Can A Leaking Roof Really Cause Mold In My Home?

Mold spores are in every cubic foot of air, including the ones we are breathing. No worries — most mold is harmless. Yet inside a home, a leaking roof can cause harmful mold to spread rapidly throughout your attic and down into your living space. To stop unhealthy mold, you need to have a roofer fix your roof. 

How fast can mold spread? If air is constantly moving through your attic and humidity is at a minimum, mold will have difficulty latching onto surfaces and spreading. Mold needs two things to propagate:

Black mold — one of the two kinds that can potentially harm your family — can start germinating within 48 hours of landing on a moist surface exposed to slow air movement. For the first 12 days, mold will not be visible but spread rapidly across surfaces. At around 18 days, mold finally becomes visible as discolorations, black spots, and thin tendrils snaking out across surfaces. If not eradicated quickly (preferably by a mold remediation service, not you), it will spread wherever moisture gives it a chance. Down through your attic into your ceiling drywall, to your interior walls, across molding, doors, and into wood furniture — mold does not stop spreading on its own.

If you spot mold in your indoor living space, work immediately to remove and clean small items that may have mold growing on them. Dry out everything you can, safely using space heaters and fans if needed. In most cases, do not attempt to remove mold from walls and ceilings yourself. The best way to eliminate mold (besides preventing it through annual roof inspections and regular roof maintenance) is to remove the moisture. Fix roof leaks promptly, so mold never gets a chance to settle and germinate.

Some online sources suggest that homeowners spray weak mixes of chlorine bleach and water on mold. Yet your safest, surest path to eliminating existing black and green mold is to bring in a mold removal specialist. Your roofer can handle the roof leak before the mold service does its work. If your central Ohio home suffers from mold caused by a leaking roof, Allstate Exteriors & Restoration leads the one-two punch to defeat mold fast. Contact us today to learn more about our roof repair solutions and our complete range of exterior services.