Mold in the Attic
141,138
Published 2015-01-15
Welcome to the 70th episode of “On the Job”! In this episode, Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver, takes us to the attic of a colonial home in Newtown, CT to speak about mold in the attic. Mold problems are quite prevalent in many conventionally insulated, unconditioned attics in the northeast – and in virtually any area of the country where winters are cold and houses are heated.
In this particular home in Newtown, the problem is so widespread that it is possible to see the dark mold stains all over the wooden surfaces. Such a wide infestation may eventually cause wood decay and compromise the structural integrity of the roof, but it also raises serious health concerns for the family living in that home.
What causes mold problems in the attic? As Larry will show, the problem begins with lack of proper air sealing. Heated air – the air that you pay to heat your home – rises and leaks into the unconditioned attic through all types of gaps, such as holes around pipes and wires, canned lights, unsealed attic hatches, and bathroom fans that vent into the attic instead of the outside. During the winter, an unconditioned attic is usually just as cold as the outside, and so are the roof and wooden structures. When heated, humid air infiltrates the freezing cold attic, it will cool down and per each degree it is cooled, relative humidity rises 2.2%, often bringing the RH levels in the attic up to 100%, at which point condensation occurs all over the cold surfaces.The wood will soak the moisture and create the perfect conditions for mold to develop.
In this particular attic, the condensation problem is so significant that the nails used to secure the roof shingles began to rust and drip all over the attic. The only effective way to stop mold from developing in the attic is to properly seal all the gaps and holes. This will help to keep heated air in the conditioned areas from escaping into the cold attic.
As it happened in this home, most builders and the typical insulation contact or will not air seal the attic before installing the insulation. That is malpractice because even if R-values are up to recommendations, common attic insulation materials such as fiberglass bats, blown fiberglass or blown cellulose, will only prevent heat from the ceiling from transferring to the attic. It will not stop air flow. Air will leak right through the insulation.
An energy efficient attic is the most important component of an energy efficient home. If your home has mold in the attic or if your heating and cooling bills are too high or even if you worry that your attic is not properly insulated visit our website or give us a call to schedule a free evaluation and estimate.
All Comments (21)
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Larry- I always look forward to you videos. They help me convey problems like mold in the attic much easier with my customers in Albany, New York.
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Nice video Larry Janesky, really explains attic moisture nicely!
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Lots of videos on attic insulation, but these Dr Energy Savers really make the most sense to me
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Funny that attic ventilation is never mentioned but is a far more economical and practical way to eliminate humidity buildup. If a proper amount of soffit and either ridge or regular vents are on the roof you can have almost no insulation in the attic and mold would not form.
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thanks for doing this
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Great video but what works good in removing the black stain
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You see a lot of solutions for cleaning the mold, but it comes back. This is the solution. Thanks for the video.
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What specific brand of products are you guys currently using?
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Thank you
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what about the the outside roof of the house??
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I like this guy 👍
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spray right over mold Or remediate / remove mold first?
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Too bad my house is a rental. My landlord says oh it's just dust and doesn't want to fix it. She's selling the house with some acreage to a developer, if they will buy it, and wants to rent it to me as it slowly decomposes. I hope we don't get sick.
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Dry ridge system would let the moist air out of the house, this will stop the mould.
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a new Cdn startup (Snowventco.com) sells a new CSA approved type b pod vent that has been 3rd party tested to keep 99.99% of airblown fine snow and rain out of your attic. All roofers know that all vents on the market will leak moisture in storms. This steady leak of moisture also helps feed mould. see our field test videos showing all vents failing. You wouldnt allow this leak in your basement.
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My worst fear !!! My house has a bunch of shit up there...looks like kitty litter!! Its hot!! Its going to be below zero here in a fow months. Man i just dont know how it wouldnt create that type of situation for mold. Dang it !!!!! Your really cant even get up there good...i have two crawl space holes about 24 inches by 24 inches.
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How about people not usung air conditioning
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nice commercial but it cost a fortunate.......... how much ?? because there are sprays that get rid of the mold stains .
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i feel this costs a fortune to do.
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This whole "mold" craze is a joke. There are mold spores EVERYWHERE. I can put a petri dish in a chlorine factory and get a growth of mold. Yes, as with anything there are extremes you want to look for.... but if you see a little staining on some plywood from a previous roof leak, I would not get all excited.
