Preventing mold

Your Aug. 30 story "Housing project runs into host of problems" underscores the importance of proper building design, site drainage, building material storage during construction and product application in preventing mold and other moisture-related building performance problems.

Specific recommendations in this regard may be found at www.buildabetterhome.org, a builder and homeowner education program.

On a separate point, it was suggested that the reduced level of formaldehyde in today's building materials might have contributed to the project's mold problem.

While true that formaldehyde offgassing from structural plywood and oriented strand board, for example, is extremely low (in fact, well below the limit set by the Department of Housing and Urban Develop-ment's Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards), formaldehyde offgassing does not prevent or reduce mold.

Even if it did, it would not be a recommended way to address the problem. Again, mold prevention is best and most easily achieved by controlling moisture through proper design and construction.

Jack Merry, Engineered Wood Association, Tacoma, Wash.