Homes of Fort Worth - How to Get Rid of Attic Mold

1/5/2021 (Permalink)

If you find or suspect mold in your attic, contact SERVPRO in fort worth for professional mold remediation services.

You wouldn’t expect an attic to have the freshest of air, but one day you climb the ladder to retrieve your holiday decorations from this lofty storage and notice it’s more than just dusty. The attic smells musty.

Attic mold isn’t necessarily a health hazard as the living space air doesn’t usually mix with that in the attic, but mold in the attic is no less destructive. Black mold in the attic may destroy construction materials such as rafters and insulation. Depending on the cause, the mold may spread through the ceiling.

Because we rarely go up to the attic, finding mold up there comes as a surprise. Does mold found in the attic during a home inspection affect the value of the home? Some may wonder if they should buy or sell a home with attic mold issues.

Attic mold remediation is something you should certainly do sooner than later, but it doesn’t mean a house is unfit to be sold. SERVPRO Fort Worth is here to keep homes and businesses mold-free. Read on to learn about how mold develops in the attic and what to do about it.

Causes of Mold in the Attic

Mold likes to grow where it’s damp and dark. Below are common causes of mold in the attic:

• Moisture is trapped in construction materials. Say the timber for the rafter wood was rained on. If it doesn’t dry thoroughly, mold might grow there. 
• Condensation forms in the attic space cold air from outdoors meets warm air from indoors (or vice versa, perhaps). One solution for this is improved insulation.
• Mold grows where wood construction is dampened because ventilation is insufficient or blocked. There should be about one square foot of venting per 100 square feet of space.
• Moisture can enter the attic if there are exhaust system leaks from bathroom fans or appliances that pass through the attic space.
• Discoloration or water stains on rafters, sheathing, joists, fascia boards, or flashings indicate a roof leak. Mold grows from the rainwater that enters the attic this way. 

Mold needs moisture to thrive so a dry attic is a mold-free attic. Check the roofing, the vents, the perimeter of attic windows, plumbing stacks, chimneys, etc. for where moisture becomes trapped in the attic. 

Is Mold in Attic Common? 

How often do you go up to the attic? Most people may not go up to the attic but once a year, if that. How rare it is for human eyes and ears to observe the attic makes it more likely that a moisture issue won’t be caught in time before mold starts to form.

Mold and mildew in the attic are more common than you might think. Mold is likely to grow in dark, out-of-the-way places with plenty of moisture and cellulose material to consume. Just add water, and an attic is a perfect place for mold to grow.

How Much is Mold Remediation in Attic?

Fort Worth mold remediation costs depend on the extent of the mold damage including square footage of the affected area, and to what degree the mold has ravaged materials.

Compare Home Advisor local rates to the national average costs.

Cost Range of Mold Remediation for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex

• Average total: $2,167
• Typical total: $1,355 - $3,357
• Low-end cost: $525 
• High-end cost: $5,700

National Average Cost Range of Mold Remediation

• Average total: $2,220
• Typical total: $1,116 - $3,330
• Low-end cost: $375 
• High-end cost: $6,000

The above figures are from an outside source and do not necessarily reflect the attic mold remediation costs for SERVPRO of Fort Worth.  Call us any time for pricing information!

Should I Buy a House With Mold in the Attic?

Mold in the home is a concern for anyone looking to acquire property. Mold growth isolated to the attic isn’t necessarily a reason to pass on a house, but the source of the problem must be addressed.

When mold is found in the attic is during a home inspection, simply removing the infected materials isn’t enough to resolve the problem. Without finding and repairing the cause of water and moisture problems, the mold problem will continue to resurface.

How to Remove Mold in Attic

Attic mold remediation is more than just removing mold that is visible. The issues that allowed the mold to grow in the first place must be addressed, otherwise, the mold will just grow back.

Finding the source of the problem of moisture or water getting trapped in the attic begins with some troubleshooting. Having the trained eye of a professional helps to accurately diagnose the problem. 

Where is the mold showing? Using a bright flashlight, mark all of the places where you see mold growth. Is it directly under the roof? Is it near any plumbing? Or by a place where a bathroom fan or kitchen appliance’s exhaust path is? Where are puddles or dampness?

Depending on where you find these problems, this is where you would investigate first. The roof, exhaust systems, or plumbing issues would need to be repaired.

If you suspect a moisture trap problem, then the ventilation set up needs some review. Do you have enough vents? Are the existing vents blocked? Soffit vents should be clear to optimize airflow. All vents need to be oriented to flow outside of the attic and remain unobstructed. 

Other issues that may be allowing moisture, condensation, and water into the attic are clogged rain gutters or attic window issues.

Sources of trapped moisture and causes of water puddles may be difficult to pinpoint. There might also be multiple issues that contribute to mold growth. Hiring a professional to diagnose the issue is usually the best way to resolve the issues and that will keep your attic dry. Mold remediation steps may vary, but below is a general outline of SERVPRO’s procedures: 

• Inspection and mold damage assessment: We’re equipped to identify different types of mold and comb over the areas where mold likes to hide. 
• Mold containment: We seal off the area so as to properly manage the remediation process.
• Air filtration: We vacuum the air for purifications. Mold spores exist naturally in the air, so they can’t all be removed, but we remove as much toxic mold as we can.
• Removing mold and mold-infested materials: We use industrial cleaning agents to remove mold from surfaces. We also discard items that are severely contaminated. We safely remove your storage items from the attic during the remediation process.
• Cleaning contents and belongings: Our goal is to preserve rather than replace, so we salvage whatever possible. Contaminated soft goods can be restored to food-grade cleanliness in our industrial Esporta Wash System.
• Restoration: If we have to disassemble and remove construction materials in the attic space during the remediation, we bring it back to its preloss state by replacing these with new materials.

Mold Remediation Experts Ready in Fort Worth

Mold removal from the attic is a combination of resolving issues so you can maintain a dry space while eradicating existing mold colonies. Once these things are under control, your attic goes back to being something you don’t think about.

SERVPRO of North Richland Hills has been fighting mold in spaces of all sizes for decades. Our years of experience allow us to quickly pinpoint sources of moisture and dampness that cause your mold issues - even in dark and cramped places like your attic.

If you’re buying a home, selling a property, or just want to solve an attic moisture problem before a mold issue develops, call SERVPRO for attic mold remediation consultation and pricing information at (817) 589-1499.