Mold in attic? Random questions

[stonecold3169]

Hey folks,

In the process of buying a house, and ran into an interesting problem during the homeowners inspection.

The house was built in 1987, and has two distinct roof and peaks. All bathroom/dryer venting is through peak #1, and then vented outside; all is well in that peak.

Peak two, however, seems to have some mold (maybe?) problem which strikes me as odd. What is strange to me is that mold only is visible on one gable end, and low down (almost down to the blow in insulation level, slightly higher). Even stranger, it seems to only be on the plywood, and not at all on the kd studs it's touching... it seems to go right around it. Shouldn't it be all or nothing?

Here are some pics of what we are talking about; two pics show the problem with an arrow, and the others show the lack of issues anywhere else. I'd think an airflow problem would impact more, or really higher, then it is.

Any suggestions? We will most likely be getting it tested, but I'm of the belief that mold concerns are much more media-centric then what they actually are; more trying to get an idea of potential things to look for.

Thanks!

 

[olds]

Random answer: String it with cat gut.

 

[Puppies04]

Even stranger, it seems to only be on the plywood, and not at all on the kd studs it's touching... it seems to go right around it. Shouldn't it be all or nothing?

Not exactly. If the water is working it's way straight through the ply it would saturate the board but take a long time to get into the timbers against it, especially if they are treated.

This is coming through the board, what is on the outside? To be that bad and without any more information I would suspect that water is being trapped between whatever facia is fixed to the outside of that ply or it is feasible that there is a blocked guttering that is soaking the board in that area whenever it rains.

 

[master_shake_]

dry ice blast it

 

[stonecold3169]

Nis t1-11t exactly. If the water is working it's way straight through the ply it would saturate the board but take a long time to get into the timbers against it, especially if they are treated.

This is coming through the board, what is on the outside? To be that bad and without any more information I would suspect that water is being trapped between whatever facia is fixed to the outside of that ply or it is feasible that there is a blocked guttering that is soaking the board in that area whenever it rains.

The other side of this ply is t1-11. The t111 is aged, but not physically damaged and with no signs of waterdamage.

The discoloration or mold is about a 20' run, maybe 2' tall. Would the water really soak that far across, without going upward? It just seems really strange it all stays around that height!

 

[Greenman]

I'd say water coming from the outside as well. Could be wicking up from the bottom edge of the plywood.

 

[boomerang]

I'd say water coming from the outside as well. Could be wicking up from the bottom edge of the plywood.

I would agree. Also, you say it's on the gable end. Are the top sheets that run up to the peak laying in Z channel or do they overlap the bottom sheets? Z channel just provides a place for the water to collect and wick into the bottom edge of the top sheets. When they are overlapped, it can still wick but the exposed edges are much more likely to have been sealed by either paint or stain.

 

[stonecold3169]

I would agree. Also, you say it's on the gable end. Are the top sheets that run up to the peak laying in Z channel or do they overlap the bottom sheets? Z channel just provides a place for the water to collect and wick into the bottom edge of the top sheets. When they are overlapped, it can still wick but the exposed edges are much more likely to have been sealed by either paint or stain.

The sheets are overlapped, although I couldnt bevin to tell you how much.

So, with as little info as i've given, assuming no damage to studs, trusses, or roof sheathing, would the probable solution be to just rip out the 20' of interior sheething, and reseal the t111 to stop the leak, and move on with life? I would guess that being non-structural wall, and not interfering with the roof itself, i would be way better off ripping and replacing vs getting a mold expert involved (especially because its in a non living space?

Really, what could worst case scenario look like? Waiting to hear back from the seller as to what they want to do. For all I know, they will just have it fixed. Otberwise, the wife and I need to decided what to do!

 

[zardthebuilder]

i want to say that i am impressed that you and your wife are approaching this problem in a rational manner. i believe many problems with a house can be addressed. it is just a matter of cost and effort. if you end up proceeding, i think you are in a very good negotiating position to cover the costs plus a bit extra.

 

[stonecold3169]

i want to say that i am impressed that you and your wife are approaching this problem in a rational manner. i believe many problems with a house can be addressed. it is just a matter of cost and effort. if you end up proceeding, i think you are in a very good negotiating position to cover the costs plus a bit extra.

I appreciate that

I'm being a bit more rational then my wife. It helps that we are getting the place at a very good price because the owner (a finish carpenter) is taking a job in another state, mixed with the housing economy in Vermont outside of the urban areas is still in the toilet.

Chances are, the owner will just volunteer to fix the issue, and this is all for nothing. the owner did all of the interior work, and it is really well done. The inspector was surprised to see the attic issue, as the rest of the house he had nothing but great things to say.

Think more about it, I'm guessing the t1-11 IS the sheathing, and was put up over studs; that makes the repair, potentially, even easier I guess.

the mold itself (assuming that is mold and not just rot) doesn't concern me too much, as I figure it will all be 100% disposed of, and circulation doesn't concern me much at all considering the rest of the space looks clean; does that sound fair?

At this point, trying to figure out what reasonable cost might be, and then absolute worst case scenario what could happen driving the costs way up. There is zero damage to any interior ceilings in the house, which makes me feel pretty secure.

 

[boomerang]

The sheets are overlapped, although I couldnt bevin to tell you how much.

So, with as little info as i've given, assuming no damage to studs, trusses, or roof sheathing, would the probable solution be to just rip out the 20' of interior sheething, and reseal the t111 to stop the leak, and move on with life? I would guess that being non-structural wall, and not interfering with the roof itself, i would be way better off ripping and replacing vs getting a mold expert involved (especially because its in a non living space?

Really, what could worst case scenario look like? Waiting to hear back from the seller as to what they want to do. For all I know, they will just have it fixed. Otberwise, the wife and I need to decided what to do!

I wouldn't truly know the best course of action without being on site. And as a disclaimer, I'm not a home builder or in the building trades, I've just acquired some knowledge going through life. Having said that, in this case I would put the ball in the seller's court. Fix it or reduce the price by an amount to cover the repair. The question of course is what is the cost of the repair.

In my state at least during the time frame my home was built what you would be looking at is the back side of the T1-11. Not sheathing with T1-11 then applied over it. I don't see any means to correct the problem from inside unless a mold remediation specialist deems it possible to correct the situation without removal of the siding and/or sheathing. And that's what needs to be called in. A specialist in mold remediation.

Edit: I see I was typing while you made your prior post which covered some of this.

 

[Greenman]

The sheets are overlapped, although I couldnt bevin to tell you how much.

So, with as little info as i've given, assuming no damage to studs, trusses, or roof sheathing, would the probable solution be to just rip out the 20' of interior sheething, and reseal the t111 to stop the leak, and move on with life? I would guess that being non-structural wall, and not interfering with the roof itself, i would be way better off ripping and replacing vs getting a mold expert involved (especially because its in a non living space?

Really, what could worst case scenario look like? Waiting to hear back from the seller as to what they want to do. For all I know, they will just have it fixed. Otberwise, the wife and I need to decided what to do!

You have to open the entire damaged area a up. That's the only way you'll be able to see it's limits. The siding on the other side of that plywood could have extensive rot/mold for some distance beyond what you see. There could be some fundamental flaw in the entire wall system thats allowing water to penetrate. Perhaps it was never papered, or incorrectly flashed. This is the sort of thing you want corrected before escrow closes, or you want to have two or three times the estimated repair cost held in escrow until the work is actually done.

I've had rot repair projects that looked fairly minor expand into major repairs. You don't want to assume that risk unless you're getting a good enough deal to cover worst case scenario damages.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Mold is a growth. I'd start from the crawlspace/basement below that gable and work your way up to the walls....then back up to below the insulation. 50%+ humidity is usually required for mold growth. If that side of the house faces West (typical weather surge) or South (less sun), it may be getting wet or not drying out. Otherwise, seek the source of the moisture and see what it'll cost to remedy....only then would I look at the cost of material removal/replacement.

Most houses have mold...no matter what they tell you. It's just a matter of determining what kind. Bleach will clean the surface, but it will return if the moisture is still there.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Thought I'd chime in since no one else mentioned it. You need better circulation in the attic. Going from the pics, you either have blocked soffit vents or too few soffit vents.

 

[TheSlamma]

IMO, run hard, run fast. 1980's cheapo construction

Take the advice from your username:

Every night I have the same old dream
'Bout you and me and what's in between
So many changes, so many lies
Try to run, try to hide

 

[tsiunltdus]

First off the only way to get to the source is to remove some of the area to see what it looks like on the backside of the wood. If it is only on the exposed side then it can be cleaned if it is on surface mold. If removal is required then you would want to go 2 feet beyond where it is in a clean area. To thoroughly remove the mold. Mold only grows where it is wet. So if mold is the case in that area then moisture is coming from some where and if it is fixed by removing the section with mold it will just come back on the new material over time if the source of moisture doesn't get fixed. I have done many mold remediation jobs and the cost can be pricey once you start digging into it. Especially if you don't know why the moisture is collecting there. I would definitely have the owners do a mold check with a professional so that way you would know what kind of cost your looking at.