HELP - Mold in the attic

[Sandy Nelson]

Srib,

As a Realtor is has been my experience that any major visible mold issue will most certainly drive buyers away. Even if you explain to them that the mold is only in the attic and air pressure differentials will keep the mold there, rather than allow it to spread to the rest of the house, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...
Most buyers will rather buy a different home, than live with the "elephant in the attic". Mold may be natural and found everywhere, but perception is that it's scary and potentially hazardous to your health.
My best advise to you is to contact a home inspector to find out what has caused the mold to grow. It may be a leak, or insufficient ventilation. Hire a contractor to fix the cause of the mold and then hire a professional mold abatement contractor to get rid of the mold. I've had clients use Servicemaster in the past, or check the yellow pages. After the mold abatement is complete have the attic tested for a spores count to show that the range is at normal levels. Make sure you keep all documentation for when it comes time to sell the house.

Best of luck to you.

Sandy

[George7619]

Hello Caoimhín P. Connell, do you have any email so I can contact you?

Thanks

George

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by Caoimhín P. Connell

Hello Srib-

Well, I suppose, I would point you back to my above post, and then ask yourself two questions:

Based on the above post, if it isn’t a problem, why would I trouble myself to get rid of it?

And

Why would I introduce an hazardous material (such as bleach or fungicide), into my house knowing that there is absolutely no benefit to its application?

If you want a very real and practical answer on mould remediation, ask your Grandmother. She will probably tell you 1) Don’t to worry about it, or, 2) Just get up there and wipe it off with a rag.

But why stop there, what about the billions of mould spores in your carpet? Aren't you worried about those? And what about the billions of spores embedded in your drywall? Why focus on just your attic, just because you can see it? If your worry is about mould, wy not worry about all that mould in the rest of your house?

Cheers!
Caoimhín P. Connell
Forensic Industrial Hygienist

(The opinions expressed here are exclusively my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect my professional opinion, opinion of my employer, agency, peers, or professional affiliates. The above post is for information only and does not reflect professional advice and is not intended to supercede the professional advice of others.)

AMDG

I'll tell you why. It is because when you go to sell, the buyer's inspector will find the mold, and start an expensive chain of events in motion. We had this happen to us when we went to sell, and it cost us $4000. for mold remediation and opening up the roof vents. I still don't think it was necessary, but my opinion didn't matter.