Media Advisory Mold Awareness Month – Page 2 of 2
For Immediate Release:
September 3, 2015
September is Mold Awareness Month
Recognize the importance of indoor air quality for a healthy home
Keeping mold top of mind is important when considering indoor air quality, as mold growth in and around the home is quite common. Mold can grow anywhere - on carpet, clothing, food, paper, and even in places you can’t see, such as areas around leaking pipes. Checking for excessive moisture and water in the home is key to preventing mold growth, which if exposed to can lead to nasal congestion, eye and irritation and respiratory problems.
To help raise awareness, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dedicates September as National Mold Awareness Month. CertainTeed, North America’s leading brand of building products, offers five tips to help maintain a healthy home:
Fix leaks – Homeowners should frequently check roofs, foundations, faucets and pipes for leaks, so extra moisture does not hoard around these areas. If you smell a musty odor or notice a leak, mold may already be present in your home. According to the EPA, it’s important to act quickly. Make sure leaks are sealed as soon as they are found and clean and dry furnishings within 24 to 48 hours. If you suspect a major problem, call a certified mold inspector.
Get ahead of the game – For new homes and remodels, it’s easy to prevent mold growth with CertainTeed® FortiCel™. Applied directly to the studs and crawlspaces before insulation, this protective coating solution protects a family by preventing mold growth on the structural framing of the home. Couple this with SMARTBATT™ with MoistureSense™ Technology, a first of its kind batt insulation that allows walls to ‘breathe,’ to ensure a cleaner and safer indoor living environment for years to come.
Catch pollutants – While wet or damp areas of the home can grow mold that affect indoor air quality, existing indoor air pollutants can also impact the health of your home. For example, formaldehyde is often introduced into the home by the off gassing of new furniture, paint, carpeting and even air fresheners. AirRenew® M2Tech® Indoor Air Quality drywall does double-duty by proactively absorbing formaldehyde and converting it into safe, inert compounds while at the same time providing enhanced moisture and mold resistance – for greater peace of mind.
Keep eyes on the ground – Checking the exterior of the home regularly will help ensure water is not accumulating and flooding the ground. If water is prevalent, use downspouts to route it away from the home. For new home builds, make sure the ground slopes away from the building foundation.
Curb weather damage – The components of CertainTeed’s Integrity Roof System™ are designed to provide your home with optimum protection from the elements. CertainTeed shingles are manufactured with special adhesive strips that prevent shingle lift and the infiltration of wind-driven rain. Beneath the shingles high-quality underlayments, such as CertainTeed® Diamond Deck™ and WinterGuard™, provide additional protection against leaks in the roof’s most vulnerable areas. Finally, a comprehensive line of ventilation products keeps moisture from becoming trapped beneath the roof by circulating fresh air through the attic space.
For more information, visit www.certainteed.com.
Images, product samples and industry comments are available upon request. To speak to an expert, contact Vicky Gallagher of CertainTeed Corporation at or 610-341-7944.
About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., has helped shape the building products industry for more than 110 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, insulation, gypsum and ceilings.
A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest and oldest building products companies, and celebrating its 350th anniversary, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 5,700 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. For seven consecutive years, the company has received top honors from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its contributions in protecting the environment and wasmost recently the recipient of the2015 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award. The group had total sales of approximately $3.3 billion in 2014. www.certainteed.com