How to Prevent Mold in Attic Spaces

4 min read

Your attic is one of the areas of your home that can be prone to neglect, leading to mold issues. With roofing leaks, damaged insulation, and poor ventilation, your attic may be prone to humid and moist conditions that can help mold spores grow. This can spread mold to your attic walls, ceilings, and even the items stored in your attic.

Taking steps to prevent mold in attic spaces is much better than performing attic mold removal later on. Here are some helpful tips for how to prevent mold in the attic and keep your home and possessions safe.

How to Prevent Mold in Attic

Preventing attic mold means preventing your attic from developing conditions that can promote mold growth that will require attic mold removal later on.

Mold spores thrive in dark and humid areas, which can be an issue for many attics. Here are some ways to keep your attic spaces from becoming humid and moist.

1. Check Your Roofing for Leaks

When your roof is damaged, it can lead to leaks and insulation issues that can lead to water damage or outside temperatures affecting your indoor spaces. This can lead to creating a moist and humid environment in your attic, which could lead to mold growth. Under the right conditions, one mold spore can form within 72 hours.

Have a professional check your roof at least once a year. They can spot any cracks and holes where water can leak and add moisture to your attic. Roofing repairs or replacements may be necessary to prevent mold growth.

2. Maintain Sufficient Ventilation

Roof leaks aren’t the only cause of humid air. Moisture can come from your lower floors, your exhaust fans, and other areas inside and outside your home. If your ventilation system is working properly, the excess humidity can be mitigated by air circulation, keeping your attic air dry.

However, if there’s an issue with your ventilation system, moisture in the air can linger in the air, on your walls and ceilings, and on anything that’s in your attic, such as porous materials like cardboard boxes.

3. Inspect Your Insulation

Insulation keeps hot or cold air from leaving your indoor spaces too quickly. If it’s installed improperly or deteriorating, your insulation could have gaps that let outdoor air in. When cold and hot air mix, it leads to condensation, which builds up moisture that can promote mold growth.

Depending on the type of insulation in your home, your insulation can start failing in as little as 15 years, though some can reach up to a hundred years. If your HVAC systems are working overtime to achieve and maintain a certain temperature, it may be a sign that your insulation needs repair or replacement.

4. Find Alternative Storage Areas

While there’s plenty of space in your attic, it’s not recommended you use it as a storage area. Adding your items to the room can disrupt your attic’s ventilation and insulation, which can lead to a number of problems that lead to mold growth. In addition, using your attic space as storage can lead porous materials like fabrics, cardboard boxes, and papers to absorb moisture in the air and form mold on it.

Instead of using your attic, consider placing your unused items in the basement, garage, or any other room or closet that has space. This can also be a good way to declutter items that have only been sitting in storage for years.

5. Check Your Kitchen and Bathroom Exhausts

Your kitchen, bathroom, and dryer exhaust fans and vents should be leading air outside your home. However, it could be sending air to your attic instead. The air that comes from these vents can sometimes come with moisture. When they’re directed to your attic, there may be too much additional air that your attic’s ventilation system can’t circulate properly.

Allow a professional take a look at your exhausts and vents to see if air from these sources is being transported outdoors. Otherwise, you may need to have some changes done to reduce moisture and prevent mold growth.

Effective Attic Mold Cleanup from Restoration 1 of San Antonio North

Taking steps to prevent attic mold is much easier for homeowners and their households to do. However, what happens if there’s mold in attic spaces that have already begun to grow? For a thorough attic mold cleanup, let the team of Restoration 1 of San Antonio handle your mold growth.

Get in touch with Restoration 1 of San Antonio North today to discuss your attic mold solutions.