What To Do When a Home Inspection During a Real Estate Transaction Finds Mold in the Attic
Whether you’re buying or selling a home in Victoria, Cowichan, Duncan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Qualicum, Port Alberni, Courtenay, Comox, or Campbell river, mold is a fact of life. Mold spores are floating in the air all around us. They don’t “grow” until they can attach themselves to a moist surface. Attic mold tends to go undetected because the attic’s not a place a homeowner spends much time hanging around in – so when attic mold turns up on a home inspection, it’s often a surprise to both buyer and seller.
If you find mold in the attic, first, relax. Mold in these areas isn’t a significant factor in indoor air quality, and truthfully, most molds are relatively harmless to humans. Visible mold is ready to be remedied and doesn’t require costly testing. What you don’t want to do is leave mold untreated, because the materials the mold has attached to can cause issues with timber and framing integrity. In the attic, mold can degrade drywall, spread to the ceiling below, and even cause problems with your roof’s life expectancy. Facts About Mold Click Here
CAUSES OF ATTIC MOLD
Attic mold occurs in the attic primarily due to the accumulation of moisture from condensation in the gap your attic fills between your warm house and the cold air outside your roof. Improper ventilation in the attic is actually worse in newer homes.
Mold can also grow in the attic when a home has been built during Vancouver Island’s wet months. If interior wood framing and plywood had not been sufficiently dried before adding drywall and roofing material, moisture could be trapped inside.
Other factors that can contribute to attic mold are improperly vented combustion appliances like the stove or dryer; improperly venting kitchen or bathroom fans; improperly installed rain gutters; or a leaking roof.
ERADICATING MOLD IN THE ATTIC
It is just as important to fix the moisture problem as it is killing the mold.
If you don’t correct the cause of the moisture-inducing environment mold will return. For attics, the key to correcting the cause is to consider hiring a professional to design and install the proper attic ventilation plan. Continually moving the air through the attic will keep condensation – and mold growth – at bay. Ensure enclosed attics, and enclosed rafter spaces have cross-ventilation for each separate area. Outside air enters into the attic space from intake vents, soffits, eave vents, roof-top edge venting or gable end-vents, passing through the attic displacing warm, moisture-laden air, which exits the attic via exhaust vents at or near the peak of the roof. Other site-specific fixes include repairing a leaking roof or fixing improperly vented appliances and exhaust fans.
PACIFIC DECONTAMINATION SERVICES WILL NEUTRUALIZE YOUR MOLD, SPORES AND MYCOTOXINS IN YOUR ATTIC.
We issue a CERTIFICATE OF DECONTAMINATION
Pacific Decontamination Services can neutralize your mold up 99.99999%. If our spray, fog or foam can touch it, we can neutralize it. Our services come at a fraction of the cost as compared to the expensive approaches like soda / dry ice blasting, hepa vacuuming, scrubbing, removal of insulation and deconstruction and reconstruction of the attic and roof.
We then issue a Certificate of Decontamination that seller can provide to the prosective buyer.
Pacific Decontamination Services uses the world’s strongest, most effective and safe antimicrobial disinfectant, deodorization and chemical decontaminate. Our professional application will eliminate up to 99.99999% of any allergen, germ, bacteria or fungus that it touches. AND as powerful as it is, it is also completely safe.
What do you do next? How do you solve the challenge of mold and associated health hazards?
Call Pacific Decontamination Services at 778-269-0208 or email us at our email address: contact @ pacificdecon dot com
Serving All of Vancouver Island: Victoria, Cowichan, Duncan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Qualicum, Courtenay, Comox, Campbell River, and Port Alberni.
