My attic has mold growing on the roof sheathing. I've been reading up about mold cleanup/remediation on the internet, and it seems that everybody has a different idea of what approach is the best.
My attic is 1000 square feet of crawl space. So far I only have one estimate for $3750, which includes cleaning with an alkaline detergent, and applying a wide-spectrum fungicide such as Fosters 40-80 or Microban Plus. They then plan on then encapsulating the ceiling with an antimicrobial sealer paint, such as Fosters 40-20.
The EPA guidelines seem to be saying that use of a disinfectant or biocide (such as chlorine bleach, or a fungicide) is *not* ordinarily recommended for mold remediation. In other words, the EPA seems to be just recommending that the surface be cleaned with a detergent.
On the interenet, some mold-related web sites claim that disinfecting with chlorine bleach is of benefit, while other websites recommend the use "EPA registered fungicide" is the best approach.
I'm not against using a fungicide in addition to having first scrubbed with an alkaline detergent. Does this sound reasonable?
I question whether encapsulation with an anti-microbial sealer (a white paint) is going to be the ideal approach. While I realize that the idea is to protect the wood, I fear there may be chance that the sealer paint could easily flake off, and be ineffective, if there are any traces of mold left on the wood. Painting with a sealer paint (instead of just scrubbing and applying a fungicide) likely adds significantly to the cost, and is one of the reasons the estimate is so high ($3750) . I'm planning on selling my house soon, and don't want spend any more than is necessary, so unless the majority here feel that using a sealer paint is going to be of actual benefit, then I may opt simply to have the attic scrubbed with a detergent and then have a fungicide applied. What do you think?
What are your thoughts about the best and most cost effective approach? (besides doing the job myself, which is not the plan). I'm located in NJ.
NOTE: I do plan on having soffit vents installed to improve the attic ventilation.
Thanks.
Jeff