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Is Anti Mold Drywall Worth the Extra Money?
Manufacturers of drywall are now creating a variety of modern products to combat mold. For example, fiberglass mats on the surfaces of drywall are being used instead of paper. Anti mold drywall panels are widely available and considered ideal for both commercial and residential installations.
Today’s green thinking and energy awareness is producing an abundance of heat-conscious homeowners and home builders. Strict construction codes and improved insulation materials render houses impermeable. Consequently, the interior air stagnates within the well-sealed walls, and moisture cannot escape. Cooking, showering, and even breathing, can cause excess humidity in a house, resulting in a potential build-up of mold.
Traditional
Drywall
Traditional
drywall with its paper siding can actually contribute to mold problems
when there is excess humidity. It becomes the ideal environment for mold
growth. Taking into account that up to 70% of the interior of a house
is drywall, many consider anti mold drywall as a solution.
The Cost of Anti Mold
Drywall Technology
As well as being
mold resistant due to their fiberglass siding, modern drywall panels contain
a non-combustible gypsum core. With the addition of both the mold-resistant
and fireproof substances, the cost of drywall has increased. Contractors
have reported a rise from four to eight times the price of normal drywall.
Read the Small Print
Because no products
can legally be marketed as mold-proof, the producers of anti mold drywall
have included some ‘small print’ in their product’s
literature in order to avoid possible litigation. They advise homeowners
to keep the drywall from being exposed to excessive moisture. This means
that if you are replacing a piece of drywall that became moldy because
it was in a high-moisture area, chances are that the new piece of anti
mold drywall will soon grow mold also. Therefore, anti mold drywall is
no more suitable than normal drywall in areas such as a bathroom.
Nevertheless, anti mold drywall panels produce superior mold resistance when compared to the normal paper-faced drywall products. Is it worth the cost? Well, it definitely boasts a longer life span against mold than the traditional drywall.
