Mold in Attic

Attics are one of the most common places within a house in which mold can grow, there is a reason why this happens; because of the area´s conditions, attics are usually closed which allows them to be both hot and humid, and the wood which serves as the perfect food source. Other reasons that might affect are air leaks, these allow warm air that is in the house to enter the attic. To sum up, these are the most important factors that cause mold problems:

• Not enough ventilation
• leaks in the roof and
• fans or dryer vents.

However, it is important to know that this issue can be avoided if taken with the appropriate care, it is to say, that house owners should be committed to check, in at least an annual basis, their attics in order to prevent mold from growing or to avoid it to keep growing by taken actions right on time.

There are some signs that might help you detect the mold issue in your attic:

• The attic is too hot: An important sign that there might be a mold issue, whether at the moment or at the near future, is to check if there are ventilation problems in the attic, which leads to mold growth.
• Musty smell: There is a specific type of odor that you can perceive as a sign of mold growth in your attic.
• Water might be dripping from somewhere: There might be an issue with water such as water leaking from the bath fans or the smoke detectors.
• Dark spots on the wood: Once you have found dark black spots on the wood surface of your attic you can be sure that you already have a mold issue to solve. Another easy way to spot mold in your attic is during winter, the humidity or water vapor inside of the attic will freeze on the roof´s underside.

After you have found you have a mold issue, the next step is to solve the problem:

In order to fix the mold issue, it is advisable to hire a professional in the area, attics are quite a dangerous place to work in if you do not have experience in the field, Attics are very confined places that represent a variety of dangers such a hitting yourself with a nail, falling off the ceiling, finding a nest full of animals or in the worst-case scenario you can electrocute yourself in the process. Because of this, it is better to hire someone skilled and experienced that will guarantee you an excellent result. Finally, take into consideration that mold problems are very common and do not mean the end of the world, and it can be solved at a considerable low cost. Always remember that as long as your attic has proper ventilation and it is a leak-free environment you should not face major issues with mold growth nor moisture, and to be very careful as it can be avoided with the simple act of regularly checking it.