Venting bathroom exhaust fans into attics is something we see quite often. Let’s look at why this is a mistake. Mold needs four things in order for you to suffer the problems associated with it, they are: mold spores, a food source, the right temperature and moisture. The mold spores come from outside. Their role is to digest dead organic materials, without them every blade of grass and tree that died would not decompose. Nutrients (food source) for mold growth are abundant in your attic, mold prefers cellulose. Wood is mostly cellulose and lignin and I don’t have to tell you that your house is built with wood framing members mostly. Believe it or not, some builders use paper baffles rather than Styrofoam to keep the soffits open. We have different types of insulation and one of them is blown-in cellulose. So, as you can see everything is in place for a mold remediation project when you add the fourth element – moisture.

Don’t forget that this applies to clothes dryers as well. You must evacuate moisture from your home and when it comes to exhaust fans and attics – get it to the outside. Translation, vent through the roof insuring that a proper boot and flashing integrated under the shingles around the vent stack are in place. Another good practice, but often unseen even on exhaust fans that are vented though the roof is insulation. Keep in mind you’re sending hot moist air through metal exhaust pipes through a cold attic in winter. You can and will get condensation and consequently mold growth, so wrap that pipe with fiberglass insulation.

If you’re not sure or not comfortable checking for yourself whether you have proper ventilation and whether or not you have a mold problem in your call, call Advanced Mold Diagnostics at 610-328-4350 and we will provide you with a free telephone consultation to see if we can help.

It always makes me wonder why some consumers pay good money for advice and then ignore it. The previous post where I documented how ice damming coupled with a faulty stucco cladding caused a problem more serious then it needed to be. After performing an indoor air quality assessment focusing on in this case water damage and mold testing I provided a detailed report with specific recommendations on how to address it properly without affecting the inhabitants.

Apparently, from conversations with my staff, the property owners were not happy with what I told them. I guess that sometimes the truth is harder to accept then the illusions you create in your mind. This particular property owner decided to ignore the advice I had given them and decided that the general contractor she brought in (who also recommended me) to oversee the repairs, was a waste of money, and they could GC this project themselves. It was no surprise when we recently received a distress call from the property owner. They had hired their own contractor, who wasn’t a mold remediation contractor, to remove the drywall throughout the house. They created a major problem regarding the fungal mold spores they released from the interstitial wall cavities. The property owners were calling from a hotel where they are now residing after being overcome from the exposure to mold. Apparently, the contractors they hired removed all the wallboard and discovered the wallboard and sheathing along with the framing members were covered with mold. Without experience they didn’t have the sense to stop and insist they get professionals involved. The indoor air quality from the mold was so bad that all the family members experienced health related issues according to information provided by the property owner. Now, they want us to come in and clean up the mess they created. This will now cost them more in terms of financial considerations and upheaval in their daily lives. If only they just listened to the professionals they wouldn’t be going through this emotionally trying situation that they find themselves in right now. We’ll now clean up the mold and have them replace the drywall once the stucco cladding issue is resolved.

It gives me no joy, only sorrow to think, I told you so.

Well, we didn’t get the flooding that the New England area suffered, but we got our share. Now that the groundwater has stopped trickling or pouring in its time to think about what’s next. The next is, if you didn’t get the water damage impacted areas completely dry within 48-72 hours, you’ve got mold growing. The keyword is completely dry. Many property owners have the sense to wet vac up the standing water, rip up the water soaked carpet & padding and turn the fans on. What is often overlooked in finished basements is how water may have wicked up behind the gypsum wallboard and into the insulation. These interstitial cavities can stay wet for weeks and that is just what mold needs to start growing – often unseen. Other areas that require attention are under base cabinets, enclosed steps or anywhere that the circulating air can’t get to. Of course, you should have been running dehumidifiers along with the fans. You might think that is a given but when it comes to mold remediation, there are no givens.

It’s important to remember that basements dry in, not out. High vapor pressure (moisture) is driven to lower vapor pressures. This resulting force of nature will have the moisture migrating up through the floor and through the walls all the time. There is no way a hole dug in the ground and a foundation put into place can dry to the constant 54-55 degree ground even during a drought. So, monitoring relative humidity and controlling it via dehumidification in the spring and summer is a must for almost all foundations.

You add in excessive amounts of water from unusually large snowstorms and a wet spring and you’ve got the perfect recipe for mold growth to occur.

If you didn’t comprehend these principles before, which the average layperson wouldn’t, then you’re probably noticing things like musty odors (a sure sign that mold is growing) or seeing signs of visible mold growth. You might be suffering allergic type symptoms another sign of mold growth and the need for mold testing and mold remediation.

You might be able to clean up the mold growth yourself after mold testing and evaluation by a competent environmental consultant with a background in mold remediation.

Call Advanced Mold Diagnostics for a free telephone consultation to determine what you might need.

Craig Camel

Advanced Mold Diagnostics

Okay, so we understand we have to ventilate our attic spaces, what exactly does that mean to the average layperson?

My apologies to any of my environmental consultant or building science expert friends who might saunter in here. This basic primer is geared more to helping the property owners who don’t understand the basic principles. Keep tuned though, as we’ll move onto some very interesting concepts regarding attics and ventilation concepts and huge energy savings. Well, first off, some of the components that you might see or need to understand would be:

* Soffit vents
* Ridge vents
* Gable vents
* Turbine vents – passive
* Powered fans

Soffit vents are where your roof extends beyond your exterior walls. Not all buildings have this feature. Go outside and look up, you’ll see vinyl or aluminum siding panels anywhere from 6? to 12? or so. There should be perforations for every rafter bay or every foot or two. If you have soffits, but no perforations they can be modified easily. Keeping insulation in the attic from blocking airflow through soffits is addressed by using Styrofoam baffles.

Ridge vents are at the peak of your roof. The sheathing should have a gap 3? to 4? wide. This gap is covered with a breathable membrane or vented piece of aluminum or some other building material. The concept is air will enter the soffit vents and take the heat, moisture and any gases and take them out the ridge vent. This is considered passive ventilation. This is a principle we call the stack effect – think of how heat rises. Proper ventilation will reduce the heat in your attic space in the summer reducing your energy costs and extending the life of your sheathing and shingles. In winter, the lack of proper ventilation has the same ability to create mold growth and the need for mold remediation.

Gable vents are what you generally find on the sidewalls of your building. There is usually one on each side. The wind has to blow in the right direction for them to work well. It’s generally agreed that they are inadequate in performing as well as the combination of soffit and ridge vents.

Turbine vents are amazingly effective as they work off the slightest of breezes and use no energy other than what Mother Nature provides.

Powered fans are just what the name implies, they can be electric or solar which is obviously more energy efficient. Bathroom and dryer vents should never be vented into the attic, as this will create an ideal environment for mold growth. Exhausts should go through the roof to be vented to the outside.

Mold has everything it needs to grow in most buildings and when you add water vapor you complete the formula perfect for mold growth and then you’re looking at degradation of building materials, possible indoor air quality issues and the expense of mold remediation.

Craig Camel, Advanced Mold Diagnostics

IAQA Philadelphia Chapter Workshop

April 23rd, 2010

Villanova Conference Center

The Philadelphia Chapter of the Indoor Air Quality Association is pleased to invite you to our first workshop of the year.

Come join your colleagues at the magnificent Villanova Conference Center in Radnor, PA.

Discussion on The New EPA Guidelines for Lead

Speaker from the EPA will discuss the new guidelines for lead effective April 22, 2010 and how it will impact us all.

Mold Remediation and the Revisions to the IICRC S520

Michael McGuinness, CIH, CET, CIAQP, ABIH-IEQ

Ways to Market your IAQ Business in a Slow Economy

Paul Cochrane, Environmental Marker

Date: Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Time: 8:00am to 1:00pm