Attic Mold In Portland…
is extremely common in the Pacific Northwest. Attic mold is caused by 3 basic issues:
- Lack of adequate ventilation or improper ventilation
- Existing or past roof or flashing leaks
- Improperly exhausted bathroom fans and or dryer vents
People realize the importance of insulating an attic, but few realize that the ventilation of the attic is equally important. If the attic has inadequate ventilation (or no ventilation), the warm air of the home will rise into the attic and it will get trapped. The amount of moisture in the air in your home depends on the temperature of the air. As the temperature goes down, the air contains less moisture. This is why, in cold weather, moisture condenses on cold surfaces (like attic roof sheathing/decking). This moisture provides a perfect situation where mold spores can grow.
Improperly installed bathroom exhaust venting can actually add moisture into your attic instead of allowing it to leave the home. Remember that hot goes to cold so this is why so many attics only have mold growth on the East and North sides of their attics.
Traditional Method to Remove Attic Mold
White Attic Paint – is a dead giveaway that there was a mold problem in your house at one point in time. The traditional method of getting rid of mold in an attic in the past included:
- Cleaning and treatment of surfaces
- Application of a mold-resistant sealant – usually using a white paint that did not remove any of the mold staining and then
- Installing proper ventilation and insulation to ensure that the mold would not return
The problem with this process is that it left the mold stains in place and the attic looks like it still has a problem. Anyone looking to purchase the house in the future will want to know why there is white sealant in the attic.
Our Process
At Portland Mold Solution we have a very basic system where we remove all visible mold in the attic. Then, if there is any staining left after the mold removal process we will use a simple stain remover to clean the surfaces of of the attic so it will pass any type of inspection. Our process removes all mold and mold staining so there will be no evidence of a mold problem in the future. No white sealant is needed in our process. If requested we can sample the air after all mold has been removed to be sure the mold spores are reduced down as well. Remember you can never remove all mold spores since they are present in all air.