Attic Fan And Mold

And occupants who use the attic for storage can disturb mold growth.

Attic fan and mold.

Moisture food and warmth. When an attic is stuffy that indicates you have a ventilation problem which often results in mold problems. Causes of mold in your attic. Still in a house with central a c there may be leaky ducts in a moldy attic or an air handler with a filter holder that isn t airtight.

An attic fan works by exchanging the hot air in your attic space for fresh air pulled through the vents. Then spores from attic mold growth can be entrained into the mechanical system. Related to 3 above this practice can pump warm moist air into the attic where it can be trapped and begin the cycle of mold growth. If you find black spots in your attic and you are thinking it could be harmful black mold you do not necessarily need to panic.

Mold will survive in almost any environment that is the right temperature has moisture even in the air and has something for food e g. The most common cause of attic mold by far is blocked or insufficient ventilation of the attic space. Even with proper ventilation your air should not be vented directly into an attic. Mold needs 3 things to grow.

If you eliminate just one of these elements mold will starve and die. While damp and warm climates are a prime breeding ground for our fuzzy friend other conditions that bring mold include lack of ventilation and proper sheathing. This will help to avoid premature damage to the shingles or mold building up in moist hot. Since warm air rises if it comes into contact with the cold attic sheathing then condensation occurs.

If you used the attic fan during the winter to ventilate the roof it may have contributed to the moisture condition responsible for the mold. Require providing some sort of ventilation in attics in order to prevent or reduce damage to roofs caused by moisture laden air being trapped in attics. Frost buildup on the underside of the roof sheathing in winter. Building codes throughout the u s.

Sure mold can smelllike a lot of things but an attic with mold will always have a pretty musty type odor. Attics usually have a passive ventilation system in which outside air comes in through the soffit eave vents at the bottom warms up in the attic and escapes through the can or ridge vents at the top because hot air rises. High humidity in a space like an attic can lead to mold and a spill in a carpeted area of your home that isn t quickly taken care of can also lead to mold under the carpet. One of the most common causes of attic mold is a bathroom fan or dryer vent that runs into the attic.

While building codes do not require any sort of fan in attics to increase ventilation a solar attic fan is a great way to accomplish this without increasing your home energy costs. A musty smell in the attic. Solar attic fan to prevent mold.