HOW DOES TOUGH-TEX WORK TO COMBAT MILDEW GROWTH AND WHY IS IT SUPERIOR TO VINYL WALLCOVERING?
In order to flourish, mildew requires three elements: a warm climate, a food source and moisture. A normal room temperature range provides an excellent climatic environment for mildew growth. Food sources include any organic material such as wood, drywall, paper, cloth etc. The third element, and trigger mechanism, is moisture. Vinyl wallcoverings create a vapor barrier, through which moisture cannot pass. When humidity rises, moisture laden air is everywhere, including the air spaces behind the walls! When the interior temperature cools, such as when an air conditioner is turned on or when a window is opened in the evening, the temperature may drop below the dew point causing the moisture to condense and beads of water to form. When this condensation occurs behind walls covered with vinyl wallcovering, it is trapped and cannot escape. It is absorbed by the wood, the sheetrock and the vinyl wallcovering and turns this organic matter into a tasty meal for mildew. The first manifestation
