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Material World: Inorganic Wallboard

The "m" word strikes fear into the hearts of all of those involved in the residential construction and sales process. No other four letter word can stop a deal faster. But preventing mold in new and existing homes can be as simple as getting rid of any other unwanted houseguest – get rid of the food and they’ll soon leave. A new product called DensArmor Plus is an inorganic wallboard that seeks to eliminate the food source for mold.

Mold spores float throughout the air around us. With the appropriate temperature, moisture and a food source the mold spores can quickly turn into a healthy crop. Traditional wallboard has a gypsum core that is faced with paper which is glued to the surface of the gypsum. With the introduction of moisture, the wallboard paper and starchy glue become a food source for mold. DensArmor Plus replaces the paper with a fiberglass mat and the mats are attached to the faces without the use of starchy glues. Mold cannot eat fiberglass mats so this eliminates the food source.

Under the right conditions mold can sprout in as quickly as 24 hours. According to Georgia-Pacific, the manufacturer, "when manufactured and tested in accordance with ASTM D 3273, DensArmor Plus paperless wallboard panels score a 10, the highest level of performance for mold resistance." This means that under laboratory conditions, DensArmor Plus lasted 4 weeks without sign of mold growth. While no product is mold proof – mold can form on any service under the right conditions – this wallboard is much more resistant to mold than standard wallboard and is a good fit for high moisture areas such as bathrooms and basements.

Currently, DensArmor Plus retails for an extra $2 to $3 dollars per sheet versus conventional wallboard. If a homeowner can avoid the expense of even one session of mold remediation, this will make up for the additional cost for the material.

For more information about DensArmor Plus and other Georgia-Pacific products click here… www.gp.com/build/index.aspx.
 

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