Attic Sheathing Black

The following picture is of a long standing moisture condition in an attic where much of the roof sheathing has turned black.

Attic sheathing black. Condensation determining the cause of attic mold. When moisture condenses on plywood roof sheathing repeatedly or continuously the wood will turn black. The other two possibilities for the stains. I m aware of the cause poorly vented bathroom fans and not well sealed fan fixtures lights wires etc.

This can be caused by the action of fungal growth and molds and the affect they have on the tannins in the wood. In the vast majority of cases the mold growth is caused by condensation. Despite what your roofer would like you to believe roof leaks rarely cause significant mold problems. If the wood is soft if it s easily imprinted when you push on it it s probably rotten.

Even in this case in our opinion the reasons to remove and replace roof sheathing and framing would normally be based on the condition of the roof framing and sheathing not on the presence of mold or stains. In our roof interior attic photo at left you can see antique roof framing along with black stains and probably some mold growth from a long history of roof leaks. In old houses you ll usually see some spots that are stained dark or black where there was a roof leak at some point in time which was repaired but the stain remains. Attic mold cleaner attic mold removal how to clean attic mold how attic mold gets there in the first place and what to do to help prevent attic mold.

Mold growth on attic roof sheathing is a common issue in cool climates such as the pacific northwest. Uniform black mold growth on attic sheathing. In many cases the continued wetting of the sheathing will cause it to rot but that may take several years or decades depending on the attic ventilation. If the dark surface of the wood smudges it could be mold.

Mold usually causes a musty odor and may cause staining that may be black brown gray white yellow or green. The mold itself may have a cottony texture but can also be velvety leathery or.