wreckless to use an antifungal sealer, paint or coating
>>> on the seal plate and rim joist (band joist) of a home. These
>>> structural wood members need to be able to dry to the indoors
>>> and outdoors unless you live in the hot and humid Southeast
>>> like Florida. In Florida, they have to be able to dry to the
>>> indoors. There is a load of free information on:
>>>
>>> http://www.buidingscience.com
>>>
>>> Look at the difference between the "Orlando" house and
>>> the "Charlotte" house. There is a link at the bottom of the
>>> page.
>>>
>>> The soil drainage outside should divert water away from the
>>> home. An old fashioned French field drain with clay tiles is
>>> still the best way to go (for centuries).
>>>
>>> Antifungal sealers, paints and coatings are useless by
>>> themselves. Read the label. They tell you the surface has
>>> to be free of ALL dirt, oils and everything else under the
>>> sun. Are y'all applying these products in a clean room
>>> setting?
>>>
>>> If you don't have fresh air supply and exhaust on your HVAC
>>> systems you may have a problem with chemical vapors indoors.
>>> Some of these antifungal sealers, paints and coatings have a
>>> good history in outdoor uses on items like metal. Wood is a
>>> different animal.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Greg Weatherman
>>> aerobioLogical Solutions Inc.
>>> Arlington VA 22202
>>>
>>> gw@aerobiological.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ********************************************
>>>
>>> On 8/02/04, Ljc wrote:
>>>> I recently ran across a company called American Mold Guard.
>>>> (Irvine, CA). They provide a ten year warranty against mold
>>>> growth on the application of their anti-mold surface
>>>> coating product which is applied during new construction on
>>>> interior framing and walls. Has anyone heard of this
>>>> company or product? Does it make any sense...?