If you are concerned about your family's health, then fixing moldy areas in your home is super important. You don't want to let the mold spores grow and drift into the air. While you might not see evidence of it (unless you go looking), the attic and the crawlspace are two of the worst offenders. While you will see spots of mold if they show up on your bedroom ceiling or the bathroom wall, you often don't go looking up in the attic, and most people most definitely don't go crawling around the crawlspace. However, these areas should not be neglected. If there is dampness in the crawlspace, it can breed mold, and this can come up into the house. The attic can also be an issue if there is dampness and boxes have begun to rot. Here's what you can do and what you need professionals to do.

Clean Out The Attic Of Moldy Boxes

Check the attic for any old moldy storage boxes and toss them. Look to see if there is a leak anywhere in the roof that causes the mold, or if it is a case of dampness in the air. If it is a leak, then you need to have roofers come in and patch it. The longer you wait, the more severe a problem you will have to deal with, and the larger (and most costly) the roof repair will be. If it's an issue of dampness in the air, then you might want to install a dehumidifier. You should also have the roofer look at your attic venting. It might not be adequate and could be the reason for the build up of humid air.

Encapsulate The Crawl Space

The crawlspace is the area under your home where you probably never go. It's damp, dark, and nasty. The common belief was that to prevent mold, the area should have lots of air flowing through. The idea would be that fresh air would prevent mold. However, as anyone who has actually crawled under one of these spaces knows, it does the opposite. A crawlspace can be a damp, nasty place. The moisture from the ground tends to hover and make the whole area unpleasant. The wood support beams will get moist, mold will grow, and that foul air can drift up into your family's living space and make everyone sick.

Recent trends have opted toward completely encapsulation the space. A professional mold remediation team will come in and remove any lingering mold issues, and then seal up the space using plastics and foams. This then locks out any of the ground moisture. It turns the space into a completely dry area so that you won't have to worry about nasty mold fumes wafting up through the floorboards and making your family sick.

For more information, contact local professionals like Atlantic Heating and Cooling.