TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2004) – The NASA-funded Space Alliance Technology Outreach program (SATOP) has helped the Hampton Inn and Suites eradicate mildew that threatened the new hotel just months after its grand opening.

Mildew began appearing in upper floor guest rooms of the hotel during the summer. “The mildew first appeared in June on the walls around electrical outlets and in the matting of artwork affixed to the walls,” said Robert Kareska, Hampton Inn and Suites general manager. “I was shocked that we would have a problem like this when we had just opened six months earlier.”

Although the affected areas were cleaned thoroughly, the mildew returned and Kareska began looking for professional assistance to deal with the problem. He learned from the Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce that SATOP provides free engineering assistance to small businesses with technical challenges through the donations of time and expertise from 40 Space Alliance Partners, including Lockheed Martin and The Boeing Company. Kareska quickly submitted a Request for Technical Assistance (RTA) to SATOP.

The Hampton Inn’s RTA was assigned to David Dai, systems engineer with GB TECH in Houston. After asking Kareska to perform a few tests and reviewing the building’s structural design, Dai identified a surprising cause of the mildew.

Although Kareska originally suspected that the problem was a roof leak or moisture wicking up the walls from the ground outside, Dai discovered that the real culprits were two roof top fans that ran constantly.

The roof top fans, which pull air through the hotel’s bathroom ventilation system, were actually drawing hot, humid air into the attic and down into the walls of the building. When the hot air met cold spots inside the walls, such as electrical outlets or the studs on which artwork was mounted, moisture formed and mildew developed.

“We see similar situations here in Texas,” Dai said. “A lot of building designs fail to consider Florida’s very hot and humid weather. The good news is that the Hampton Inn didn’t require any structural changes or expensive repairs to solve the mildew problem – the solution was quite simple.” Dai recommended that Kareska regulate the operating time of two roof top fans, and make sure that the air conditioning de-humidification process functions correctly. After the fans were put on timers so that they no longer ran constantly, the mildew problem disappeared. The previously affected rooms were cleaned and disinfected and have remained free of mildew.

Kareska was so pleased with SATOP that he has offered his experience to other Hampton Inns to encourage them to utilize the program for any technical challenges they may be facing.

“Without SATOP’s help, there is no telling when we could have successfully tracked down the source of the moisture, and it was vitally important to stop the mildew before it became a serious problem,” said Kareska. “We easily could have spent quite a bit of time and money on solutions that never would have addressed the actual causes of the mildew. Instead, we’re mildew free, thanks to SATOP.”