House Mold and Mildew
Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 December 2011 13:13 Tuesday, 27 December 2011 00:00
November 29, 2011 – Incline Village, NV. U.S. Sunlight Corporation raises awareness of mold and mildew risks in houses, especially during the winter months. Millions of people suffer from allergies throughout the winter months due to mold lurking often unseen in their homes.
Mold growth is attributed to three factors: moisture, warmth and organic material. Unfortunately, in the winter months, these three factors often come together in the home’s attic space. As warm air rises into the attic, the warm air meets with the underside of the roof causing condensation. For this reason, it is NOT suggested to keep an attic warm throughout the winter months as a “heat barrier” to the cold outside. In fact, the condensation created in a warm attic during the winter months drips onto the insulation making it much less effective. Instead, rely on adequate insulation between the attic and living spaces. Additionally, moisture rises into the attic from the home’s daily activities such as the dishwasher, showers and cooking. A warm, moist attic and organic materials such as building materials and household items being stored create an environment for mold and mildew to flourish. For these reasons, it is essential to address the attic space of a home in order to ensure a healthy home.
How best to cure and prevent mold and mildew in your home? http://www.moldtips.com/control.htm
- Use a Solar Powered Attic Fan and Solar Controller to properly ventilate the attic space. The Solar Controller allows easy monitoring of relative humidity levels and temperature in the attic space.
- Use the All Purpose Ventilator to properly ventilate the crawlspace and reduce the opportunity for mold and mildew growth.
- Vacuum and clean regularly to remove possible sources of mold growth
- In portions of your home that are susceptible to moisture, use area rugs or washable floor surfaces.
- Repair water leaks in the roof, windows, or any other part of the home.
- Clear refrigerator drip pans regularly.
By keeping the attic space closer to ambient temperature, condensation will not occur on the underside of the roof. Additionally, with active air flow the moist air traveling into the attic from exhaust fans and household activities will be rapidly pushed outside. Keep your home and its inhabitants healthy throughout the winter months with the Solar Powered Attic Fan from U.S. Sunlight Corporation.
Featured on News 10 in Sacramento, CA
Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 December 2011 13:29 Tuesday, 27 December 2011 00:00
U.S. Sunlight Corporation and Eco Attic were recently featured on News 10 in Sacramento, California to inform homeowners how to resolve many of their home’s problems by simply addressing the attic space.
- Many homeowners suffer from unnecessarily high utility bills, uncomfortable temperatures in the summer, musty smells on objects stored in the attic and condensation on windows and doors during the winter. According to Allan from U.S. Sunlight and Cliff from Eco Attic, these problems can be resolved by simply addressing the home's attic space. Alan Breidenbach puts it bluntly, "If you don't ventilate, it can cause mold, mildew and potentially health problems." He is referring to the need for year-round attic ventilation. News 10 in Sacramento, California
The benefits of active attic ventilation are commonly linked to summer months. The Florida Solar Energy Center has analyzed 21 houses and determined 43% of air conditioning design load is based on elevated attic temperatures which frequently reach 160˚F. For this reason, many homeowners quickly look to lower attic temperatures in order to alleviate air conditioning usage.
Despite popular belief, a well ventilated attic is just as important during the winter months. Most homeowners believe a hot attic in the winter months provides a heat barrier to keep the rest of the home warm. Unfortunately, a warm attic does little more in the winter months than to create the perfect environment for mold and mildew. As the warm attic air reaches the cold underside of the house roof, it creates condensation. In fact, according to the Energy Performance of Buildings Group at the Lawrence Berkeley Center, throughout the course of the winter months, a typical attic absorbs up to 220 pounds of moisture. In the spring, the building materials in the attic release the moisture back into the attic, equivalent to almost 30 gallons of water. Moisture in the attic causes these following homeowner nightmares:
• Mold and mildew growth
• Condensation and humidity saturates insulation, causing the insulation to lose its effectiveness
• Melted snow re-freezing on the eaves, causing back-up of water under the shingles; also known as ice damming
• Sheetrock pops and truss uplifts, causing damage and cracks to drywall in the house
For the well-being and balance of a home, it is imperative to have a well-ventilated attic, as well as proper insulation and quality windows and doors. With all of these pieces addressed, a homeowner will rapidly see lower energy costs and a longer lifespan of building materials.
