A substantial body of evidence suggests that indoor mold exposure is a cause of allergic and respiratory diseases in humans. While models exist for assessing the risk of mold growth on building materials, few study the characteristics of mold growth after germination. This study conducted mold growth experiments in a constant temperature chamber, using four temperature settings of 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C, and three relative humidities of 56 to 61%, 75 to 76% and 83 to 86%. A mold growth prediction model was established using temperature and relative humidity. The accuracy of the model was verified by comparing the sampling and the predicted values in a laboratory environment. The results indicated that reducing the environmental temperature and relative humidity could significantly inhibit the growth of mold, although the inhibitory effects varied. Temperature might play a more critical role. At higher temperatures (25 °C and 30 °C), the growth rate and lag time of mold tended to be consistent and there were differences in the maximum diameter. In the predictive model, the polynomial secondary model for the maximum growth rate and lag time and the Arrhenius–Davey secondary model for the maximum diameter (A) had good predictive effects (Adj.R² > 0.850). It is speculated that temperature is the key factor affecting the maximum growth diameter of mold. The mold growth prediction model could better predict the growth of mold in actual environments without wind Adj.R² > 0.800), but the accuracy of the model decreased under windy conditions (wind velocity < 1 m/s). The mold growth predictive model we established could be used to predict the growth characteristics of mold in windless environments. It also provides control suggestions for the regulation of temperature and relative humidity in indoor environments, supporting indoor thermal environment management and pollutant control, and ensuring indoor human health.

Despite concerns about building dampness and children’ health, few studies have examined the effects of building energy efficiency standards. This study explored the connections between self‐reported household dampness and children’ adverse health outcomes across buildings corresponding to construction periods (pre‐2001, 2001‐2010, post‐2010). Significant differences of dampness related indicators were found between buildings; the prevalence was remarkable in pre‐2001 buildings. The prevalence of lifetime‐ever doctor‐diagnosed diseases for children was significantly associated with building dampness (adjust odd ratios >1), but was not affected by construction periods. The hygrothermal performance for a typical residence was simulated, varying in U‐values of envelopes and air change rates. The simulated performance improvement increased indoor temperatures in 2001‐2010 and post‐2010 buildings. The frequency with higher indoor relative humidity was higher in pre‐2001 buildings, leading to the highest values for maximum mold index (M_max) on wall surface, especially in winter. Compared to buildings in 2001‐2010, increased insulation and lower air change rate led to a relatively higher relative humidity in post‐2010 buildings, adversely increasing the M_max values. The findings addressed the positive and negative role of building standard development, which help suggesting appropriate environmental and design solutions to trade off energy savings and dampness/mold risk in residences.