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Just because you don’t visit your attic every single day doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t maintain it. When it comes to mold growing there, you might think out of sight, out of mind – but that’ll just lead to bigger issues you’ll end up having to deal with in the future. Often caused by issues like condensation, excess moisture and poor ventilation, if left untreated could cause all kinds of problems needing costly repairs. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can protect your home and prevent mold growth before it takes hold.
Improve Ventilation
Ventilation is a big part of how a roof system works by allowing air and excess moisture to escape the attic through vents. Without good ventilation, the air in your home becomes stale. Moisture builds up, and the same air continuously circulates. This creates a prime mold-growing environment.
If the air in your attic seems stale each time you walk in, you should consider installing better ventilation to improve the airflow. Check whether existing soffit, ridge or gable vents are blocked and see if they need debris removed in order to function better. Also it’s important that air can move around freely, so make sure the attic space isn’t completely cluttered. Improving ventilation will help excess moisture escape and create a drier environment that mold will struggle to survive in.
Look Out For Any Leaks
Leaks obviously let in water and can slowly (or quickly if it’s big) cause a whole lot of damage. Not only will it create potential problems with damaging items or causing structural problems if left for a long time, but even a small, unnoticeable leak can create enough moisture in the air to cause mold to grow.
If you suspect a leak could be responsible, start checking all over your roof for the source, especially around the flashing, skylights or pipe penetrations. Where things need to go through your roof, holes can develop around them – or it’s possible they were never fitted correctly in the first place – allowing water to slowly seep in and mold to then grow. You should also be wary of your roof after storms. Rainwater damage can again lead to water getting into your attic and creating a damp environment for mold to thrive in.
Prevent Warm Moist Air Getting In The Attic
Warm moist air that comes from your home is a particularly common cause of mold growth in attics. Warm air rises; with that so does moisture. This comes from everyday chores like cooking, showers, laundry and other daily activities. You can’t really stop doing those, so instead you need to prevent that warm, moist air from reaching the attic, where you’re unable to keep an eye on the conditions as well as your bathroom, for example.
Check for any gaps or holes in things like the loft hatch, extractor fans, lighting or pipes and cabling to see if these holes lead up to the loft. The more holes you can close, the less moist, warm air can get to the attic, and the mold will be much less likely to grow there.
The absolute best way to deal with mold is to stop it from growing in the first place. Limiting the amount of moisture in the air by sealing off leaks, preventing air from your home getting in and improving that ventilation will all help to keep the air dryer and stop mold in its tracks.