Addressing Mold Problems in Phoenix Attics

1/17/2020 (Permalink)

Even though Phoenix does not receive much rain compared to other places, having a leaky roof on your house can still cause problems. If there is a leak in the roof, water can get into your attic and damage structural components. It’s important to know what to do when addressing mold problems.

What happens after a water leak in your attic

By nature, attics have a higher relative humidity and air temperature than the livable area of the house, creating an ideal environment for mold growth. While mold spores are everywhere all the time, this environment can exacerbate the situation. If more moisture gets into your attic from the roof, mold and mildew can develop on the inside of the wood or plywood that forms the roof itself. If you have mold damage inside your Phoenix home's attic, the microbes from mold can contaminate your ventilation system. Once inside the air ducts, these microbes or spores can travel throughout the building, spreading the problem further.

Mold remediation

Once mold gets noticed inside the attic, specific procedures can be taken to fix the problem. SERVPRO of Central Phoenix knows exactly what to do! Any air intakes or holes that go into the living area of the home need to get sealed off with plastic. Plastic is put on the bottom part of the trusses to prevent any dust from contaminating the ceiling insulation or other materials. The access doors get sealed with plastic, and a zipper is installed to allow entrance while work is being done.

In most situations, the contaminated wood inside the attic can only be removed by sanding down the material's surface. Our SERVPRO technicians get equipped with full face mask respirators and personal protective gear, including suits that cover their entire body for protection during the remediation process. This is serious business! Air scrubbers then get placed inside the attic to pull particles out of the air during the sanding stage for optimum results and containment.

IICRC certified professionals

When sanding the impacted materials, SERVPRO’s IICRC certified crews always follow officially approved procedures and abide by all government rules and regulations. Our teams are trained to follow these rules for everyone’s safety. Automatic sanders with a vacuum hose attached to them are used to sand down the wood. The vacuum helps keep dust to a minimum by sucking up the air in the work area and putting it through a HEPA filter, leaving little debris behind. After sanding is complete, the HEPA vac gets used to clean up any leftover debris or dust particles. The attic is then sprayed down with an anti-microbial chemical to prevent future growth. In severe cases, a sealant paint gets sprayed inside the attic to inhibit mold from developing in the future. If you ever notice mold or mildew in your attic, call SERVPRO of Central Phoenix at (602) 386-4268 any day, 24/7.