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You may not know this, but mold problems typically stem from moisture problems coupled with a food source for mold to grow. When it comes to attics, moisture is the main culprit, and it can be caused by one of three main reasons.
The lack of proper ventilation in your attic is the most likely cause of mold. A typical attic uses a passive ventilation system where the eave vents let outside air in, which warms up, rises, and leaves through the ridge vents.
This arrangement creates a healthy ventilation cycle in your attic. However, sometimes eave vents are blocked by insulation, hindering or completely eliminating proper ventilation. The humid, warm air inside the attic has nowhere to escape in such cases.
During winters, the air condenses, typically along with the cold wood sheathing, which results in the wood getting wet and providing the perfect environment for mold growth.
The exhaust vents and fans of your home are all designed to remove moisture from your home. However, if your bathroom exhaust, kitchen exhaust, or dryer exhaust vents and fans push moisture in your attic instead of outside the home, you will have moisture problems that lead to attic mold.
A leak in your roof will result in a smaller, localized area of mold in your attic, typically right underneath the leak or nearby it. Roof valleys, in particular, are highly prone to roof leaks and cause mold growth in the area below them.
These are the three main reasons why you have mold in your attic. If you check for the mentioned reasons or have a professional check your attic, you will likely find the source of the mold. It is always good practice to monitor vents, chimneys, attic vents, attic windows, plumbing stacks, and roof leaks.
These areas have great potential for moisture that leads to breeding grounds for mold. We highly recommend consulting and hiring professionals like Mammoth Restoration for mold detection and removal in your attic or home.
If you want to learn more about why you have mold in your attic or about the best, most professional mold detection and removal services, please call us at 609.859.5600 or email us.
