Breathing Room: Solutions for Attawapisket

Susan Reid pnbprojects@shaw.ca

My research paper will identify the culturally and geographically determined conditions of relative humidity in an average residence in Attawapisket to relate it to the presence of mold growth in the building frame. Currently, I am conducting background research on hygrothermal properties of different building materials used in housing construction for walls to find alternatives that would function more efficiently. The bulk of my research will be done after the winter semester ends, during May 2012. Over the summer semester 2012, I will be conducting an experiment where I will approximate those conditions to study the effects on a conventionally framed wall and 3 proposed solution walls over four months. I expect the conventional wall to develop mold because of its current prevalence in the local housing and that the proposed solution walls will have less or no mold growth during the experiment time. The carpentry program in the TRU trades department will build a test box approximately 48x48x48 from detailed construction drawings I will provide in May 2012. With the assistance of the TRU science department, I will set up the experiment in the science building that I will monitor from June 4 2012 until September 4 2012. At this time, I will collect the final data for analysis; my final report will be written during the fall and winter semesters.