Mold in the Attic

If you see black stuff covering or growing on the roof sheathing in your attic, it’s probably mold.  It’s never fun to find out that your house has mold, but the fix for mold in the attic is usually quite straightforward, and doesn’t involve the services of any ‘mold remediation experts’.​

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What causes mold in an attic?
When mold grows in an attic, it’s caused by a moisture problem.  Period.  Some moisture sources are obvious and have a huge impact – bathroom exhaust fans, kitchen exhaust fans, clothes dryers… they all pump moisture out of the house, and they should never be vented in to the attic.   Everyone knows that, right?

So what needs to be done about the existing mold? 
​It depends on who you ask.  If you talk to someone who has a financial interest in cleaning up the mold, they’ll tell you it needs remediation.  If you ask someone who could get sued for not recommending professional remediation, odds are they’ll tell you to have professional remediation.  Other people might argue that once the air leaks between the house and attic have been sealed off, it won’t matter what’s in the attic.  As long as the roof sheathing isn’t rotted, I tend to agree.