What Every Homeowner Should Know About Mold Growth and Roof Leaks
If you've been struggling with a leaky roof but wanted to wait until spring to deal with the problem, you may have started to experience some serious issues with your ceiling and the insulation that's inside it. In cases like this, there's a very good possibility that you may have mold in the ceiling. Here's a look at what you need to know about roofing damage and the potential need for mold removal.
What Does Mold Have To Do With Your Roof Leak?
Many homeowners forget about the compounding and residual problems that can develop as a result of a roof leak. Even when faced with ceiling tiles becoming oversaturated and crumbing, they still often forget about some of the more severe issues that can be hiding in the ceiling.
Remember that before you really see evidence of a roof leak, it's been happening for a while. That means you've had persistent moisture in the ceiling and in the insulation between your roof and your ceiling.
Mold doesn't need long to grow. It only needs a damp, dark environment. The insulation beneath your roof is in a perfect environment for mold to grow if there's moisture introduced. When your roof leaks, that introduces the moisture that is necessary for mold to develop. The longer you wait to fix the roof, the more mold is likely to grow.
How Do You Deal With Mold in Your Ceiling?
Before you can effectively address mold in your ceiling, you need to have the exterior leak addressed. If you fix the mold problem without fixing the leak, you're just going to introduce moisture into the new materials and re-create the mold issue. As a result, you should make sure to fix your roof first, then work with a mold removal company to deal with the mold that's left behind.
You should work with a mold removal company because they have the expertise to address the mold growth safely. They'll have to remove the insulation from the affected area first. Then, the structural components must be inspected. You may have mold on the support beams as well if they've been exposed to moisture.
Once the old insulation is removed and any other residual mold has been cleared out, the structural elements left behind will be treated with a mold inhibitor. The mold inhibitor will keep mold spores from returning on the wood. Since wood is porous, this is an important consideration.
After the wood has been treated, new insulation will be put into place and the ceiling tiles will be replaced with new material that's mold-free.
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