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How to Prevent Mold from Growing in Your Attic

Water Damage Restoration Contractor

More often than not, the scariest movie scenes happen in the attic. You just never know what lies await inside—a ghost, your family’s cursed heirloom, or worse, growing mold. People tend to forget about their attic, so mold freely grows, until someone realizes that there’s water dripping everywhere and the mold has spread all throughout the house.

You can’t really throw away the whole attic into a garbage bin like moldy cheese, so you need to take care of it like any other room in your home. Knowing how to prevent mold from growing and know when to call an expert on mold abatement in Utah is your best option to prevent anything serious from happening.

How to Watch Out for a Moldy Attic 

Not knowing the signs of growing mold is like driving a car with a broken engine—your situation will just keep getting worse from there! It is important to know the signs of growing mold, so as to prevent the possible damage that would be done to your home.

Leaking Water

You probably have mold in your attic if there is water dripping everywhere. Your house doesn’t necessarily have to be flooding to get mold—but water stains on your ceiling, water dripping from the smoke detector, lights, or ceiling fans, or a roof leak present pretty big risks of mold infestations.

Wet Insulation

Moisture is attic mold’s best friend. If you don’t have mold-resistant insulation, mold has most probably already started to grow in your attic.

Darkened Wood

It is normal for wood to change color as it ages, but wood in the attic developing dark brown or black patches is definitely not!

Feels Stuffy and Smells Musty

If your attic feels very hot or stuffy and smells quite musty, then you definitely have growing mold. A stuffy attic means poor ventilation—and poor ventilation results in mold problems. 

Frost Buildup

The water vapor of an improperly-ventilated attic may freeze the underside of your roof. This sign is easy to spot, but it may have already been too late if you didn’t clear it out right away.

How to Prevent Attic Mold

You know what they say, prevention is better than cure! If you’d like to avoid water damages and a musty-smelling attic, you have to take note of what to do to keep mold from growing.

Inspect the Attic

Check the condition of your attic, preferably four times per year. Regular inspections best ensure that no problem goes unnoticed and things are in good condition. 

Check Your Vents

Make sure your dryer exhaust vent, kitchen exhaust fan, and bathroom exhaust fan are vented to the outside of your home. Your dryer vent should also have a removable section of pipe, so you can easily remove any lint buildup. 

Insulate Correctly

Make sure insulation is properly installed—but you must not over-insulate. This prevents enough heat from drying out the moisture in the air that mold loves so much. Also, remember to avoid installing a vapor barrier on top of the insulation.

Clean Your Gutters

When water can’t drain properly from the roof, it freezes and backs up into the attic—which then causes mold to grow. Regularly clean your gutters and check for any leaks and misaligned pipes to avoid this from happening.

Keep the Attic Empty

The attic is not your storage room—hide your old furniture and memorabilia somewhere else. The less stuff is in your attic, the fewer chances there are of mold growing.

What To Do With the Mold

You’ve checked the signs of molding, assessed your attic, and found mold growing. What do you do now? 

Regardless of the amount, it’s best to call a professional cleanup service to handle the job. While DIY solutions are possible, just a small mistake can lead to a resurgence of the infestation. You will need an expert in mold removal and water damage restoration in Utah to really clear out all the mold spores in your home to prevent it from resurfacing.

Conclusion

Even though the attic isn’t used as often as your kitchen or living room, it is still a part of your home—and as a part of your home, it needs regular inspection and maintenance. Mold may not seem like a big deal now, but it will be when water is dripping everywhere, and you realize you have been inhaling high levels of air-born mold.

AAA Restoration is the best restoration company in Utah with a team of experts that provide comprehensive mold removal. We make sure that all mold is successfully removed and that there will be no chances of it growing in your home again. Don’t hesitate to call us at (801) 263-9990 or fill out the form on our website to schedule an appointment!