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Here we explain the causes of moldy attics or roof mold in buildings, and we discuss the relationship between other building moisture sources (such as a wet basement) and attic and roof mold contamination. This document gives advice on how to find and deal with mold in building attics and roof cavities; We discuss when and how to clean up attic mold - how to get rid of attic or roof mold. This is a chapter of "How to Look for Mold" which describes how to find mold and test for mold in buildings, including how and where to collect mold samples using adhesive tape - an easy, inexpensive, low-tech but very effective mold testing method. The page top photograph of dark mold found on the attic-side of plywood roof decking was contributed by David Grudzinski, a Cranston RI professional home inspector and member of ASHI and NACHI. © Copyright 2010 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. ATTIC MOLD CAUSES
What Causes Attic Mold?Cleaning up moldy wood surfaces, removing moldy attic insulation, will be a costly but wasted step if we don't understand and correct what caused these conditions in the first place. Below we describe the combination of two critical factors that make for a wet, moldy attic: inadequate roof ventilation and an indoor source of un-wanted or excessive building moisture. A third source, roof leaks, is more obvious and should also be considered in any building inspection for leaks, moisture, or mold. Inadequate Roof VentilationDavid pointed out in his emailed comments that the attic of this home was not adequately vented. We don't see good, continuous intake ventilation at the house eaves or soffits (the lower roof edges.) We also did not see good roof exit venting along the ridge of the building. Our example photos (below) show characteristic rust stains around roofing nails in a poorly-vented attic (below left), and the absence of those stains around roofing nails in a well-ventilated attic (below right). Even our poorly-vented attic (below left) was not as severely wet and moldy as the attic in Grudzinski's photos (above).
Our photo of frost on the under-side of an attic roof deck (left) shows another clue of inadequate under-roof ventilation that may be visible if the building is located in a freezing climate. Regardless of its source, moisture entering the attic from anywhere is trapped in this space - contributing to mold growth and longer term to building rot or perhaps even inviting insect attack on the structure. If the moisture levels were low, no mold problem may have occurred. But if we combine poor roof ventilation with high moisture levels, we've asked for trouble with mold and rot. Insulation improvements as well as attic ventilation improvements are discussed at INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT, and at ROOF VENTILATION SPECIFICATIONS we give specific details on good attic ventilation. Indoor Moisture Sources Causing Attic Mold
Our photo (left, from a different home) shows a rats nest of bath vent fan ducts that the building owner emptied into a building attic. These vents should have been conducted to outside the building. "Heat flow" into a cold attic means warm moisture-laden air flow from the occupied spaces in the home below is moving into the chilly or cold attic space. This airflow not only increases the cost of heating the home, but it brings up moisture from below into the attic area where water condenses out of the warm air onto cold attic surfaces. Wet basements or crawl spaces mean wet moldy attics: At BASEMENT MOLD WATER IMPACT another series of photographs by Mr. Grudzinski demonstrates how a wet (rotting, moldy) sub-basement served as a moisture source that was almost certainly a major contributor to if not the main cause of the moldy attic shown in our page top photographs here. At ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE and at ICE DAM PREVENTION we describe problems caused by inadequate roof ventilation that include not just attic moisture and mold, but ice damming and even leaks into building ceilings and walls. Also see our photo guide to finding attic moisture and mold at How to Inspect Attics for Condensation & Moisture - to Detect & Correct Attic Condensation, Frost, Ice Dam Leaks & Attic Mold
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