Attic Mold Removal in Nashville, TN

The winter pattern most people miss

Nashville homeowners often find attic mold in late winter or early spring and assume the roof is leaking. Sometimes it is. Just as often, the cause is condensation. When the furnace runs, warm air carrying moisture from cooking, showers and people rises through gaps around light fixtures, the attic hatch, plumbing stacks and duct boots. It meets roof sheathing chilled by a cold night and condenses. Do that for a few months and the north-facing slope, which gets the least sun, grows a gray or black film. Frosty or rusty nail tips poking through the decking are a telltale sign.

Other common sources

• Roof leaks at flashing, valleys, skylights and around vent pipes, especially after heavy spring storms.
• Bathroom or kitchen exhaust fans that end in the attic instead of outside.
• Soffit vents covered by blown-in insulation, so the attic can't breathe.
• Uninsulated or leaky ductwork in the attic sweating during the humid summer months.

EPA's guidance is that the key to mold control is moisture control. If the cause stays, the mold returns, no matter how well the wood was cleaned.

What usually gets removed, cleaned or fixed

Ask the company to explain how it will keep dust from falling through the hatch into the rooms below. If your furnace or air handler sits in the attic and might be contaminated, EPA says not to run it until it is checked. Be wary of any bid that only sprays a coating over the growth; EPA says not to paint over mold.

Hiring and paperwork in Tennessee

In Davidson County, a residential job of $3,000 to under $25,000 calls for the state Home Improvement license, and a job of $25,000 or more calls for a Tennessee contractor's license, with the mold remediation (S-F) classification for that work. Check any company on TDCI's Verify a License search. If sheathing or rafters need structural replacement, ask whether a Metro Codes permit is needed.

Cost

Angi reports a national range of about $1,000 to $4,000 for attic mold remediation. Middle Tennessee prices vary. Square footage, attic height and access, how much insulation comes out, and roof or ventilation repairs (often billed separately) drive the total.