White Powdery Substance On Attic Rafters

Rafters in the attic floor joists in the basement or crawlspace and wooden furniture are all places where you can find white mold.

White powdery substance on attic rafters.

When looking for attic mold trace both leak areas and areas of poor ventilation in the attic. What does attic mold look like. The white powdery residue comes away bit like paper mashe and the wood underneath looks ok and isn t crumbling etc. The client will certainly expect an explanation for this white material on the roof rafters in the attic.

White mold can be found anywhere conditions conducive to mold growth are present. White mold penetrates porous surfaces such as wood sheetrock and furniture. After all some mold shows up as a white powdery material but more often in a crawl space than an attic. I know water has been getting in and the damage is limited to one area of the loft.

Common areas of white mold growth include attic sheathing and crawlspace framing. When the water evaporates a white fluffy structure is left behind. White mold is commonly found growing on wood surfaces. The photo at page top shows white attic mold on the roof sheathing and rafters and some brown or black mold on the attic side of ceiling drywall where we pulled back insulation.

I poked the wood with a screwdriver and it seems fine. In the attic photograph at left we show a mix of green gray and white attic mold.