Mold in the attic of the house is one of the most “popular” items in my property inspection reports. And now is the time for an explanation on how to remove mold and / or how to clean mold in the attic. But before you do that, let me give you a little advice, something to consider before you sign a few (if you’re lucky) a thousand dollar contract with a mold repair company.

TIP for attic mold remediation: an alternative (to consider):

Suppose you are in the middle of a real estate transaction and the home inspector has just revealed to you that the entire attic of your home is contaminated with mold.

If you have a new roof, you can only blame yourself or try to blame the roofing contractor for not checking the attic before replacing the roof (he will laugh at you unless you asked the guy to check the attic before he did. the ceiling). replacement). If you have an older roof, the importance of this tip is even greater.

Call at least 2-3 mold repair companies for a quote; specify to reps that you not only want mold removed, but attic ventilation system corrected / installed if necessary / ask if attic insulation needs to be replaced.

Using the numbers for mold repair contractors, call 2-3 roofing contractors and ask them for a quote on the cost of roof replacement, including deck boards / plywood (ask roofer to check attic area ), improvement of attic ventilation and insulation if necessary.

Be careful if they only suggest a humidistat controlled power ventilation installation; Without properly functioning soffit vents or any type of vents along the underside of the roof, this might not be an adequate solution.

If attic insulation replacement is not required (in most cases, it won’t be possible to tell without lab testing), make sure it is sealed with aluminum foil prior to roof and deck replacement. Fold the aluminum foil that seals its contents after the contaminated platform has been removed and dispose of as normal waste (EPA recommendation).

If you only have a small mold-contaminated attic area, the roof replacement option would be more expensive. But with an entire attic in need of mold remediation, it might be cheaper (or even much cheaper) to remove all the contaminated decks, install an entirely new roof, and correct ventilation issues.

I have seen bills of $ 3,000.00 – $ 10,000.00 for the attic mold remediation process on approximately 1000 square feet of attic area.

Roof / Deck Replacement Benefits Over Mold Removal:

• Replacing the roof and deck can be cheaper than cleaning an entire mold-contaminated attic.
• the real estate transaction that kills the mold is gone
• Improving attic ventilation is much easier during roof replacement and is often handled at no significant / additional cost.
• buyer gets a new roof

Even if the roof replacement price is a bit higher than the mold remediation process, it is still worth considering because you are getting a valuable home upgrade (new roof), which will be disclosed on a real estate listing.

In some cases, the deck and roof frame are contaminated, and replacing the deck would not completely solve the problem. In such a case, you would have to clean contaminated beams or girders.

How to kill mold and how to clean mold in the attic.

This is not a mold remediation or mold cleanup case study, it is just an explanation based on my observations and recommendations from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).

Even if it is a small, polluted attic, 10 ‘x 10’ is the maximum area recommended by the EPA to be treated by non-professionals, forget about killing mold by spraying it with bleach or other disinfectants. Lab tests have confirmed that it doesn’t kill all the spores and that in most cases, you’re just making a mess.

The best way to kill attic mold (like any other mold) is to remove it from the surface it is growing on or to remove the contaminated surface.

The EPA recommends four mold cleaning methods and all of them can be in the attic, assuming it is a small area (up to 10 square feet).

1. You can clean the surface using a wet vacuum, the kind that can partially fill your tank with water to contain mold residue from the contaminated surface.
2. Clean the surface with a damp cloth or sponge; use clean water or wood cleaner
3. Use a high-efficiency HEPA vacuum on completely dry surfaces and dispose of collected contents in tightly sealed plastic bags.
4. Remove all contaminated material, seal in plastic and dispose of as regular waste. They recommend using a HEPA vacuum after this, but in the attic you will probably have to remove the insulation from the floor (if it is contaminated). You can also cover the insulation with a plastic sheet and fold the sheet sealing its contents after the cleaning process.

You may or may not have allergic reactions to mold. However, always wear protective gear, especially in the attic area where you are exposed to insulation fibers and dust.

For minimal protection during the mold removal procedure, EPA recommends: gloves, N-95 respirator, and eye protection (fully closed goggles preferably). For added protection, you can add a half-face or full-face respirator with a HEPA filter, disposable full-body clothing, headgear, and foot covers.

How to clean mold if a large section or an entire attic is contaminated

Personally, I wouldn’t even try to do it myself, so my suggestion is:

Use a professional mold repair company:

• check your background and check it manually by calling your clients
• Ask about customers who had attic mold fixed about 1 year ago; it usually takes a winter for mold to start growing again if the job is not completely completed.
• Insist on removing the mold entirely rather than encapsulating it (media shot blasting methods give the best results).
• Encapsulation it is simply a process of covering the mold-contaminated surface with paint (paint-like product) that contains (or at least some of them do) chemicals to kill the mold

If the mold in your attic is removed properly and all the problems responsible for its growth are corrected, which is even more important than removing the mold, it will not regrow / need to be encapsulated.

• Hire a different mold testing and mold repair contractor to eliminate conflict of interest.
• Be sure to run an independent clearance test after completion of the mold removal process.
• Authorization test is to determine if mold spores remain in the previously contaminated area

Extremely important – Examine the attic (or have someone do it for you) after the mold cleaning procedure is complete.

All wood surfaces (frames and decks) must be perfectly clean (like new), unless there is some rot as a result of leaky roofs or extremely humid conditions in the attic; Those wooden sections need to be replaced or reinforced from below. You don’t want anyone to fall through the ceiling while checking it or just inspecting it.