What if I have Mold in the attic?

A lot of clients are concerned about whether they have mold in their attics or not. Sometimes a person doing a general home inspection will see signs that indicate there may be mold growth in the attic, but they may not be sure because they are not experts. It is good always to address any mold issues in your home, but often it may not be as bad as you fear.

A certain amount of mold is reasonable in any attic and absolutely nothing to worry about. Often we do not even advise clients to have the air quality of the attic checked since it is not typically considered living space. More often than not samples from an attic will come back somewhat elevated according to industry guidelines.

At Core Q Mold Analysis we recommend a visual inspection first to see if there appear to be any problems. If a probable problem surfaces then we will suggest some surface samples to help identify the specific type of mold we are dealing within the home. If fungus tests reveal we are dealing with unusual species of mold, such as, Stachybotrys or even a more common mold like Penicillium Aspergillus that is at higher than average concentrations, then we will want to address where the source is coming from in the attic.

Mold needs some moisture or water getting into the area before it will grow. A leading cause of attic mold is a leaky roof when it rains. Another source of concern is lack of ventilation. Humidity builds up in an attic and if no proper vents are working to allow it to release it can cause mold to grow. You will find that most of these issues actually start in the winter and then intensify in the summer when it gets hot. The extreme temperature changes can cause the roof shearing to sweat. Combine that with high humidity levels and lack of ventilation, and you have the perfect environment for widespread mold to grow.

Attic Mold Removal

Since an attic is not a living space, it is easier to fix than most other areas of the house where you might find mold growing. Therefore, it is much less expensive to take care of in the early stages. When dealing with an area of your home or office that people are in regularly you must take more precautions when removing mold, Living areas require setting up containment so the mold does not spread and damage other areas and often will require using negative pressure to prevent it spreading throughout the building.  For most attics, they only need to remove the contaminated materials and thoroughly clean the area with an anti-microbial solution.

One important recommendation if you find mold in your attic and it is problematic enough to require remediation from a professional you should have them do an air quality sample within the living area of the home and see if there is any chance the mold from the attic has spread into other parts of the house.  Remember finding mold in an attic does not mean it is necessarily bad since a certain amount of mold is entirely reasonable and may not need anything done about it. It is always crucial to have an expert determine the severity of the problem if any.