2007 Program

Presentations (in PDF format) are now available for download below. (Acrobat Reader is required to view PDFs.)

7:45 am – 8:30 am
Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:30 am – 8:40 am
Conference Overview: Current Status of Mold and Moisture Issues and Solutions

Over the past few years the mold associated with moisture problems in buildings has gained a reputation within the construction, design and building management industries as a difficult and complicated issue often associated with health complaints and resulting in significant liability. Much of this reputation is unwarranted and has been fueled by misinformation that has been spread both directly by the media and virtually by way of specialized Internet sites. This attention has created a growing public awareness and misunderstanding leading to a developing public relations nightmare. This Mold 101 overview will seek to demystify the mold issue by addressing the myths and misconceptions surrounding preventing, diagnosing and managing mold and moisture in buildings.

Speaker: Elia Sterling, President, Theodor Sterling Associates (download presentation)

8:40 am – 9:05 am
New Health Information and Assessment and Remediation Guidelines for Mold

Medical reports on the health effects of mold and damp buildings from the Institute of Medicine, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology will be discussed. Association websites covering the prevention of mold on wallboard and lumber will be referenced. Guidelines on mold assessment and remediation will be discussed, including those from The American Industrial Hygiene Association, EPA, OSHA, and the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification.

Speaker: Lonie Swenson, CIH, Veritox, Inc. (download presentation)

9:05 am – 9:45 am
Building Technologies That Break the Mold

There are numerous and varied types of construction materials in use today. Moisture affects all materials differently; as well mold grows on some materials more consistently than on others. Different materials require different methods to control moisture and mold problems. New advanced electronic monitoring systems provide critical information on moisture levels that enable proper risk assessment and a proactive approach to building maintenance. This session brings together a panel of experts to discuss these issues with respect to some of the most common construction materials in use today including dimensioned and engineered wood products, structural board and plywood, Gypsum wall boards, Exterior Sheathings and their paperless alternatives, cement and masonry, and building wraps used for air and vapor barriers. Roofing issues will be addressed including wind uplift test at FM, the acoustics, underlayments, overlayment to meet UL classifications, and moisture resistance.

Speakers:
Kimberly J. Tompkins, CTR, Architectural Sales Manager - Western Canada, Georgia-Pacific Canada, Inc. (download presentation)
Wally Ruden, Sales Manager, Detec Systems Ltd. (download presentation)

9:45 am – 10:05 am
Coffee and Networking

10:05 am – 10:40 am
Mold and Moisture Control for Construction Materials

Speaker: Theresa Weston, Ph.D., Market/Product Development, Dupont (download presentation)

10:40 am – 11:15 am
Diagnostic Methods and A/E Design Solutions: Why Does Mold Grow in Building Envelopes, How Do You Deal With It, and How Do You Design To Avoid It?

This session will begin by presenting an overview to help better understand mold in the building envelope, how best to avoid it in new construction and how to deal effectively with mold in existing buildings. The cost effective diagnostic and risk management methods available to prevent moisture intrusion and avoid mold problems as well as how to inspect, diagnose the extent of and effectively mitigate a mold issue when it occurs, will be discussed.

Speaker: Vern Holden, Senior Environmental Scientist, Hydro Environmental Technologies, Inc. (download presentation)

11:15 am – 12:00 pm
Outside Air Ventilation For Buildings... What Your Mother Did Not Tell You

Outside air ventilation can account for 30 to 60% of the total heating and cooling costs for a building, yet it is one of the few parameters of building operation that is generally not measured or controlled. This session will review current rules of thumb used in our industry that can result in tremendous over and under ventilation of buildings that can impact energy usage, comfort and in some cases can cause IAQ, mold and moisture problems. This is an issue that affects all buildings and their operation. Based on the quality mantra "you cannot control what you do not measure", Mike will review sensor approaches that can be used to provide real time and accurate feedback control to ensure a building always has appropriate economizer and outside air delivery that balances comfort, energy and indoor air quality concerns.

Speaker: Mike Schell, VP Marketing and Sales, AirTest Technologies Inc. (download presentation)

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Tabletop Tradeshow and Networking Lunch

Tabletop Tradeshow Participants:

KMEW (www.kmew.co.jp/ceraclad)
Detec Systems (www.detecsystems.com)
Home Certified, Inc. (www.homecertified.com)
Dow Columbia (www.dowcolumbia.com)
Stonel Inc. (www.stonelsystems.com)
Orepac Building Products/Tyvek (www.orepac.com)

1:30 pm – 1:55 pm
Sustainable Buildings

This session will provide an introduction to the Green Globes tool for guiding sustainable construction, educating users on sustainable practices and providing building assessments/ratings.

Speaker: Mark Rossolo, Director of State and Local Outreach, Green Building Initiative (download presentation)

1:55 pm – 2:20 pm
Building Envelope Design

There has been increased awareness by developers and the public about the advantages of constructing and residing in buildings that meet the newer and more stringent building enclosure codes and trends in design standards. This discussion will provide a brief discussion of the primary reasons for building enclosure failures and will focus on the considerations for rain penetration control and design guidelines for better building practice.

Speaker: Ariel Levy, Building Science Specialist, RDH Group (download presentation)

2:20 pm – 2:45 pm
Internet and IAQ: Proactively Managing Risk in Commercial Buildings

This presentation will give useful and thought provoking ideas to commercial building managers regarding building performance and indoor air quality (IAQ). The focus will be on benefits of a proactive program of air quality monitoring, coupled with web based data processing and reports. For asset managers who are responsible for multiple buildings, the web based approach means access from anywhere in the world, and the ability to generate reports documenting good IAQ performance.

Being proactive means identifying and correcting issues before they become public or known to your tenants. Demonstrating good IAQ performance can lead to multiple benefits such as higher tenant satisfaction and retention, good public relations, lower insurance rates and overall costs, reduced risk and sustainability.

Speaker: Greg Baker, Associate Industrial Hygienist, AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. (download presentation)

2:45 pm – 3:30 pm
Legal and Insurance Issues

According to the media, attorneys and consultants, IAQ and mold and moisture problems continue to surface in public and commercial buildings, "affecting the health of its occupants." Coupled with this, the liability and property insurance industry has responded by withdrawing coverage for mold claims associated with moisture in buildings. This session is for all those involved in the building and real estate industry and will discuss the importance of being armed with the most recent and accurate legal and insurance information related to mold in buildings to make effective risk management decisions.

Speaker: Brian Chenoweth, Chenoweth Law Group PC (download presentation)

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
The Impact of the Commissioning Process on IAQ and Mold

Changes to ASHRAE ventilation and comfort standards, the use of the commissioning process, and ongoing evolution of HVAC equipment, design, operation, inspection and maintenance procedures influence the indoor air quality performance of buildings. The speaker in this session will provide an update on ASHRAE commissioning process guidelines and how the process improves performance relative to IAQ and mold growth. An overview of the impact of defining and using measurable performance criteria to verify achievement of project requirements, including, for example, moisture control during construction, envelope integrity for air and water infiltration, ventilation mixing effectiveness, and building pressurization.

Speaker: Larry Buck, Commissioning Manager - West Coast, Carter & Burgess Inc. (download presentation)

4:00 pm – 4:15 pm
Conclusion and Closing Comments

updated October 30, 2007