Mold in the Attic in Provo, UT
Roof leaks and poor ventilation leave growth on the roof sheathing — often found during a roof job or a home sale.
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Call NowHow attic mold is usually found
Attic mold is rarely found by the homeowner. It is found by someone else, in the course of another job. A roofer lifts the shingles and sees the dark stains on the sheathing. A home inspector goes into the attic during a sale and puts the stains in the report. A homeowner goes into the attic to store something and sees the stains for the first time. A stain appears on the ceiling of the room below, and the attic is checked to find where the water came from.
The reason it is found late is that the growth is above the ceiling. The smell does not reach the rooms below, and the stains are on the underside of the roof, where no one looks. A roof leak can drip into the attic for a season before anyone notices, and a bathroom fan that vents into the attic can put warm, moist air onto the sheathing for years. By the time the stains are found, they are usually across a large part of the sheathing.
When it is found, the first question is what caused it. The answer is usually one of two things: a roof leak, or poor ventilation. A roof leak puts water on the sheathing directly. Poor ventilation puts warm, moist air from the house into the attic, where it condenses on the cold sheathing in winter. The inspection finds which one it is, and the plan follows from what it finds.
What to look for in your attic
Seven things to look for the next time you are in the attic, or when a roofer or an inspector is there.
- Dark stains on the underside of the roof, on the plywood or the boards
- Insulation that is wet, compressed, or missing in places
- A bathroom fan that ends in the attic, instead of going outside
- Frost or water drops on the underside of the roof in winter
- A stain on the ceiling of the room below the attic
- A musty smell in the rooms below, after rain
- A roofer or a home inspector who mentions stains on the sheathing
The bathroom fan: the fault that comes up most
The most common cause of attic mold in Utah County is not a roof leak. It is a bathroom fan that vents into the attic instead of outside. Every shower puts warm, moist air into the attic, and the sheathing stays damp. The fan is usually found in a home where a bathroom was added or remodeled, and the vent was run into the attic because it was easier than running it outside.
The fix is to vent the fan outside, through the roof or through a wall. That is a job for the provider or a contractor, and it is part of the plan — because the mold returns if the fan keeps putting moist air into the attic. The inspection checks where every bathroom fan ends, and the plan covers the fan as well as the growth.
Other ventilation faults come up too: soffit vents that are blocked by insulation, a ridge vent that is closed, or a gable vent that was covered during a remodel. The inspection checks the vents together with the sheathing, because the air has to move through the attic for the sheathing to stay dry.
A stain on the ceiling below the attic
A stain appears on the ceiling of the upstairs bedroom, and it grows a little every time it rains — but the roof looks fine from outside.
The inspection goes into the attic and finds the stains on the sheathing below a roof leak, and a bathroom fan that vents into the attic. The wet insulation is removed, the sheathing is cleaned, the fan is vented outside, and the attic is dried.
Attic mold and a home sale
Attic mold is often found during a home sale, and it can slow the sale. A buyer hires a home inspector, the inspector goes into the attic, and the stains on the sheathing are in the report. The buyer then wants the inspection and the plan before closing, and the seller needs the inspection to show what the work covers.
Utah sellers must disclose known material defects, including mold they knew about. But a seller who never went into the attic may not have known about the growth, and the inspection report is the record that matters in that situation. The mold after buying a house guide explains what the report means, and what to do when the growth is found after closing.
If you are selling and the inspector found stains, call now to arrange an inspection. The provider explains the plan, and the plan is the document the buyer and the seller use to move the sale forward.
What happens after you call
Four steps, from the first call to the work being finished.
Call now
Tell us who found it — a roofer, a home inspector, or you — and what was found. The provider takes the address and the rooms affected.
Inspection
The provider goes into the attic, looks at the sheathing, the vents and the insulation, and takes moisture readings to find the leak or the vent behind the growth.
Removal and drying
Wet insulation comes out, the sheathing is cleaned, and the attic is dried. The fan is vented outside, or the leak is dealt with.
Clearance check
A final check confirms the sheathing is dry and the affected material is gone. The provider explains what was removed and what to watch for.
Keeping an attic dry after the work
An attic stays dry when the air moves through it and the moisture stays out. That means soffit vents that are clear, a ridge vent that is open, and bathroom fans that vent outside rather than into the attic. It also means a roof that is kept in repair — flashing around chimneys and vents, shingles that are not missing, and gutters that carry water away from the house.
Watch the same places the mold was found: the sheathing below a roof leak, the area around a bathroom fan, and the insulation. A stain that returns, or insulation that feels damp again, means the source needs another look. Call now if either appears.
Frequently asked questions
Answers from the questions Utah County homeowners actually ask.
Call NowA roofer, a home inspector, or a homeowner who goes into the attic to store something. The growth is above the ceiling, so the smell does not reach the rooms below, and it is usually found during another job.
Usually a roof leak, or poor ventilation. The most common fault is a bathroom fan that vents into the attic instead of outside — every shower puts warm, moist air onto the sheathing.
It can slow a sale, because the buyer wants the inspection and the plan before closing. The inspection report is the record the buyer and the seller use to move the sale forward.
The leak has to be dealt with, or the mold returns. A roofer may be needed for the roof itself. The provider explains what is covered and what is not before the work begins.
It can, when spores move through gaps in the ceiling or through the HVAC. That is why the inspection checks the rooms below the attic as well as the attic itself.
Call now and describe what was found — the stains, the leak, the fan that vents into the attic — and where the property sits. The inspection is arranged from there.
Mold problem in Provo?
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