Mold on the Roof, Risk in Your Home: Why You Need To Take Action

Most homeowners think mold only grows in basements, poorly ventilated bathrooms, or old appliances. But mold can also accumulate on your roof shingles or underlayment. As long as the area is humid, warm, and has a food source, mold can grow and pose a risk to your home.

Roof mold is challenging to detect and remove. If you notice signs of roof mold on your ceilings, shingles, or roof cavity, make plans for mold remediation as soon as possible.

Here are reasons why you shouldn't wait to address a roof mold problem in your home.

Mold Can Damage Your Roof

Roof mold typically manifests as black streaks on your shingles or dark stains within the underlayment. As mold grows, it will degrade the quality of your roofing materials, cause leaks, and weaken your home's structure.

Mold can also spread to your siding and cause ugly stains on the outside walls. Such damage is not only expensive to fix, but it also lowers the resale value of your property. And whenever your windows are open, there's a risk of mold spores blowing inside the home.

Roof Mold Can Be a Habitat for Rodents

Damp conditions on your roof are a good hiding spot for rodents. For example, mice and rats are attracted to areas where mold can grow. If mold grows on your roof's insulation, rodents may access the area through your outside walls and gutters.

Mold spores may also stick to the fur of rodents and spread as the animal moves around your home. Thus, waiting to address roof mold may result in hiring a pest removal service on top of incurring mold remediation costs.

Mold Can Spread to Other Parts of the Home

You may think that roof mold is localized to your shingles and underlayment. Unfortunately, mold on the roof can spread into your walls, ceilings, and attic. You may notice moisture accumulating in ceilings or dark spots forming on your interior walls.

If roof mold enters your home, you'll be exposed to toxic spores that may cause asthma, allergic reactions, and lung infections. And if you have a pre-existing health condition, you may be affected in additional ways.

Mold Can Damage Your HVAC System

Roof mold may penetrate your ductwork and cause damage to your HVAC system. In addition to damaged ducts and vents, you'll spread mold spores throughout the home whenever you turn on the heating or air conditioning.

Removing mold from ductwork is challenging and expensive, so you shouldn't wait to address a mold problem in your roof. If the issue persists, you may need to replace your ductwork to avoid degrading the air quality in your home.

Mold Can Increase Energy Consumption

Your roof plays an essential part in regulating energy consumption. For example, roofs prevent air from leaking outside the home while the HVAC unit runs. Your shingles also reflect light from the sun to limit heat absorption.

Mold may damage your roof's insulation and create leaks where air sips through. This poor insulation will make your HVAC system work harder to regulate the temperature in your home, thereby increasing energy consumption. Furthermore, dark stains on your roof shingles can absorb heat during the summer and increase indoor temperatures.

Mold on your roof causes both structural damage and health risks. Because roof repairs can be costly, don't wait to address roof mold. Household Environmental offers mold remediation services to reduce your risk of exposure. We conduct safe and timely mold remediation to restore the safety of your home and prevent further structural damage. If you suspect that mold is growing on your roof, contact us for an inspection today.