How To Tell If I Have Mold In My Attic

In some cases the first sign of toxic mold in your attic may be physical symptoms.

How to tell if i have mold in my attic.

Attics are the perfect breeding ground for mold and the problem can quickly spread if it s not contained. Attics are often dark and mold loves cool and dark places. Attic mold should be considered a building failure issue not a health concern. Check out these five tips for identifying mold in your attic.

If your roof leaks or any attic windows leak you ve got moisture in your attic and probably need to consider attic mold removal. Mold in attic is fairly common because attics are often damp. If you have ever left wet newspaper sitting around for a day or more it takes on a distinct smell. It also helps that mold commonly possesses colors that stand out from its surroundings such as pink yellow orange or white.

Even if your roof and windows don t leak though humidity in the attic can lead to the growth of mold. It doesn t even occur to us that mold can grow in our attics too. It appears you have light moderate mold growth appearing on the framing and sheathing. Health symptoms of toxic mold.

Attic mold is caused by moisture issues. Most of us assume mold only happens in bathrooms and basements. The six most common causes of attic mold growth are. Attic mold is very common and is dealt with by tens of thousands of families every year.

The effects of mold exposure depend on your health and the amount of mold you re exposed to. This is what most attic mold will smell like. A professional can safely access your attic and begin the process of removing the mold through the use of chemicals sealants partial wood removal and whatever else is necessary to get the job done. Due to the stack effect the concept of warm air rising in a home mold issues in an attic do not impact the indoor air quality in the occupied area below.

Check for colored spots. Black attic mold is especially feisty. You can tell if you have black attic mold by the pattern it makes as it spreads. Mold spores don t have wings e g they can t fly against an upward flow of air from stack effect within a house so it s extraordinarily rare for attic mold spores to show up on indoor air quality mold tests.

Therefore it really isn t a per se health concern. This guide will look at the most common signs of toxic mold in an attic and how you can avoid damage to your health and home. If you have the unfortunate experience of having to deal with attic mold know that you re not alone. One of the easiest ways to figure out if there s mold in your attic is to look for colored spots throughout the area.

Mold must be removed from attic sheathing because the spores can cause serious health problems.