Mold in my attic :(

[megthewonderful]

OK, so I have mold in my attic. I believe it is due to my soffits not being clear. So, is it best to have the mold remediated or to replace my whole roof, plywood and all, and have the soffits repaired as well? Different contractors are telling us different things. We were hoping to sell the house, but at this point even though we know the mold isn't toxic, we have to do something. What are your experiences with attic mold?

 

[freckles and boo]

We added insulation, two more vents (total of four) and an attic fan. The mold died on it's own when the ventilation improved.

 

[megthewonderful]

Wow! Adding extra vents and insulation sounds like an easier, less expensive fix than what we've been told. Many contractors are telling us to either rip the roof off, plywood and all, and just start over. The roof is 20 years old. We were planning on a new roof in the next few years anyway. Or we are being told to treat the mold, spray an anti-fungal paint over the mold and then fix the soffits. Either way, we are looking at $10,000! Quite the budget breaker!

 

[Dina]

When I was in real estate school I was told if see mold put some clorox bleach in a spray bottle and spray it, and then fix the problem that caused the mold. We are having our basement finished, and there's some mold down there (from dampness) and the water proofer said the same thing--- because I asked about remediation, and he said just spray the spots with bleach, and the waterproofing will prevent new mold.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Since you are selling the house, you need to go about this in a professional way for sure.

You are sitting on a deal breaker. The home inspector will find your work and if it not fixed correctly you are going to lose your sale.

Not too mention when you disclose it, alot of buyers will walk based on the word "mold", "attic", and "roof".

You do need to replace the roof and fix the plywood that is rotting. As far as the mold I would call someone in that specializes in mold removal in your attic. And then fix the damage.

You are looking at alot more than 10,000.

 

[megthewonderful]

Since you are selling the house, you need to go about this in a professional way for sure.

You are sitting on a deal breaker. The home inspector will find your work and if it not fixed correctly you are going to lose your sale.

Not too mention when you disclose it, alot of buyers will walk based on the word "mold", "attic", and "roof".

You do need to replace the roof and fix the plywood that is rotting. As far as the mold I would call someone in that specializes in mold removal in your attic. And then fix the damage.

You are looking at alot more than 10,000.

The plywood isn't exactly rotting. The home inspector thought the plywood could definitely be salvaged. We just think that since the roof is 20 years old already, that is probably a good place to start. And while they are working on the roof, they can ensure proper ventilation of the ridge vent and soffits and the exhaust fan.

Don't worry, we would never attempt this ourselves! We have called a few mold remediators and so far it is only a few thousand dollars to get rid of the mold using combinations of sand blasting, HEPA vacuuming, dry ice, and anti-fungal paint. But, they are treating everything that can be fixed by getting a whole new roof. And by getting a whole new roof, we can also ensure proper ventilation.

The person buying our house hasn't backed out yet. He just wants the mold removed. But, honestly, removing mold is only masking a bigger problem with air circulation and it will eventually come back.

Quite the expensive problem to have this New Year! Argh! New years never start out well for me.

Thanks to everyone for letting me vent and think out the problem here!

 

[Mom2Nick]

We had this issue in our last house as we were selling. We had ridge vents installed and sprayed the mold with bleach. Worked fine and passed inspection and the buyers approval and only cost approx $1000 total.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

The person buying our house hasn't backed out yet. He just wants the mold removed. But, honestly, removing mold is only masking a bigger problem with air circulation and it will eventually come back.

Oh boy. That is a sticky situation. You could find yourself sued later.

As far as the roof goes, you won't know how much the damage is until you take off the shingles.

Speaking as someone who has sold a house with a roof problems to fix, it can be a nightmare.

Here is the dilemma you face if you are pleasing a buyer....

1) They back out and now you are going to have to fix it anyway.
2) The buyer replaces the roof and then sues you for not doing the work correctly.

Mold issues, except for Texas, are sue-worthy things.

I have 2 homes and 2 roof issues that leaked upon selling. I feel your pain.

 

[megthewonderful]

So, it's been a busy day of quotes on the attic mold.

We had a contractor that tells us the job is easy. The problem is improper insulation since the sides of the attic that aren't moldy are covered in frost. So, he suggests spending $500 to have it insulated and another $3000 to have the mold removed. But, the roof is still 20 years old and will need to be re-shingled in the next few years anyway.

The second quote we got was from a roofing contractor. To replace the roof (plywood included) is under $8000. Then we pay the $500 to fix the insulation. By getting a new roof, we also ensure that the attic is properly ventilated, which we are not convinced yet that it is.

Not that we want to pass on an offer on our house, but we are not desperate to move. The potential buyer just wants the mold gone, but that is only masking the problem not resolving it. That could lead to even more headaches down the road.

Argh!

 

[Barb D]

I read your thread title and thought you had a MOD in your attic! They're really watching YOU closely!