What to Do About Mold in Your Attic and Crawl Space
Think mold in your attic or crawl space is no big deal? Think again! Just because mold is out of your direct line of sight doesn’t mean that you should ever put it out of your mind. Even a seemingly small mold problem can quickly spiral out of control as it spreads and wreaks havoc on your health and quality of life. Fortunately, with some determination, it’s possible to take down this dastardly foe once and for all.
Why Does Mold Grow in Attics and Crawl Spaces?
When inspecting your home for mold, your attic and crawl spaces should be among the first locations that you take the time to look over. These areas are the perfect breeding grounds for mold. Why? First of all, they are typically quite dark and humid. Secondly, these areas are uninhabited, which means that mold growth can go unchecked for quite a while before anyone even notices. Checking for mold in these locations is essential to ensure the health of your family and the integrity of your home.
What’s the Big Deal with Mold?
If you don’t typically venture into your home’s attic or crawl spaces, you may find yourself wondering why you should be worried about mold growth in these locations. The answer is simple – while you may not come into direct contact with the mold problem in these areas, mold spores can easily be picked up by a draft, an attic fan, or even your ventilation system and carried into the main parts of your home. From here, you and your family will be exposed to low-quality air that can lead to health problems. Mold in the home has been associated with upper respiratory problems, snoring, allergies, and aggravated asthma symptoms.
In addition to impacting health, mold can also wreak havoc on household items that are in and on your home itself. Mold spores are resilient and will feed on just about anything that they come into contact with. If mold is allowed to grow on or within your home’s ceilings, walls, foundation, carpets, fabrics, etc., it will eventually create significant and costly damage.
How Can I Prevent Mold in Attics and Crawl Spaces?
Although mold is prevalent around the globe and is a common problem in Colorado homes, there’s no reason why you should have to accept its presence in your house. There are certain steps you can take to get rid of existing mold and prevent new mold growth. Here are a few suggestions:
Conduct Regular Inspections – Crawl spaces, attics, and ductwork should be regularly inspected to ensure structural integrity and monitor the growth of mold. Making it a point to routinely check these areas for signs of problems will help you catch any issues before they spiral out of control.
Insulate These Spaces – One of the reasons why attics and crawl spaces are so humid and moist is that they are not properly insulated. Investing in insulation for these areas can reduce the risk of mold growth and save you a lot of grief in the long run.
Reach Out to the Pros – If you suspect that mold may be growing in your home’s attic or crawl spaces, it’s important to address the problem quickly. This doesn’t mean that you should try to attack the mold with a pair of rubber gloves and a bucket of bleach, though. Mold can be very difficult to get rid of, and it can also compromise your health should you come into contact with it. The best course of action is to seek out a professional mold abatement contractor with the equipment, training, and experience required to safely and effectively banish mold from your home.
Are you in need of mold abatement services? The team at Abbotts Fire & Flood has the experience and equipment necessary to properly take care of your home. Contact us to learn more today.
