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sociEty Journal • octobEr 2008

12www.feg.g

The great irony of building green in thesoutheast is that the very concepts thatare intended to enhance a building’sperformance over its entire lifetimeare many of the same concepts thatmake a building highly susceptibleto catastrophic moisture and moldproblems during its first few yearsof operation. While green buildings (also sometimescalled sustainable design) have many positive benefits, there is also strongevidence to suggest a direct correlationbetween new products/innovativedesign and building failures—especially in hot, humid climates. Simply put,departing from the “tried and true”often means increasing the risk of building failure.Two strong characteristics of mostgreen buildings are: 1) the use of innovative, locally-produced productsand 2) the implementation of new design and construction approachesthat are intended to reduce energy usage and be environmentally sound.These environmental goals are typically organized around a set of nationally accepted benchmark guidelines such asthose of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which isthe standard established by the U.S.Green Building Council (USGBC).LEED certification is a checklist andpoint system of recommended practices where achieving various point levels cancertify the building as having achievedsilver, gold, or platinum status. Thesepractices involve such issues as efficient water and energy use, the reuse of wastematerials, and the use of renewable andregionally produced products.

The overall goal of these new materialsand procedures is to achieve a structure with reduced negative environmentalimpact —both during constructionand throughout the building’s life.The intent of building green isunquestionably noble and good,and should be aggressively pursuedfor the improvement of the Earth’senvironment. However, because of thedramatic change that this will presentto the design and construction industry,its implementation will present new risks that are likely to be both technicaland legal in nature.Some of the legal risks are fairly obvious, such as the risk of not meetinga building owner’s expectation of achieving a certain level of LEEDcertification (i.e., implied or even written warranties). Other risks aremore obscure, such as:

• The failure of new products to meettheir promoted performance levels, which is more likely withnew materials.• Accepting the higher standardof care that a green buildingmight present—what is currently considered “best practices” may now become the new expected “standardof care.”• Failing to recognize (or prepare for)the unknowns in cost and scheduleimpacts that a green buildingmight present.

It is even unclear if a LEED certifiedbuilding can be built under a design-build method of construction withoutthe construction team assuming hugeamounts of unknown risks becauseof the vague definition of what isconsidered “green.”The building industry has beenhistorically conservative, relying ontime-proven construction materialsand methods. The introduction of new materials and methods has not alwaysproven to be successful and sometimeshas resulted in notable building failures,especially those related to moistureintrusion and mold contamination.

The Hidden Risks of Green Buildings:

Why Moisture and Mold Problems are Likely

By J. David Odom, ASHRAE, Richard Scott, AIA, NCARB, LEED, APand George H. DuBose, CGC, Liberty Building Forensics Group, LLC

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sociEty Journal • octobEr 2008

13www.feg.g

The proliferation of new products andinnovative building approaches relatedto green development is challenging thedesign and construction community in such a dramatic fashion. Thesechanges virtually guarantee an increasein building failures and lawsuits. Pastexperience indicates that many of thesefailures will be predictable and some arelikely to be catastrophic.

Examples of Technical Risks forContractors & Designers

Moisture intrusion, whether bulk water intrusion through the buildingenvelope or relative humidity increasedue to the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, resultsin a large percentage of constructionliability claims in the U.S. Moistureintrusion not only results in buildingdeterioration, but has been linked tooccupant comfort and health issues,especially in those buildings thatbecome contaminated with mold.

Sustainable building practices, someof which are part of the LEEDaccreditation process, can increase thepotential for moisture intrusion if notcarefully considered and implemented.Examples include:

• Vegetative roofs which obviously are more risky than conventionalroofs (due to the constantly wetconditions) and must be carefully designed, constructed, andmonitored after construction.• Improved energy performancethrough increased insulation andthe use of new materials whichmay change the dew point locationin walls, resulting in damagingcondensation and a reduced dryingpotential for wall assemblies.• Reuse of existing buildings orrecycled components which may notprovide optimum water-sheddingperformance in new configurationsor may not be readily integrated tothe adjacent new materials.• Use of new green constructionmaterials that have not been field-tested over time.• Increased ventilation to meet indoorair quality (IAQ) goals that may unintentionally result in increasedinterior humidity levels in hot,humid climates.• Building startup procedures, suchas “building flush out,” whichcould result in increased moistureintrusion and mold growth.

New green construction materials

appear to be entering the market atan accelerated rate as manufacturersrealize the benefits of green products.Because many of these products helpto achieve multiple LEED credits,designers working on green buildingsare eager to specify these products. Therisk to contractors is that many of thesenew products are not time-tested, anddesigners often do not have the timeto fully research the efficacy of theseproducts. If the new product fails, itmay be considered a design error, butit may be difficult to determine if itis a design error, an installation error,or a product defect. Additionally,general contractors must rely on sub-contractors to install new materials whothey may not have experience with thenew material for proper installation.Some of the expandable foaminsulation products are examples of new green materials that pose risks.The water absorption properties of these insulation materials can be quitedifferent than what designers expectas compared to traditional fiberglassinsulation. Increased absorptionof water into the insulation couldnegatively affect the wall performance.This is not to say that such materialsshould not be used; however, theirproperties need to be recognizedand accommodated in the design.

The amount of ventilation

(outdoorair) necessary for occupant health andcomfort has been debated for decades. Although there are sound arguments onboth sides of the debate, the emphasison increasing ventilation to achieveLEED environmental quality creditshas increased the incentive to add moreoutdoor air to a building through itsHVAC system (a minimum of 30%more outside air is recommendedby LEED).

This action is especially risky in theSoutheast U.S., where outdoor relativehumidity levels are elevated for a goodpart of the year. Experience in theSoutheast, as well as other areas of thecountry with humid summers, hasshown a direct correlation betweenthe number of moisture problems andincreased ventilation rates.To effectively minimize the risk of moisture problems while increasingventilation, designers need toincrease the complexity and capacity of the HVAC components andcontrol systems to achieve properdehumidification. This adds tocontractor risk, since complex systemsfail more often than simple systems. Additionally, the complexity of thesystem operation can cause unintendedpressurization relationships where localdepressurization causes humid outdoorair to be drawn into interstitial buildingcavities, causing condensation andmold growth.

Building owners, designers andcontractors all assume more risk whenthey deal with complex, and possibly untried, technologies. Pinpointing whether the problem is design- orconstruction-related may be very difficult after the problem hasalready occurred.

Building startup procedures to meetLEED credits include a flush-out of indoor containments using increasedoutdoor air either at the end of construction or during the initialoccupancy period. The intent is toremove pollutants from off gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)from new materials. The amountof air needed to meet the flush-outrequirements places a Southeast USbuilding at great risk because of theamount of moisture introduced withthe increased outdoor air. LEEDrequirements are that a minimum of 14,000 cubic feet per square foot of floor area is required for flush out.This presents multiple problems: mostHVAC systems are not designed todehumidify that amount of outdoorair which, in a 100,000 square footbuilding, is 1,400,000 cubic feet of outside air. Depending on outsideconditions at the time of the flush-outas much as 240,000 gallons of watercan be added to a 100,000 square footbuilding. This added moisture willget absorbed into building materials,finishes, and furnishings, increasing therisk of mold growth.

Most specifications put the generalcontractor in charge of the flush-out,including controlling the relativehumidity levels during flush-out. If thesystem is not designed to handle theloads, the contractor is faced with adifficult challenge that may require theaddition of a temporary, and extremely costly, dehumidification system.