Is Mold in my Attic Dangerous?

Sometimes mold develops in the attic. This is especially likely if there is moisture or bad ventilation, and it's also common for mold to develop as a result of animal feces present in the attic. Just like anything else you find in your attic that isn’t supposed to be there, you may find yourself wondering if mold in the attic is dangerous. The short answer is that yes, mold in your attic or anywhere else in your home for that matter is dangerous. Even if you don’t notice any serious health effects, they can occur later if the mold remains and in some cases, these effects can be severe. Because of this, you should always take care of mold as soon as you find it; you want to limit its impact on your health and prevent it from spreading.

There is actually an incredibly lengthy list of health problems that can occur due to mold. Many people are actually allergic to it with some estimates stating that about 10 percent of people are. If you are allergic to mold, you probably are not aware of it since you are unlikely to have been exposed in the past, so you can experience serious symptoms related to allergies like difficulty breathing and rashes. Even if you aren’t allergic, mold can lead to watery and itchy eyes, a weakened immune system, coughing, sneezing, and respiratory illnesses or infections among other related symptoms. If you do find mold in your attic, it isn’t a bad idea to visit the doctor for a check-up after you remove the mold.

It Can Spread
To make mold in your attic even more dangerous, it can spread if you don’t take care of it. The mold spores can easily travel through openings of any size, making their way from the attic to living areas of your home. Eventually, you may find yourself with mold in your bedroom, kitchen, or living room.

What Typically Causes Mold
The growth of mold will almost always be due to some sort of moisture, but the cause of that moisture can vary. The most important factors are poor ventilation within the roof or some source of excessive moisture within the building itself. Roof leaks can also cause mold to grow in your attic. Once you discover mold in your attic, you will have to find the source of it so you can resolve the problem. In some cases, mold may also develop if you have had wildlife in your attic and didn’t clean up their waste properly as the urine will create a moisture-rich environment.

Signs You Have Mold
If you start to experience the symptoms mentioned above and so do others living in your home, this is a reasonable indication that mold is present. Of course, it can be tricky to figure out since the symptoms mimic those of a common cold. If multiple people in your household have the symptoms and they tend to get better when you leave the house, then you should take a careful look for mold. Mold is also associated with a unique smell that can give you a hint that there is some. In the case of mold in your attic, maybe you will notice a foul odor coming out of the ventilation system since ducts open up into the attic. Of course, the most obvious sign that you have mold is actually seeing it.

What To Do About Mold
Whether you know there is mold in your attic or you just think that is the case, you should contact a professional. They will be able to conduct a thorough inspection and do tests to confirm whether what they find is mold or something else.

You will need to thoroughly inspect your attic for the source of the mold so you can resolve the issue and prevent it from coming back. Cleaning up mold does nothing if it is allowed to form again. An expert will know the most common culprits to look for so they should be able to resolve the issue more quickly than the average homeowner.

Cleaning Up Mold
When it comes time to actually clean the mold, you will need to wear protective gear, including a face mask so you don’t breathe in any of the dangerous mold spores. Depending on the severity of the mold in your attic, you may even have to temporarily leave your home and stay in a hotel while professional mold cleaners take care of it. Remember that if any object in the attic is contaminated by mold and can’t be cleaned thoroughly, it will have to be thrown out in a safe manner so the mold spores don’t spread. Unfortunately, the process of cleaning up mold is time consuming since you have to actually scrub it to remove it physically. There isn’t a magical spray that takes care of it for you and mold cleaners need to be used together with elbow grease. If you aren’t sure how to effectively clean the mold, ask the expert who identified it for suggestions; they will tell you how to do so and remain safe.