The Facts:

• Mold can cause Unpleasant Odors to permeate in your home.
• Mold can seriously damage and/or cause ugly stains on wood and drywall and other materials
• Breathing any amount of Mold can cause Health Problems

 

What is Mold:

Mold belong to a family of fungus which grow in most places inside or out.  Four things cause mold: Moisture, oxygen, Cellulose and other carbon based forms.  It is very easy for mold to get into the air circulation and journey to your attic through roof vents, air pockets and larger crevices such as attic openings and drop-down stairs. The reason for this is because mold is a fungus and fungus reproduce by making spores which are microscopic and travel like pollen in the air.

 

Breathing large amounts of mold spores can make you sick.  It can cause allergy reaction and respiratory problems in the long term.  In the attic the mold also cause a lot of damage. The moisture that comes with the mold also causes rot. Some molds are more aggressive than others but all of them can cause serious problems and should be stopped from spreading immediately.

 

Ventilation Errors

In many homes, when renovations and even new construction is done improperly or hastily the ventilation may be blowing air directly into the attic than outside.  A bathroom fan, a dryer vent or even air conditioning ducts may have been done incorrectly. The arrow is pointing to the black stains on the wood which has mold infestation. It is caused by the vent blowing warm moist air into the attic in place of this air blowing outside.

 

Warm Moisture and Cold Attics mean disaster

Mold grows more comfortably in colder climates than warm climates. But similar circumstances make sure mold can grow anywhere in milder climates and colder climates. To discover how mold infestation begins, let’s look at some examples of common mistakes in ventilation. First bathroom vents, which conducts warm and humid air from the restroom into the attic instead of lowing it outside. Hot showers during cold temperature would mean that a heavy current of air flows into the cold attic area.  The warm air reacts with the cold sheathing in the attic condensing the moisture and turning it into water. Water makes the sheathing of the roof wet, and creates droplets that drip down the planks acting like a sponge on the insulation.  This accounts for wet wood in a dark humid environment which is where mold like to grow the best.

 

Mold is also a sign of Energy Inefficiency

 

Any air that is warm and moist in a cool or cold attack can cause problems other than just mold. In many cases it is a sign that too much air conditioned air is making its being lost to the attic. This means less comfort in the home, higher energy bills, and wasted consumption of energy. Loss of air through gaps around recessed lighting, around heating vents, around the attic hatch or door, along with numerous other places including cracks. Mold can form in just from inefficient gaps in your insulation.

 

Eliminate Mold and Cut costs.

You could be able to cut your HVAC costs by up to 40%. Our experienced staff at The Home Insulators can seal off the air into your attic, to ensure that the vent fans and the dryer vents are attached to the exterior of the house rather than blowing into the attic. Our experts will also check to see that the roof is properly ventilated by using the right combination of venting materials in your attic. The benefit of air sealing and proper ventilation will contribute to a cut in heating and cooling costs that could add up to 40%,