Mold Expert Witness On Moisture Damage

In How Projects Go Awry, mold expert witness Russell Keeler writes on mold and moisture damage:

Over the years, we have observed many cases of humidity gone wild, with the attendant formation of mold or other moisture damage. Condensation can be the result of actions by the various players in the construction process.

The designer • A design that does not provide for humidity control.
• Incomplete design documents.
• Incorrect temperature control sequence.
• Shoddy review of shop drawings.
• Failure to verify operation of the system in the field.

The contractor • Substitutions based on price, not function.
• Poor workmanship.
• Misunderstanding of contract document intent.
• Inadequate due diligence of vendor product submittals.

The vendor • Misunderstanding of contract document requirements.
• Yielding to contractor/owner pressure on price.
• Failure to advise on implications of alternate product submittal.