When it comes to mold, we tend to think about the areas of our home that we expect to be damp such as our kitchens and bathrooms. However, there is another area of our home which often suffers from mold growth without our ever being aware. This place is the attic, which offers just about the ideal spot for mold to thrive. These spaces tend to be hot and humid and offer an abundance of wood on which mold can feast. These conditions can make it difficult to pin down the exact cause of mold growth, but there are a few common causes that, more often than not, turn out to be the culprits. Let’s take a closer look at these causes and how you may be able to identify them.
Leaking Roof
This is easily one of the most common causes of mold growth but is often one of the most easily prevented. There are several possible causes of leaks, and they most often originate along the flashing and vertical fixtures where moisture can seep through. Fortunately, an annual inspection of your roof and routine maintenance can prevent these leaks allowing the mold to be professionally remediated so that it won’t return.
Poor Roof Ventilation
Without proper ventilation, moisture-rich air may remain in your attic, permitting it to set around framing and sheathing. This can be a problem, particularly in the winter months, as cold roof sheathing can allow moisture to condense, creating the damp conditions in which mold can thrive. This means that it is crucial to ensure that soffit vents that exhaust air and intake vents are all clear and able to circulate air from the lower portion of the attic out through the upper soffit vents.
Bath or Kitchen Vents Exhaust Into the Attic
Exhaust fans are intended to vent moist and dirty air from your home outdoors, but in some cases, these vents are incorrectly allowed to output directly into the attic. This can occur due to poor installation or a break in the exhaust ducts, but either way, the result is the same, warm moist air outputting directly into your attic. When this occurs, it is important to resolve the issue quickly and rout the output directly to the outside.
Poor Insulation
Attic insulation is not only critical to keeping your heating and cooling bills down but also to preventing mold growth. Your attic’s insulation helps to prevent heat and air from escaping into your attic, and during the cold winter months, this can cause water to condense on roof sheathing. It is important to ensure suitable coverage of insulation throughout the entire attic area.
Openings Directly Into the Attic
The same as poor insulation, an opening directly into the attic can permit warm air from your home to escape into the attic. This may occur from gaps around the light fixture, speaker, and exhaust fans as well as from poorly sealed entrances into the attic space. These should be sealed in order to reduce air communication between your attic and the rest of your home.
Final Thoughts
Your attic is one of the most frequent places for mold growth to occur in your home, and though you may not spend much time in this space, it is still a serious issue. Once mold occurs anywhere in your home, including the attic, it is quite possible for it to spread. Plus, mold can cause severe damage and accelerated degradation of building materials. It is crucial for the health of your home and family to address mold growth as soon as it is discovered.
Contact Us
If you are in need of professional mold remediation, contact ABH Services Inc. Our professionally trained remediation experts can treat even severe cases of mold. Call today at (781) 941-2422 and connect with us on Facebook.