Do you have dangerous mold in YOUR attic?

By Kim Cox:

You may not realize how common it is, or how easy it is in our area for mold and mildew to grow in your attic…

Not to mention how dangerous it can be to your health, and the costly damage it can do to your home.

So you should check out this abbreviated crash course on attic mold and how it can affect you and your roof…

Some of the most common tell-tale signs of attic mold

• Musty smells
• Black stains on the underside of roof sheathing, insulation, or rafters

  

• Condensation or wet on the sheathing, insulation, or other things in your attic

The most usual causes of moldy attics and roof sheathing

• Roof leaks
• Missing or improper airflow and ventilation in the attic
• Improperly installed or missing insulation or soffit baffles
• House vents and fans venting into the attic instead of outside
• Ice dams

Why mold grows in attics

So first of all, mold in attics is more common in colder parts of the country.

Mold usually starts to develop when warm, moist air is vented or leaks from your living space into the attic space.

This can happen from shower fans or stove hoods that don’t vent to the outside like they should… Or simply from warm air leaking through light and other ceiling fixtures.

When this moist air hits the underside of cold roof sheathing, it condenses, then drips down the rafters and can saturate the attic insulation.

Voila! It’s the perfect environment for mold to grow.

The chief reason this happens?

Poor, inadequate attic ventilation!

You see, air needs to circulate properly through the attic and under your roof, flowing out the ridge or gable…

If warm, moist air gets trapped in the attic with nowhere to go, mold can grow.

Wood starts rotting, and people start getting sick. Not a fun time, and it’s kind of gross, too.

You can avoid this from happening to you.

You just need to make sure your roof and attic are properly and adequately ventilated with the right combination of soffit, ridge, and gable vents.

We’ve even seen roofs right here in Maryland where the original roofer never even cut in the ridge vent at all, trapping all the moisture right where you don’t want it – inside your attic.

If your roof is properly, you probably won’t have to worry about mold.

Is your attic ventilation adequate enough to prevent mold in your home?

If you’re not sure, or just want peace of mind, simply call us.

We’ll schedule a free, no-obligation roof ventilation analysis to find out, and give you our findings.

I’m sure you’ll feel much better afterwards…

So if your worried about mold in your home’s attic, please call me to discuss your needs in more detail.

Whether your home is in Frederick, or Silver Spring, over to Columbia, Maryland, or any community in between, we can help!

To get your free, no-obligation attic and roof ventilation analysis,
or to simply ask a question, call Kim at 301-368-3551

On Top Home Improvements, Inc.
10818 Avonlea Ridge Place
Damascus, MD 20872
Tel: 301-368-3551
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