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Void conditions and potential for mould growth in insulated and uninsulated suspended timber ground floors

Void conditions and potential for mould growth in insulated and uninsulated suspended timber... Millions of properties have suspended timber ground floors globally, with around ten million in the UK alone. However, it is unknown what the floor void conditions are, nor the effect of insulating such floors. Upgrading floors changes the void conditions, which might increase or decrease moisture build-up and mould and fungal growth. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the current global evidence and present the results of in situ monitoring of 15 UK floor voids.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive literature review on the moisture behaviour in both uninsulated and insulated suspended timber crawl spaces is supplemented with primary data of a monitoring campaign during different periods between 2012 and 2015. Air temperature and relative humidity sensors were placed in different floor void locations. Where possible, crawl spaces were visually inspected.FindingsComparison of void conditions to mould growth thresholds highlights that a large number of monitored floor voids might exceed the critical ranges for mould growth, leading to potential occupant health impacts if mould spores transfer into living spaces above. A direct comparison could not be made between insulated and uninsulated floors in the sample due to non-random sampling and because the insulated floors included historically damp floors. The study also highlighted that long-term monitoring over all seasons and high-resolution monitoring and inspection are required; conditions in one location are not representative of conditions in other locations.Originality/valueThis study presents the largest UK sample of monitored floors, evaluated using a review of current evidence and comparison with literature thresholds. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation Emerald Publishing

Void conditions and potential for mould growth in insulated and uninsulated suspended timber ground floors

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References (97)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
2398-4708
DOI
10.1108/ijbpa-05-2018-0041
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Millions of properties have suspended timber ground floors globally, with around ten million in the UK alone. However, it is unknown what the floor void conditions are, nor the effect of insulating such floors. Upgrading floors changes the void conditions, which might increase or decrease moisture build-up and mould and fungal growth. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the current global evidence and present the results of in situ monitoring of 15 UK floor voids.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive literature review on the moisture behaviour in both uninsulated and insulated suspended timber crawl spaces is supplemented with primary data of a monitoring campaign during different periods between 2012 and 2015. Air temperature and relative humidity sensors were placed in different floor void locations. Where possible, crawl spaces were visually inspected.FindingsComparison of void conditions to mould growth thresholds highlights that a large number of monitored floor voids might exceed the critical ranges for mould growth, leading to potential occupant health impacts if mould spores transfer into living spaces above. A direct comparison could not be made between insulated and uninsulated floors in the sample due to non-random sampling and because the insulated floors included historically damp floors. The study also highlighted that long-term monitoring over all seasons and high-resolution monitoring and inspection are required; conditions in one location are not representative of conditions in other locations.Originality/valueThis study presents the largest UK sample of monitored floors, evaluated using a review of current evidence and comparison with literature thresholds.

Journal

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation – Emerald Publishing

Published: Jul 31, 2019

Keywords: Retrofit; Moisture; Crawl spaces; Mould growth; Suspended timber ground floors; Void conditions

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