How To Remove Mold From Attic Plywood

Inspecting for mold can be a tricky task. Getting into an attic space can be easy for some and difficult for others. Knowing what to look for when searching for mold in the attic is important. It is always best to call on professionals to assist you with this task. Keeping your family safe and healthy is the most important part. Mold removal is not something that every homeowner can do. Better yet, not every homeowner knows how to remove mold. How to remove mold from attic plywood? There is a process of mixing a chemical solution, spraying, and then scrubbing the unsightly mold.

Let’s take a look below at the process for cleaning mold off of attic plywood.

Mold on wood in the attic

What Is Mold

Mold is a type of fungi that contains spores. These spores find areas of high moisture content and show themselves in various colors of black, brown, white, orange, green, or purple. Most molds are harmless, however, it can be rather unhealthy to breathe them in. So, their removal is vital to your health and safety.

What Is Needed

In order to remove mold from your attic plywood, you need the following tools and items to be successful. Let’s take a look.

  • Box fan-this ventilates the attic space.
  • KN95 mask-this is the best face mask to wear so that you do not inhale mold spores while cleaning.
  • Old Clothes-you are going to throw out whatever clothing you wear while cleaning the mold spores.
  • HEPA filter wet/dry vacuum-you need this in order to safely vacuum up the loose mold spores as you clean the area.
  • RMR Mold/Stain remover-specialized chemical that cuts into the mold and safely removes it from the wood surface.
  • Protective plastic gloves-allow you to handle the scrub brush and keep your skin safe.
  • Scrub brush-needed to loosen the mold spores so that you can vacuum them off the surface of the wood.
  • Spray bottle-used to spray the specialized mold remover onto the mold.

How To Prevent Mold Growth

The easiest way to ensure that mold does not grow in your attic space is by making sure that moisture is not present in the attic. Inspect the following areas to ensure that nothing leaks in or allows moisture in.

  • Roof leaks-inspect your roof to ensure there are no leaks that cause dampness and moisture buildup.
  • Raised shingles-make sure that the shingles are secured keeping water from getting trapped and creating an increase in moisture.
  • Ventilation-proper ventilation in the attic allows air to flow evenly throughout and all moisture causing hot air to escape.
  • Air gaps-check to ensure that the attic is sealed and not allowing energy from the home to flow into it. Also, this can create a hotbed of damp heat and a breeding ground for mold.

Checking these areas and making sure that the attic is sealed as tight as it is supposed to be, can keep you from ever having a mold growth issue.

How Much Does It Cost

The cost to remove mold from the attic plywood will be expensive. The area of the attic and the space of the attic determine how much you will pay. Additionally, the national average cost ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on those factors.

Other Recommended Maintenance

While you are up in the attic and looking into the removal of mold on your drywall, you are likely to need to remove mold from your trusses. Understanding how to accomplish this is key to keeping your home healthy and safe. Learning how to remove mold from your trusses is a topic that you will want to learn about.

Considering that you are up in the attic looking at mold removal, you might want to research how the mold has shown up. Parts of the roof might be damaged or exposed to the elements allowing moisture buildup, which in turn, can promote mold growth. Also, check the roof and all of its working parts for your answers. You might find that installing a roof scupper is something that you need to do. Roof scuppers can help the flow of water off your roof and ensure that pooling doesn’t occur.

Chances are that if you are searching for ways to clean mold out of your attic, you should also look into ways to clean mold out of your basement. Moisture levels in the home can cause mold growth in both the attic and the basement, so while you are working to clean the mold off of your attic plywood, this would be a great time to see if the mold has reached your basement.

Mold on the attic ceiling
Mold on the attic ceiling

When Do I Call A Professional

Calling on a professional is necessary when dealing with any type of mold. You want to ensure that all mold is removed properly and the area where the mold has taken over is cleaned and disinfected. Protecting your family and the investment of your home is the biggest priority here. If you are planning to convert your attic into an additional living space or even a space of storage, it is always best to call on an inspection team to ensure that the space is free of any possible mold.

Conclusion

Inspecting your attic can be a simple project. Most attics are readily built with plenty of crawl space and even the opportunity to convert it into a room. Before upgrading your living space, you should call for a home inspection to make sure that the attic is free of mold. Getting the home inspection saves you time and money as you invest in home upgrades. Give Home Inspection Geeks a call. Home Inspection Geeks can take a look at your moldy attic needs when we come out for a home inspection Cook, Lake, and DuPage Counties, IL.

How Do Electric Fireplaces Work

It is wintertime and you are sitting in your home wondering what can be done to warm your living space up even better than your furnace. Then it dawns on you that you can purchase an electric fireplace. This is an easy install and quick fix to your heating needs. They also are safer than purchasing a space heater. How do electric fireplaces work? They suck in cool air and heat the air with heating element coils. Then a fan system pushes out the hot air.

Let’s take a look at the advantages and basics involving an electric fireplace.

A decorative electric fireplace is easy to install and safer to use.
Decorative electric fireplace

Advantages Of An Electric Fireplace

There are a few advantages to an electric fireplace as opposed to a wood-burning one. Let’s take a look at those advantages.

Easy Installation

Simply put, you need an electrical outlet that is 120 volts for a standard unit and 240 volts for a larger unit.

Safer to Use

Electric fireplaces give off no gasses, fumes such as carbon monoxide, or other cancer-causing agents. Better choice than a traditional wood fireplace and gas fireplaces.

No Mess

There is no burning wood to clean up or soot to remove from the chimney. Also, there are no real flames and the ones created are for aesthetics. Instead of lighting a log or sparking a fire, you simply turn on the switch to the fireplace as if you were turning on a light or fan in your home.

Cost Effective

There is no product to purchase such as wood or gas. Your electric bill will not go up that much as the national average cost of running an electric fireplace is 8 to 9 cents per hour. You are likely to spend between $50 to $100 per year.

How Electric Fireplaces Work

An electric fireplace utilizes a fan and heating coil system. Cold air is drawn into the electric unit and then heated by a heating coil. Once the air is heated by the heating element to the settings selected by the homeowner, the heated air is then dispersed by a fan system. This keeps costs down and is relatively cheap to power. From an aesthetics perspective, you can change the flame to make it a realistic flame or something smaller.

An electric fireplace works with remote
Electric fireplace with remote

How Much Do They Cost

Believe it or not, the cost of an electric fireplace is rather in-expensive. Smaller units will cost you about $200 and can heat your small living space. Larger units can run you about $700 and these will heat an area of 400 square feet or greater. This is much cheaper than having a fireplace or woodstove installed at a range of $850 to $3,500 per unit.

Other Recommended Maintenance

While you are on the kick of a fireplace, it is a good time to also check into your other heating sources. Maintaining the furnace and gas appliances can only keep you warm and cozy in the cooler months. If the furnace stops working, it could be the circuit breaker, thermostat, filter, or pilot light to name a few. Call a professional to assist you in maintaining the furnace and your other gas appliances.

Adding an electric fireplace could be an option for you to add aesthetics to your living space. Some people buy electric fireplaces even when they have an actual built-in fireplace. Getting your fireplace checked is necessary maintenance. Make sure to read up on the necessary fireplace and chimney maintenance.

Lastly, you will want to check your fresh air intake vents. Making sure these are cleaned and free from blockage is necessary maintenance. Hire a professional to inspect your HVAC unit and fresh air intake vents.

Decorative electric fireplace in a home.
Decorative electric fireplace

When Do I Call A Professional

Call on a professional when you have purchased an electric fireplace and are unsure how to install it. A professional contractor will know the best location to place the electric fireplace and how to mount it on your wall. They also know where to plug in the fireplace. Hopefully, you won’t need to have an extra outlet installed. That will require you to hire a local electrical contractor and can increase your expenses.

Conclusion

Installing an electric fireplace can be a simple project. Most units are readily built with an outlet plug to keep things simple. Before upgrading your living space, you should call for a home inspection to make sure that an electric fireplace is a good investment for your home. Getting the home inspection saves you time and money as you invest in home upgrades. Give Home Inspection Geeks a call. Home Inspection Geeks can take a look at your heating needs when we come out for a home inspection in the Cook, Lake, and DuPage Counties, IL.