White Powder Mold In Attic

Attics usually have a passive ventilation system in which outside air comes in through the soffit eave vents at the bottom warms up in the attic and escapes through the can or ridge vents at the top because hot air rises.

White powder mold in attic.

White mold in attics. Closer inspection under good lighting will reveal a fungal growth pattern of spots like tiny mushrooms. Common areas of white mold growth include attic sheathing and crawlspace framing. I found approximately 10 percent of the roof rafters covered in spots with a white powdery substance which i assumed to be mold.

The attic seems dry at present. Rafters in the attic floor joists in the basement or crawlspace and wooden furniture are all places where you can find white mold. White mold is commonly found growing on wood surfaces. What is the best way to clean up this problem.

The attic is basically a crawl space with loose insulation between the ceiling joists. A trained mold inspector can readily determine if the growth structure is from white mold or efflorescence. It appears white or light gray like a coating of unsettled dust. However i imagine it gets pretty humid in the summer.

How to clean mold. In the attic photograph at left we show a mix of green gray and white attic mold. Additionally efflorescence will typically dissolve under the application of a water mist while mold growth will not. The most common cause of attic mold by far is blocked or insufficient ventilation of the attic space.

Some of the health symptoms that white colored mold can cause include eye irritations dizziness nausea allergic reactions respiratory infections headaches and depression. The mold usually appears as a white powdery film and some people may not realize that it is even mold growth. The mold itself may have a cottony texture but can also be velvety leathery or. The photo at page top shows white attic mold on the roof sheathing and rafters and some brown or black mold on the attic side of ceiling drywall where we pulled back insulation.

White mold is usually found in cool and damp areas such as basement walls. As such roof leaks from rainfall or melting snow condensation resulting from temperature fluctuations and or leaky pipes can give mold the moisture it needs to thrive in attics. White mold penetrates porous surfaces such as wood sheetrock and furniture. Mold usually causes a musty odor and may cause staining that may be black brown gray white yellow or green.