Posted by Bealing Roofing No Comments on Mold versus Mildew Roof Maintenance Services in Hanover, PA

What to Do If you Spot Mildew in Your Attic

The terms mold and mildew are often used interchangeably, and while they have similar characteristics like thriving in damp areas, they are not the same. Mildew is considered surface fungi that can be treated and removed fairly easily. Mold is more dangerous and difficult to manage. Finding either one in your home’s attic is cause for concern and can be a sign of faulty roofing system.

Understanding the Difference

Mildew can grow on a variety of surfaces including food, paper, and wood. It typically appears in a gray or white patch on a damp surface. To combat mildew, homeowners can use specialty cleaners and a scrub brush to remove it from the impacted surface.

Mold is usually black or green in color and sprout from air-borne spores. In many cases, mold isn’t limited to one surface area because the spores float through the air and can land anywhere in a home. Once mold makes an appearance, homeowners should contact a professional mold removal company to uncover how severe the mold infestation is.

Removing Attic Mold

Whether you hire a mold removal company or decide to tackle the project on your own, there are a few key things to remember. In addition to being physically apt to work in small attic spaces, understand that not all molds will be readily seen at first glance. Mold infestations usually spread behind drywall and insulation and even throughout heating and cooling systems.

What Causes Mold to Grow in an Attic?

Removing mold from an attic is the just the first step in the remediation process. It is also important to identify what caused the mold in the first place because removing it won’t keep it from coming back if you don’t fix the cause. Attic mold can be caused by a few culprits including:

•         Leaky Roof
•         Faulty Siding
•         Poor Attic Ventilation
•         Not Enough Insulation
•         Incorrect Venting

Once you confirm there is mold in the attic, it is essential that you schedule a roof inspection to uncover which of the above culprits is the cause of attic mold. A professional roofing company will inspect the roof as well as the attic and ventilation system to check for faultiness and leaks. Mold removal should only begin after the cause of the mold is found and fixed, so mold doesn’t continue to grow.

When was the last time you had your home’s roof inspected? Contact the roofing team at Bealing Roofing today. We offer free roof inspections and service Gettysburg, York, Hanover, and surrounding northern Maryland areas.