Top Four Ways Heavy Midwest Rain Causes Attic Mold, Warns Environmental Hygienist Phillip Fry
Midwest homeowners and commercial property owners can expect that the record summer 2015 rains in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio can cause significant toxic mold growth in home and workplace attics in four ways, according to Phillip Fry, Certified Environmental Hygienist and Professional Industrial Hygienist.
Montrose, MI, July 29, 2015 (Newswire.com) - “For four reasons, attic toxic mold can grow well as the direct result of the heavy summer, 2015, rainfall in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio,” notes Phillip Fry, Certified Environmental Hygienist, Professional Industrial Hygienist, and webmaster since 1999 of the mold education website www.moldinspector.com.
1. During heavy rain, water can cause roof leaks through small roof holes, roof degradation, and gaps in the flashing around chimneys and plumbing and furnace vent pipes that normally are not significant water intrusion points. Roof leaks are the number one cause of water damage and toxic mold growth in attics and mold hidden inside the ceilings and walls beneath the attic.
2. Heavy rain is often accompanied by strong winds that can lift up roof shingles or otherwise damage shingles, thus facilitating water leaks into the attic and thus into ceilings and walls.
3. Heavy rain significantly increases attic humidity, and thus drives attic mold growth. If attic humidity is 70% or higher, that high humidity alone can drive massive attic mold growth.
4. Heavy rain caused roof leaks and high humidity exacerbate attic mold growth when the attic has these additional mold stimulants and contributing causes:
(a) no ridge vent and other roof-installed vents;
(b) no or inadequate vents in the side walls of the attic;
(c) no vents in the roof overhangs and soffits;
(d) attic insulation that blocks overhang and soffit vents;
(e) clothes dryer air, bathroom, and kitchen exhaust fans directly vented into the attic, thus bringing mold-causing high humidity into the attic;
(f) holes or disconnections in the attic dryer and exhaust fan ducting that would otherwise carry the moist exhaust air to the outdoors.
Direct venting of the dryer, kitchen, and bathroom exhaust fans into the attic was the cause of a massive attic mold growth problem that temporarily delayed the closing of the sale of a ten year old home in suburban Fort Wayne, Indiana, until Fry’s company EnviroFry Upkeep Masters, LLC, did attic mold remediation in July, 2015.
Contact:
Phillip Fry, Vice President
EnviroFry’s Upkeep Masters, LLC
10104 Sheridan Rd.,
Montrose, MI 48457
Phone 866-300-1616
Cell 480-310-7970
phil@moldinspector.com
http://www.moldexpertconsultants.com and
http://www.upkeepmasters.com