Environmental Issue & Sick Building Syndrome Blog

1.The people are selling their home.
2. Buyer makes offer 
3. The home inspector finds mold in the attic (not me)
4. Mold professional called in to test and assess solution (that is me)
5. Mold professional looks at mold directly above the bathroom fan vents
6. Seller needs to extend the vent pipe for the fan to the exterior
7. Attic needs remediated for mold  
 
            The bottom line is that the end of bathroom vents need to be extended to the exterior of the building envelope. They can go out through the roof, the overhang or the side wall.

          When bathroom fan vent pipes go into the attic, the warm moist air hits the cooler wood in the roof.  This condenses just like warm summer air condenses on a glass of ice water.

          The wood is wet. Mold grows where moisture and food for mold area found.

          The best set of "by the numbers" for this and thousands of cases like it is to vent the fan to the exterior of the home form the time it is installed.....eliminating the cost of testing, remediation, and re-testing after remediation....or the risk that a buyer would not go through with the purchase of the home because of concerns about mold  
 
Cost to extend the bathroom vents to the exterior of home   $200 to $300
Cost to test, remediate, post remediate test and extend the fan to the exterior $2,000 to $3000