I am helping a neighbor try to decide how to deal with some mold in
their attic . Apparently it is from condensation from poor ventilation
.. She had additional blown-in insulation installed 3 years ago .I
have just observed that the soffit vents were covered ( unknown to
her ) and of course the insulation company is playing dumb so far but
she is pretty persistent . From a technical standpoint what should be
done as far as cleaning the wood , and removing the insulation etc.
-thanks ?

rkpatt wrote:
I am helping a neighbor try to decide how to deal with some mold in
their attic . Apparently it is from condensation from poor ventilation
. She had additional blown-in insulation installed 3 years ago .I
have just observed that the soffit vents were covered ( unknown to
her ) and of course the insulation company is playing dumb so far but
she is pretty persistent . From a technical standpoint what should be
done as far as cleaning the wood , and removing the insulation etc.
-thanks ?

First step is to verify the type of mold. Most molds are a bother, but
not a danger. Unless you have one of the few that are dangerous, you can
basically just fix the cause and not worry about the rest, unless you have
someone with mold allergy problems like me. If it is found that it is the
dangerous stuff, then it is time to call in the pros. That can be serious
and if not professionally handled can be a real problem when the house is
sold.

Since it appears it was caused by the insulation company, I suggest they
should be responsible. You may want recommend your neighbor contact an
attorney. Chances are good that once they get the first letter from the
attorney they will become a lot more cooperative.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

"rkpatt" wrote in message
om...
I am helping a neighbor try to decide how to deal with some mold in
their attic . Apparently it is from condensation from poor ventilation
. She had additional blown-in insulation installed 3 years ago .I
have just observed that the soffit vents were covered ( unknown to
her ) and of course the insulation company is playing dumb so far but
she is pretty persistent . From a technical standpoint what should be
done as far as cleaning the wood , and removing the insulation etc.
-thanks ?

This is Turtle.

If you cover the Soffit vents = Mold in large form.

Like Joesph said the form of mold is the issue and figuring out who did it is
not a problem. Getting something done about is a horse of a different color.

You just don't want it to be the Black Mold which kills people. It will only
kill 1 in a 100 people who are expossed to it. If you have every been exposed to
it and you did not die. You become Immune for life to the effect of it. The ones
that are the highest risk is the very young and old people the or the people
that is very ill at the time from something else. Now it is still a killer thing
and needs to be addressed for sure.

TURTLE

TURTLE wrote:

"rkpatt" wrote in message
om...
I am helping a neighbor try to decide how to deal with some mold in
their attic . Apparently it is from condensation from poor ventilation
. She had additional blown-in insulation installed 3 years ago .I
have just observed that the soffit vents were covered ( unknown to
her ) and of course the insulation company is playing dumb so far but
she is pretty persistent . From a technical standpoint what should be
done as far as cleaning the wood , and removing the insulation etc.
-thanks ?

This is Turtle.

If you cover the Soffit vents = Mold in large form.

Like Joesph said the form of mold is the issue and figuring out who did it is
not a problem. Getting something done about is a horse of a different color.

You just don't want it to be the Black Mold which kills people. It will only
kill 1 in a 100 people who are expossed to it. If you have every been exposed to
it and you did not die. You become Immune for life to the effect of it. The ones
that are the highest risk is the very young and old people the or the people
that is very ill at the time from something else. Now it is still a killer thing
and needs to be addressed for sure.

TURTLE

This is JIM.
Agreeing with TURTLE.
Beside Black Mold, varieties such as Aspergillus (and others)
can cause serious health problems for those who are sensitive
(like me). If spores from the attic can be drawn into the
house via tiny infiltration leaks or ductwork, you can have
a bad situation.

Good info he
http://www3.sympatico.ca/ross.fraser/Richard9.htm


You can purchase professional test kits which get sent back to
a lab for specific analysis. This is one firm:
http://www.skcinc.com/product.asp


In the case of an attic, remediation by machine, such as:
http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.c...ng-machine.htm
may be necessary.

There is a wealth of good info on the 'Net. Just GOOGLE for
mold + health or similar searches.
Search mold + remediation for how-to. You'll get a lot
of hits from co's selling dubious services but there is wheat
among the chaff.

In the end, I suspect that it will come down to serious lawyering...

Jim

Mold is nothing to take lightly, and the potential for the entire
attic to be contaminated is strong. I would suggest the attic be
tested for mold to see how far gone it is. And, also have the HVAC
system (ducts) tested for presence of mold as if the contamination is
high, then it could have gone airborne already, and contaminated more
of the house other then just the attic.

The normal procedure for visible mold in an attic is to have the
insulation removed professionally under containment. As far as the
wood in the attic goes, it should also be removed under containment.
A negative air fan is needed to establish a negative pressure
environment. And, a portable air scrubber would be needed as well.

For further input on mold remediation you can look at the website:

www.moldrelief.org

Which should have viable information. If not, there are many sites on
the web that can aid new victims of mold, and advise them properly as
to how such a situation should be handled.

Tamara R. Pearlman
Representative - Mold Relief - Texas
Representative - HADD - Texas

(rkpatt) wrote in message . com...
I am helping a neighbor try to decide how to deal with some mold in
their attic . Apparently it is from condensation from poor ventilation
. She had additional blown-in insulation installed 3 years ago .I
have just observed that the soffit vents were covered ( unknown to
her ) and of course the insulation company is playing dumb so far but
she is pretty persistent . From a technical standpoint what should be
done as far as cleaning the wood , and removing the insulation etc.
-thanks ?

Tamara wrote:
Mold is nothing to take lightly, and the potential for the entire
attic to be contaminated is strong. I would suggest the attic be
tested for mold to see how far gone it is. And, also have the HVAC
system (ducts) tested for presence of mold as if the contamination is
high, then it could have gone airborne already, and contaminated more
of the house other then just the attic.

You are right that mold CAN be a serious problem, but in this case it
would appear unlikely that there is such a problem. I agree that the mold
should be tested, but if the mold found is tested and found to be of the
common household variety, I don't believe there is cause for a all out war.

It would be very unusual to say the lest to find any home without some
mold.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

On Sun, 17 Oct 2004 18:29:11 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

Tamara wrote:
Mold is nothing to take lightly, and the potential for the entire
attic to be contaminated is strong. I would suggest the attic be
tested for mold to see how far gone it is. And, also have the HVAC
system (ducts) tested for presence of mold as if the contamination is
high, then it could have gone airborne already, and contaminated more
of the house other then just the attic.

You are right that mold CAN be a serious problem, but in this case it
would appear unlikely that there is such a problem. I agree that the mold
should be tested, but if the mold found is tested and found to be of the
common household variety, I don't believe there is cause for a all out war.

It would be very unusual to say the lest to find any home without some
mold.
Check out the Centers for Disease Control report on mold and the
Academy of Sciences report before you post foolishness. In fact,
household mold is not associated with any ill effects in people who
are' nt allergic to the specific mold in question. There's been a lot
of foolishness about mold, but a little research might put your mind
at ease.

Dan