Difference Between Mold And Mildew In Attic

Finding either one in your home s attic is cause for concern and can be a sign of faulty roofing system.

Difference between mold and mildew in attic.

Moldis usually fuzzy or slimy in appearance. But mold and mildew also have striking differences when it comes to size color and texture. Differences between mold and mildew in appearance mildewusually grows in a flat pattern and appears either powdery or fluffy. Powdery mildew usually starts out white and may later turn yellow brown or black.

What is the difference between mold and mildew. Mildew can grow on a variety of surfaces including food paper and wood. This is why it s less common to see mold growth on base trim after a flooding event. This tendency to grow on flat surfaces is one of the main differences that can exist between mold and mildew.

It can be many different colors including blue green yellow brown gray black or white. The vast majority of attic mold is caused by humidity which is why white mold growth is common here. In nature however mildew can be very destructive to plants and food crops. This article explains the difference between mildew and mold or other forms of mold.

Attics usually have a passive ventilation system in which outside air comes in through the soffit eave vents at the bottom warms up in the attic and escapes through the can or ridge vents at the top because hot air rises. Mold is more dangerous and difficult to manage. The term mildew is often used generically to refer to mold growth usually with a flat growth habit. White mold tends to grow in high humidity environments rather than areas suffering from total saturation.

While mildew can cause damage to a home the damage is usually more cosmetic. Attic sheathing and framing. Molds include all species of microscopic fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. Mildew refers to certain kinds of mold or fungus.

The most common cause of attic mold by far is blocked or insufficient ventilation of the attic space. Mildew is a surface fungi that can easily be identified as a patch of gray or even white fungus that is lying on the surface of a moist area. As we discuss in this article mildew a sub class of molds is an obligate parasite that grows only on living plants and is generally white in appearance. It appears as irregularly shaped spots that can have different colors.

Mold is usually fuzzy in appearance. Mildew is considered surface fungi that can be treated and removed fairly easily.