Six Hundred Square Feet of Monroe Roof Sheathing Cleaned, Nothing Removed
1 / 3Surface growth on the underside of the sheathing. The board itself is sound, which is what makes this a cleaning job rather than a replacement job.
What Happened
Attic growth on roof sheathing is one of the most common findings in a home inspection and one of the most frequently over scoped. The reflex quote replaces sheathing. What this Monroe project did instead was clean 600 square feet of it and remove nothing at all. When plywood or board sheathing is structurally sound and the growth is on the surface rather than into the material, cleaning is the correct answer, and replacing it means opening a roof to solve a surface problem.
The work was 600 square feet of visible mould cleaned and removed directly, the same 600 square feet HEPA vacuumed in detail, and then 1,000 square feet treated with a plant based antimicrobial agent. That last figure is deliberately wider than the affected area, because an attic is a single connected volume and treating only the visibly affected portion leaves the surrounding surface untreated for no good reason. 300 square feet of containment was set with 90 square feet of floor protection at the access, and two 24 hour negative air periods ran with an additional HEPA filter on the exhaust.
The floor protection matters more in an attic job than people expect. The crew and every piece of equipment passes through finished space to get up there, and the ceiling below the attic hatch is usually the first casualty of a job done without it. What was not sold: nothing was removed. No insulation, no sheathing, no framing. No coating was applied over the cleaned surface, and no testing, air sampling or clearance testing was performed. The attic was cleaned, treated and left as it was found minus the growth. As with any attic condition, the moisture and ventilation question that produced it was not part of this scope and remains a separate conversation.
Scope of Damage
Roof Sheathing
Moderate600 square feet with visible surface growth. Cleaned and vacuumed rather than replaced, because the sheathing itself was sound.
Wider Attic Surface
Light1,000 square feet treated with a plant based antimicrobial agent, deliberately wider than the affected area because an attic is one connected volume.
Access Route
Light90 square feet of floor protection through the finished space below, since crew and equipment pass through it to reach the attic.
How We Solved It
- 1
Protect The Route In
90 square feet of floor protection below the access. The ceiling and floor under an attic hatch are the first casualties of a job run without it.
- 2
Contain 300 Square Feet
Containment set around the work zone before any surface was disturbed.
- 3
Two Negative Air Periods
Negative air scrubbers with an additional HEPA filter on the exhaust, holding the attic under negative pressure so cleaning did not push material down into the rooms below.
- 4
Clean Rather Than Replace
600 square feet of visible growth cleaned and removed directly. Sound sheathing with surface growth does not need replacing, and replacing it means opening a roof to solve a surface problem.
- 5
Vacuum The Same Area
The same 600 square feet HEPA vacuumed in detail after cleaning.
- 6
Treat Wider Than The Damage
1,000 square feet treated with a plant based antimicrobial agent, because treating only the visible portion leaves surrounding surface untreated for no reason.
Tools & Equipment Used
Questions Homeowners Ask
Does attic mould mean the roof sheathing has to be replaced?
Usually not. Where the sheathing is structurally sound and growth is on the surface, cleaning is the correct response. This Monroe project cleaned 600 square feet and removed nothing at all. Replacing sound sheathing means opening a roof to solve a surface problem.
Why treat a larger area than the one that is affected?
An attic is a single connected volume. On this project 600 square feet was cleaned and 1,000 square feet treated, deliberately wider. Treating only the visibly affected portion leaves the surrounding surface untreated when the agent is already on site and the crew is already up there.
Why does an attic job need floor protection?
Because the crew and every piece of equipment travel through finished living space to reach the attic. 90 square feet of protection was installed on this project. The floor and ceiling under an attic hatch are the usual casualties when it is skipped.
Was the cause of the attic moisture fixed?
No. No ventilation work or source investigation was sold on this project. Attic growth is nearly always a moisture and ventilation question, and cleaning addresses the result rather than the cause. That conversation should happen separately, before the condition returns.
Do you serve Monroe and Fairfield County?
Yes. Green Restoration serves Monroe and towns across Fairfield County for mould remediation, attic work, water damage and crawl space cleaning. Our crews are IICRC certified, licensed and insured, and BBB A+ Rated. Call (203) 742-0492 for a free estimate.
