Mold question?

[Diane Pashley]

I would definitely report this as a possible mold!
I would not turn a blind eye to mold because it is health damaging and something that gets overseen very easy.

[Harold E. Miller]

Christopher
Those pics appear to show a light surface mildew or mold. And obviously the bath vent is a likely a primary contributor.
I always report to buyers what I can see. So in this case you know that the bath fan duct is not vented to the exterior. And you know that there is a substance that looks like mildew or mold on the roof sheathing.

Simply I would recommend having the duct vented to the outside so excessive moisture is not venting into the space. If additional attic vents are needed to facilitate air flow then this should also be reported.

I let the buyers decide if they want the mildew/ mold cleaned from the sheathing but report the presence of the substance, so they can decide how important it is to them. Reality is there are alot of other things that will more adversly affect their health and well being than some light mildew or mold up in an attic space. (smoking cigarettes, car exhaust, wood burning appliance smoke, chemicals in household cleaners, etc. )

The EPA's website is a good source for details about how to clean mildew and mold. Also it is pretty practical, and does not follow the mold is gold hysteria. (which we all know is more about abatement contractors making money, and not as much about human health)

[dbucknavich]

Originally Posted by Diane Pashley

I would definitely report this as a possible mold!
I would not turn a blind eye to mold because it is health damaging and something that gets overseen very easy.

Diane, health damaging? Nobody turns a blind eye to mold here. This type of growth can be quite common. For the most part, the sheathing and trusses are exposed to the elements longer than other framing. It is also separated form the living space and ventilated passively. In your attic I promise you will likely see some growth yourself. How is your health?

Moisture intrusion is the issue if you suspect mold. Without a source of moisture, the mold is dormant and basically just "there", causing no harm.

One of the first things you learn if you really get into this, is how overblown it is. I spend most of my time talking people off the ledge.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by dbucknavich

Diane, health damaging? Nobody turns a blind eye to mold here. This type of growth can be quite common. For the most part, the sheathing and trusses are exposed to the elements longer than other framing. It is also separated form the living space and ventilated passively. In your attic I promise you will likely see some growth yourself. How is your health?

Moisture intrusion is the issue if you suspect mold. Without a source of moisture, the mold is dormant and basically just "there", causing no harm.

One of the first things you learn if you really get into this, is how overblown it is. I spend most of my time talking people off the ledge.

You too, HUH!!

[Harold E. Miller]

I absolutely relate to those situations where you have to talk a buyer off the ledge, when there has been an over-reaction to the mere mention of mold.

I find it interesting that mold becomes such a red flag for individuals, yet nobody really seemed to care that their fiberglass (attic, wall, and floor) insulation was listed as a carcinogen, not so long ago. See link.
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c...E&b=35439#safe

I suspect it is still considered cancerous in California, like just about everything.

They both occupy the same space; and the mold/mildew is a light residue on the roof sheathing often only covering a portion of the sheating, while the fiberglass insulation covers every square foot of the space, often several to a dozen inches deep.

And nobody was calling for the removal and replacement of the fiberglass insulation. I didn't see anyone on the front cover of Time magazine, in a moonsuit and respirator, making outrageous claims about the fiberglass in their home. (not classified as carcinogenic since 2001)

But the reactions between what was listed as a human carconogenic, and what is considered to be a mycotoxin are disproportionent.

Our State's Department of Health officer was at a technical seminar a while back. And he made some very good points about mycotoxins (mold). First you can not inhale enough to have to have a toxic reaction. An allergic reaction, yes, but not a toxic reaction.

To have a toxic reaction you would need to ingest the mold in huge quantities.

He compared it to the toxic reaction you could sustain in you drank enough coffee. Studies he cited had shown that a human experiences a toxic reaction to coffee at somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 cups of coffee.

Who drinks that much coffee? And who is going to eat that much mold?

If mold was really toxic through inhalation, we all would be dead by now. It is everywhere.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by hmiller

I absolutely relate to those situations where you have to talk a buyer off the ledge, when there has been an over-reaction to the mere mention of mold.

I find it interesting that mold becomes such a red flag for individuals, yet nobody really seemed to care that their fiberglass (attic, wall, and floor) insulation was listed as a carcinogen, not so long ago. See link.
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c...E&b=35439#safe

I suspect it is still considered cancerous in California, like just about everything.

We've got to get the "was" fact out about fiberglass. From the LungUSA site:

2000- The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) reported that epidemiological studies of glass fiber manufacturing workers indicate "glass fibers do not appear to increase the risk of respiratory system cancer". The NAS supported the exposure limit of 1.0 f/cc that has been the industry recommendation since the early 1990s.

2001- The IARC working group revised their previous classification of glass wool being a possible carcinogen. It is currently considered not classifiable as a human carcinogen. Studies done in the past 15 years since the previous report was released, do not provide enough evidence to link this material to any cancer risk.

People often refer to the WHMIS label on fiberglass packaging to "prove" its cancerous. That's there to help folks not risk dust irritation.