Mold growth in residences and commercial structures is a major problem.  Over 20,000 litigation cases are currently open in the United States claiming health damage from various forms of mold. There is hysteria over health concerns regarding mold rivaling asbestos claims a few years back.

The incidences of mold and mold insurance claims arising out of construction causes have greatly increased.

Four things are required for mold to grow and propagate:
• Moisture
• Mold Spores
• Temperate Air
• Nutrients

Mold spores are ever present and carried throughout the air.  There is a growing concern in construction methods of new structures to prevent air infiltration.  Porous fiberglass insulation and cellulose insulation will hold moisture like a sponge, assuring mold will grow in structures which allow air to infiltrate the walls or roof structures.  Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) avoid these problems a number of ways:

• Since SIPs have no cavities, there is nowhere for moisture or mold to form.
• Expanded Polystyrene is not porous and will not absorb water.
• SIPs cover large areas in uninterrupted sheets and the joints are sealed with an adhesive/sealant.
• SIP connecting splines are designed to be sealed.
• SIPs provide a tight, exact fit for windows and doors.
• SIPs are fit tightly and prevent air infiltration.

There have been no mold claims in walls and in roofs when SIPs have been the component used for construction of the building shell.  Regardless of the exactness and the tightness of stick-frame construction, there will be a certain degree of air infiltration.  If air can infiltrate the shell, condensation will occur in the exterior walls and roofs, which is the primary cause of growing mold.

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory Study shows that air leakage for SIPs is almost 15 times less than for typical stick-frame construction.

The average mold remediation in a single-family home costs between $40,000 and $50,000.  47 of 50 states exclude mold from homeowners’ insurance policies.  Mold is an exclusion in all liability policies for builders.