I am helping a neighbor try to decide how to deal with some mold in their attic . Apparently it is from condensation from poor ventilation . She had additional blown-in insulation installed 3 years ago .I have just observed that the soffit vents were covered ( unknown to her ) and of course the insulation company is playing dumb so far but she is pretty persistent . From a technical standpoint what should be done as far as cleaning the wood , and removing the insulation etc.
-thanks ?
First step is to verify the type of mold. Most molds are a bother, but not a danger. Unless you have one of the few that are dangerous, you can basically just fix the cause and not worry about the rest, unless you have someone with mold allergy problems like me. If it is found that it is the dangerous stuff, then it is time to call in the pros. That can be serious and if not professionally handled can be a real problem when the house is sold.
Since it appears it was caused by the insulation company, I suggest they should be responsible. You may want recommend your neighbor contact an attorney. Chances are good that once they get the first letter from the attorney they will become a lot more cooperative.
This is Turtle.
If you cover the Soffit vents = Mold in large form.
Like Joesph said the form of mold is the issue and figuring out who did it is not a problem. Getting something done about is a horse of a different color.
You just don't want it to be the Black Mold which kills people. It will only kill 1 in a 100 people who are expossed to it. If you have every been exposed to it and you did not die. You become Immune for life to the effect of it. The ones that are the highest risk is the very young and old people the or the people that is very ill at the time from something else. Now it is still a killer thing and needs to be addressed for sure.
TURTLE
This is JIM. Agreeing with TURTLE. Beside Black Mold, varieties such as Aspergillus (and others) can cause serious health problems for those who are sensitive (like me). If spores from the attic can be drawn into the house via tiny infiltration leaks or ductwork, you can have a bad situation.
Good info here:
You can purchase professional test kits which get sent back to a lab for specific analysis. This is one firm:
In the case of an attic, remediation by machine, such as:
There is a wealth of good info on the 'Net. Just GOOGLE for mold + health or similar searches. Search mold + remediation for how-to. You'll get a lot of hits from co's selling dubious services but there is wheat among the chaff.
In the end, I suspect that it will come down to serious lawyering...
Jim
Mold is nothing to take lightly, and the potential for the entire attic to be contaminated is strong. I would suggest the attic be tested for mold to see how far gone it is. And, also have the HVAC system (ducts) tested for presence of mold as if the contamination is high, then it could have gone airborne already, and contaminated more of the house other then just the attic.
The normal procedure for visible mold in an attic is to have the insulation removed professionally under containment. As far as the wood in the attic goes, it should also be removed under containment. A negative air fan is needed to establish a negative pressure environment. And, a portable air scrubber would be needed as well.
For further input on mold remediation you can look at the website:
Which should have viable information. If not, there are many sites on the web that can aid new victims of mold, and advise them properly as to how such a situation should be handled.
Tamara R. Pearlman Representative - Mold Relief - Texas Representative - HADD - Texas
You are right that mold CAN be a serious problem, but in this case it would appear unlikely that there is such a problem. I agree that the mold should be tested, but if the mold found is tested and found to be of the common household variety, I don't believe there is cause for a all out war.
It would be very unusual to say the lest to find any home without some mold.
Check out the Centers for Disease Control report on mold and the Academy of Sciences report before you post foolishness. In fact, household mold is not associated with any ill effects in people who are' nt allergic to the specific mold in question. There's been a lot of foolishness about mold, but a little research might put your mind at ease.
Dan
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