Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 35

levels of user comfort due to recirculation and low latent cooling capacity."
In other words, poor air circulation and
the inability to dry out the air in a space
increases the likelihood of a negative
impact on the health and well-being of
the occupant.
Additionally, materials and construction trends have a role to play.
Current construction methods tend
to emphasize energy efficiency and
have utilized engineered materials to
produce buildings that are air-tight
and generally comfortable for the
occupants. However, these engineered
materials do not resist the intrusion of
moisture as well as natural materials
do. Standard construction at the end of
the 19th century through the mid-20th
century used stone, plaster, and brick,
while more recent buildings may use
stone veneer, metal studs, fiberglass
insulation, and gypsum board. There is
also a difference in the ability to absorb
moisture. Some construction materials
and methods used in the past gave
exterior walls the ability to absorb more
moisture. As specified in an article by
Roger Morse and Dan Acker about how
to prevent mold in the building envelope, a stone and brick bearing wall can
store 3.5 pounds of moisture per square
foot, a brick and block curtain wall can
store 2.1 pounds per square foot, and a
brick and insulated metal stud wall can
store only half a pound of moisture per
square foot. The fact that moisture, in
the form of liquid water or water vapor,
can and does move through building
envelopes is a major problem in older
construction. As Doering notes, "A lack
of a vapor barrier in older construction
allows unconditioned, humid air and
trapped moisture to infiltrate into the
building and can lead to condensation
forming on the cooler surfaces of the
interior walls."
Deferred maintenance, particularly
for older facilities, also contributes
to the problem. A variety of factors,
including changing priorities and
slimmer budgets, have led many campuses to defer critical maintenance

OFTEN, WHEN STUDENTS
AND PARENTS ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT
MOLD BEING PRESENT
IN A ROOM, ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT DRIVES
THEM TO ACTION IS THE
PERSISTENCE OF SOME
SORT OF RESPIRATORY
ISSUE; THOUGH MOLD
CAN BE A CONTRIBUTING
FACTOR, IT IS BUT ONE
PART OF A LARGER
PROBLEM INVOLVING
AIR QUALITY AND
CIRCULATION.

projects that could deter mold, such
as a clean, point, tuck, and seal of a
brick exterior. Although brick can last
a long time, the mortar has a much
shorter lifespan. As time and weather
do their work, mortar can deteriorate,
leading to more moisture intrusion in
a building. This type of maintenance
can be challenging, time-consuming,
and expensive and has little visual
payoff, especially when compared to
new flooring or furniture or renovated
interior spaces. The practical payoff,
however, is that it helps keep the building air- and water-tight and can extend
the life of the building.
As climate changes across the
planet, increasingly warm and humid
environments create favorable conditions for mold growth. According to
NASA's Global Climate Change website, global average temperatures have
climbed almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit

in the 20th century. Precipitation has
also increased. Additionally, extreme
weather events, such as torrential rains,
floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes, are
becoming more frequent. Among other
outcomes, this results in longer, hotter,
and wetter summers predicted for
much of the North American continent.
For example, Cleveland, Ohio, has
typically been known for its snowy
winters and warm summers. Using
data provided by climate.gov, it is
possible to compare data from the
past year to data from the previous 30
years, which reveals that Cleveland
experienced nine months in the past
year that were warmer than average.
Additionally, higher-than-average
precipitation occurred in the same
location during nine out of 12 months.
As the environment becomes warmer
and more humid, mold becomes more
and more of a problem. Mold needs a
warm, wet environment to grow; for
many molds, the ideal climate is above
75 degrees Fahrenheit and above 60
percent relative humidity.
When mold becomes a problem in
campus buildings, it's important to be
transparent about the situation, and
fortunately there are several accessible
outlets for communicating this to staff,
students, and families. Social media
and other digital channels provide a
quick way to transmit both proactive
education and reactive information.
During recent challenging mold-related events, both Indiana University
Bloomington and the University of
Tennessee in Knoxville produced
webpages with daily updates, contextual education, and contact information
to help communicate with students,
families, and other affected parties.
Richard Swearingen, associate director
of housing administration at the
University of Tennessee, confirms that
a proactive approach was crucial to
maintaining the trust among students,
parents, and the institution during a
recent incident. "We were committed
to conveying the scope of the problem,
what action the university was taking,

MAY + JUNE 2019

35


http://www.climate.gov

Talking Stick - May/June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - May/June 2019

Talking Stick - May/June 2019
Vision
Just In
Calendar
Facilities
Business Operations
Special Focus
The Super-Visor
Secret Service
Conversations
Transitions
Your ACUHO-I
New Members
Snapshot
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - BB1
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - BB2
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Talking Stick - May/June 2019
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Cover2
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 1
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 2
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 3
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 4
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 5
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 6
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 7
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Vision
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 9
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Just In
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 11
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 12
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 13
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 14
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 15
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 16
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 17
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 18
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 19
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 20
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 21
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 22
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 23
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 24
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Calendar
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Facilities
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 27
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 28
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 29
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Business Operations
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 31
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 32
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 33
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Special Focus
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 35
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 36
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 37
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - The Super-Visor
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 39
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 40
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 41
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 42
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 43
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 44
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 45
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Secret Service
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 47
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 48
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 49
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 50
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 51
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 52
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 53
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 54
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 55
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Conversations
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 57
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 58
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 59
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 60
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 61
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 62
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 63
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - 64
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Transitions
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Your ACUHO-I
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - New Members
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Snapshot
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Cover3
Talking Stick - May/June 2019 - Cover4
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