Why do I have mold in my attic?

Attics are one of the most common areas of mold growth in the home. Attics tend to be hot and humid due to a lack of ventilation, and with all that wood for the mold to feed off, it makes the perfect habitat for growth. 

The main reason attics get mold is a lack of ventilation. Because mold thrives in hot, humid environments. Counterintuitively, mold can become a big issue in the colder months where homeowners tend to turn up heaters and use their fireplaces to heat the home. Because this hot air rises in the attic, if it has no where to escape, it can cause “sweating”. This condensation, paired with the hot air that’s locked in the attic creates the perfect environment for mold growth. The first step in preventing mold is to ensure your roof has proper ventilation. A knowledgeable roofing contractor can make sure you have enough ventilation for you home. Its important to hire a knowledgeable roofing contractor because there is a specific calculation to ensure the amount of intake and exhaust ventilation is adequate for the attic space. Having too much or too little of either can short circuit the ventilation system, making it unable to ventilate properly. 

Another cause of mold in the attic are undetected roof leaks. Some slow and / or small roof leaks can go undetected, especially if the water never makes it down to the sheetrock or living space. These roof leaks can wreak havoc on your attic space however, causing mold to grow in the area around the leak. If the attic is improperly ventilated, this can cause the mold to spread at an alarming rate. Making sure your roof is in good shape is imperative to the health and safety of your family. A regular roof inspection and roof maintenance can prevent these slow leaks, or at least detect weak areas of the roof, and stop them from becoming a bigger issue. 

Mold in the attic can be dangerous. Mold can flare up allergies and asthma symptoms. Persistent exposure to mold can cause breathing issues, coughing, sneezing, and sore throats. While mold in the attic may seem to be less of an emergency than mold in other areas of the home, the mold spores are easily spread. It takes a mold spore 7-14 days to cause an outbreak. 

If you have mold in your attic, its important to have the mold remediated. However, the cause of the mold is important to diagnose to prevent mold from growing again. Do not spend a fortune on mold remediation of the cause of the mold is not first corrected. 

Since mold in the attic is most likely caused from a ventilation issue, or a roof leak, starting with the roof first is a great first step. Ensuring that problem is fixed will make sure mold will not come back in the future. 

If you need a roof repair, or you want to schedule roof maintenance, call American Eagle Roofing. We’re here to help.