from Lester in Coleman, WI:
#789
What should I do about mold in my attic?
This Web site tells about mold and remedies to treat it.
More information is needed to answer this question definitively. Often, mold in attics does not represent a significant problem in terms of human health issues or building degradation. For the most part, it depends on the severity/degree of mold present in the attic. Because of stack effect, air is typically moving out of an attic to the exterior of the home. As a result, the mold spores are typically not being introduced (downward) into the living space from the attic.
The real question becomes, “What caused the mold to begin with?” The answer is usually moisture (in vapor form) migrating into the attic via air leakage from the home. Unless the moisture is effectively vented to the exterior, it can condense on surfaces at or below the dew point temperature. Over the course of time, this condensation can saturate the underside of the roof deck and other roof framing members and contributes to the development of mold and subsequent rotting.
A good resource for detailed information about mold and mold remediation in attics can be found on the Inspectapedia Web site.
Published Thursday, April 15, 2010