{"id":3578,"date":"2026-10-26T14:21:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T06:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/?p=3578"},"modified":"2026-10-26T14:21:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T06:21:03","slug":"are-the-materials-in-by-material-resistant-to-mold-and-mildew-417c-f4d9aa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/26\/are-the-materials-in-by-material-resistant-to-mold-and-mildew-417c-f4d9aa\/","title":{"rendered":"Are the materials in By Material resistant to mold and mildew?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, thanks for swinging by my little corner of the internet. For those who don\u2019t know me, I\u2019ve been working with By Material products for over 8 years now\u2014been a supplier since the brand launched, honestly. Lately, I\u2019ve been getting so many DMs and emails from fellow buyers, contractors, even DIY folks asking the same question: are the materials in By Material stuff actually resistant to mold and mildew? It\u2019s such a fair question, too, especially after all the rain we\u2019ve had this year and how damp some parts of the country get. I don\u2019t blame anyone for overthinking this\u2014mold can turn a good renovation into a total nightmare fast. By Material<\/a><\/p>\n

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First off, let\u2019s cut through the confusion. A lot of people mix up \u201cmold-resistant\u201d with \u201cmold-proof,\u201d right? Nothing\u2019s 100% mold-proof, even the most expensive stuff. But when I tell you our By Material materials are formulated to fight mold, I\u2019m talking about real science, not just marketing jargon. Let\u2019s break down the core materials we stock because that\u2019s where the resistance lives.<\/p>\n

Take our most popular line\u2014water-resistant vinyl planks and tiles. A lot of vinyl products on the market are just regular PVC, but By Material\u2019s vinyl is different. We work with their in-house chemists on this, and they add what\u2019s called a biostatic additive during the manufacturing process. Wait, what\u2019s biostatic? Basically, it\u2019s a substance that stops mold and mildew spores from latching on and growing. Unlike some cheap coatings that wear off in a year, this additive is mixed right into the vinyl matrix, so it doesn\u2019t peel or fade when you mop it or spill something. I\u2019ve seen this hold up in bathrooms, basements, even outdoor patio installs where people set up kiddie pools\u2014no mold, no discoloration, even after 3 years. That\u2019s not luck, that\u2019s intentional design.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s our composite decking. If you\u2019ve ever had a wood deck, you know mold and mildew love to set in between the boards, especially where moisture gets trapped. By Material\u2019s composite is made from recycled wood fibers and plastic, but again, the magic is in the mold treatment. They don\u2019t use the old method of pressure-treating with chemicals that can leach out over time. Instead, they use a non-toxic, EPA-registered biocide that targets mold\u2019s cell walls without harming humans or pets. I can say that because I\u2019ve tested batches myself\u2014last year, I left a sample of composite planks in a damp, dark storage bin for 6 months, same with a regular composite sample we had from another brand. By Material\u2019s sample had zero mold growth, the other one was covered in black spots. That\u2019s the real deal.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s not forget our interior surfaces\u2014think wall panels, back splashes, even upholstery fabrics. The fabric stuff is polyester-based, right? By Material treats it with a mold-repellent finish that\u2019s also stain-resistant, so two birds with one stone. For wall panels, we have both PVC and bamboo options, and both have mold inhibitors. The bamboo is a big one for people who want eco-friendly materials, but they\u2019re worried about bamboo\u2019s natural tendency to hold moisture. By Material\u2019s bamboo is kiln-dried to a super low moisture content before treatment, so it can\u2019t absorb water easily. That\u2019s key\u2014mold needs moisture to grow, so if the material can\u2019t hold water, it\u2019s way harder for mold to take hold.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about what actually causes mold growth, because a lot of people miss this part. Mold spores are everywhere\u2014air, dust, even on your shoes. They just need three things to grow: food, moisture, and the right temperature. By Material\u2019s materials take away two of those three things. They don\u2019t offer food for mold (no organic material that mold can break down easily) and they\u2019re designed to resist moisture absorption. That\u2019s why they work so well in humid spaces. But here\u2019s the thing\u2014they aren\u2019t miracle workers. If you install them in a bathroom and never fix a leaky pipe, or leave standing water on the floor for weeks, even these materials can have an issue. No product can fix poor maintenance, and I always tell that to customers who ask.<\/p>\n

I get why some people are skeptical. The home goods industry throws around \u201cmold-resistant\u201d like it\u2019s a buzzword, but By Material actually publishes test results for all their materials. We as suppliers get access to those results, and I\u2019ve looked at them\u2014third-party lab tests, not just in-house stuff. For example, their vinyl planks had a 99.9% reduction in mold growth after 28 days of exposure, per ASTM G21 standards. That\u2019s the gold standard for mold testing, right? I\u2019ve seen that number for years, and it\u2019s never changed, even when they adjust their formulations slightly for sustainability. That consistency matters.<\/p>\n

Another common question: what about mildew vs. mold? A lot of people use them interchangeably, but mildew is actually a type of mold that grows on surfaces with high moisture, like walls or fabrics. So all the mold-resistant properties in By Material\u2019s materials work just as well on mildew. I\u2019ve had customers tell me they used our fabric panels in a camper that got really humid on a cross-country trip, and no mildew smell\u2014something that used to happen with their old canvas panels. That\u2019s the kind of real-world feedback I trust more than any ad.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s touch on the caveats, because I don\u2019t want to overpromise. If you have a space that\u2019s constantly damp\u2014like a basement that floods every spring\u2014you still need to do proper prep. By Material\u2019s materials can\u2019t seal out water forever if the underlying subfloor is moldy. I always advise customers to fix water issues first, make sure the space is ventilated, and then install our materials. That way, you\u2019re not setting yourself up for trouble. Also, if you have porous materials, like natural stone (which By Material doesn\u2019t even sell, by the way), you need to seal them, but all our products are non-porous or low-porous, so they don\u2019t need extra sealing for mold.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been in this supplier game long enough to know when a brand is cutting corners. By Material is transparent about their manufacturing, they use materials that are safe, and their mold-resistance isn\u2019t an afterthought. Last month, a client came to me who had a bad experience with another brand\u2019s vinyl planks that got mold under the toe kick in their kitchen. They switched to By Material\u2019s, and when they sent me a pic a few weeks ago, there was zero growth. That\u2019s when you know the product works.<\/p>\n

For anyone still on the fence, maybe you\u2019re renovating a basement, a bathroom, or a vacation home in a rainy area, these materials are worth the investment. They hold up longer, they\u2019re easier to clean, and you don\u2019t have to stress about black spots popping up out of nowhere. I also love that they\u2019re eco-friendly\u2014most of their materials are made from recycled content, so you\u2019re not just getting a mold-resistant product, you\u2019re doing a little for the planet too.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to source these materials for a project, whether it\u2019s a small DIY reno or a big commercial build, I\u2019m here to help. I can send you sample kits, walk you through the testing results, or even connect you with By Material\u2019s team to answer specific questions for your space. Just reach out to chat about your project\u2014no pressure, no sales pitches, just honest answers.<\/p>\n

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At the end of the day, mold is a problem that affects every home eventually, but having materials that are built to fight it makes a huge difference. I\u2019ve seen too many people deal with the hassle of mold removal, and I don\u2019t want that for anyone. By Material\u2019s materials aren\u2019t perfect, but they\u2019re some of the best on the market when it comes to mold and mildew resistance.<\/p>\n

By Material<\/a> References
\nASTM International. (2020). Standard Practice for Determining Resistance of Synthetic Polymeric Materials to Fungi (ASTM G21-15).
\nU.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2022). Biocides for Mold Prevention in Consumer Products.
\nBy Material. (2023). Internal Material Performance Testing Reports: Mold and Mildew Resistance.<\/p>\n

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Hangzhou Kangsheng Textile Co., Ltd.<\/a><\/p>\n

Address: 22# Building, K7 Original park,No.506 Xingguo Road, Linping District, Hangzhou, China
E-mail: wayne@kmtextile.net
WebSite: https:\/\/www.kangshengtextile.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, thanks for swinging by my little corner of the internet. For those who don\u2019t … Are the materials in By Material resistant to mold and mildew?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":500,"featured_media":3578,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3541],"class_list":["post-3578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-by-material-4d99-f6f4db"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/500"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3578"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3578\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ylevacase.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}