With the growing number of realized thermal insulation systems, fast growing number of buildings with facades attacked by microorganisms occurs. Such surface attack can occur even in the first years after thermal insulation completion, and it can be a serious problem in a very short time. Problem is both in realization and maintaining of thermal insulation, and directly in the used material. The paper presents results of laboratory experiments on resistance to biological attack, carried out for five commercial materials available on the Czech market. Before the experiments, materials were subjected to accelerated ageing for 4 and 10 years. Resistance testing comprises regulated application of algae and mould strains on samples and incubation in a defined environment. Materials resistant after ageing simulation of the longer time period were found as well as materials susceptible to attack already after completion of a facade set.

Economic and environmental dealing with waste requires development of new technologies for their usage. An incorporation of industrial waste material in construction materials and products is one of the options how to reduce raw materials cost and save natural sources of raw materials. In case of wastes utilization as a component of building materials, it is necessary to know their technological and ecological suitability. This study deals with some ecotoxicological and analytical methods for evaluation of ecological availability of composites with defined content of waste. These methods describe impact of the substances on the environment and living organisms.

Molds attack buildings on a broad scale, cause significant damage and carry a number of negative effects on human health. The design of the methodology is based on EN 60068-2-10 “Environmental Impact Testing – Parts 2-10: Tests – Test J and Instructions: Mold Growth” and ČSN 72 4310 “Testing the Resistance of Building Products and Materials against Mold”. However, the first of these standards is intended for electrical industry and the other was published in 1975 with no later revisions. The design of the new methodology aims at simplifying and updating and, last but not least, imitating the success of already implemented methodology for testing resistance to green algae growth. The proposed methodology was successfully verified on both standards and real samples.

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