Mold Growth on Exterior Building Materials is Subject of Proposed New ASTM Standard

West Conshohocken, PA, June 05, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Consumers who are purchasing building materials for homes want to be assured that the materials are mold resistant. A proposed new ASTM standard will allow for a mold-resistance rating to be given to specific materials, depending on how the materials perform to the test method. The proposed new standard, ASTM WK32079, Test Method for Determination of Mold Growth on Building Products Designed for Exterior Applications Using an Environmental Chamber and Direct Inoculation, is being developed by Subcommittee G03.04 on Biological Deterioration, part of ASTM Committee G03 on Weathering and Durability.

ASTM WK32079 describes an environmental chamber and the conditions of operation to evaluate in a four-week period the relative resistance to mold growth on building products to be used outdoors. According to Judy LaZonby, president and technical director, The MicroStar Lab, Ltd, and chair of G03.04, as well as D01.28 on Biodeterioration, ASTM WK32079 will be more aggressive than a proposed standard currently being developed by D01.28 for interior applications.

“Exterior environments are more severe and if an environmental chamber method is going to be useful in determining a rating for exterior products, it is going to have to be a severe challenge,” says LaZonby.

Primary users of the standard will be manufacturers of building materials, chemical companies with mold-resistant chemistries and independent laboratories evaluating mold-resistant products. All interested parties are invited to join G03.04 in the ongoing development of ASTM WK32079. LaZonby notes that many of the people currently involved in the development of ASTM WK32079 are primarily interested in indoor mold growth and that it would be very helpful to have more people whose area of expertise is in mold growth on exterior building applications.

ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

ASTM International is one of the largest international standards development and delivery systems in the world. ASTM International meets the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency. ASTM standards are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems and commercial transactions.

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