the SMELL

[JBonez]

So tater, why is venting into the attic a no no, and where else would/could i vent? I am currently venting into the attic, but its not really creating alot of heat or anything, try and get back to me on this, thanks jb.

 

[Tater]

Because the temperature differences between the inside of the roof and the outside of the roof not to mention the amount of humidity in your grow room air will form condensation on the underside of the wood and eventually lead to mold. Once mold starts it is nearly impossible to get rid of without the aid of professional mold removal. Not only that but mold can make you sick and even result in your death. Lots of people vent into there attic and believe they aren't doing any harm because they can't see any mold forming but its there I promise and as soon as conditions are ripe it can grow and cover an entire roofline in days.

 

[onthegrezinn]

You can use an Ona block

 

[JBonez]

i just dont see how im venting that much humidity when the humidity of my grow room is 50 percent on average, also, my attic has vents on both sides of the house and stays relatively close to the temp outside, but if it really is a threat, would ozone generators be effective on killing potential mold issues?

 

[Tater]

I can't sit and explain to you my 14 years of house building experience. So you either need to take my word for it and do it properly OR just do what you like and any consequences are your own. Or you could go talk to a contracter and have them sit down and explain vapour barriers and ventilation condensation mold and the destruction it causes. I just saw a house that didn't even have a grow room in it. Just a bathroom fan that vented into the attic. And they had roof vents (they are code no matter where you live) and the mold that resulted ended up costing the home owner over 40 grand to remove and repair. 10 percent humidity is enough to cause condensation in the right conditions. Its more about temperature variance than anything.

 

[JBonez]

I wasnt asking for a thorough analysis or structural breakdown in the science behind it, I was merely implying that with the extensive research ive done, not once has anyone on any of the sites mentioned that they have ever had a problem with what your describing, surely your profession has shown you the worst, and I know that mold in the home is a huge threat, just never thought that what i was doing would cause any harm as i havent heard it discussed on any of the forums, and you seem to think its a big threat, thanks for your insight, its very appreciated.

 

[Thorn]

Lol. My buddy used to tell me the same LYFR! Isn't it frightening hearing that?!

Ooh yea know what u 2 mean there... never been able to smell my grows outside but in our old house we once picked up a nice quarter ounce of blueberry and it was soooo fresh and REEKED. When our mates came round that evening the first thing they said was "it stinks of weed outside your house" I was like cooooool...no wait thats bad! lol

 

[Tater]

Jbonez: Its all good. Most people that have mold don't even know they have. My brother was a perfect example. His girlfriend was sick for a 1 1/2 before anyone figured out it was from the mold in the walls of his aparment that was the result of an improperly installed vapour barrier. She was sick, I mean really sick. Lots of people have whats known as sick house syndrom and sometimes it can be attributed to leaks but most times it has to do with improperly installed house wraps or siding or the roof and improper ventilation. Anyways don't mean to rant but it is a very serious topic that is taken WAY to lightly among people with our hobby.

 

[JBonez]

Hey tater, so i did a little homework, and i gotta hand it to you, this is serious business after all. For example, when it rains, water comes through my roof in the garage, now i never would think to investigate for mold, but i bet its there, kinda scary. gonna do some more homework on this, its actually a big problem with newer homes believe it or not, from what ive read, kinda makes me glad my house is older!

 

[Tater]

Stopping mold is the easy part, removing it is whats costly. Its either labour intensive or requires expensive machinery. There are different methods. Some companys will use a large ozone generator to first kill and disinfect the area to make it safer for the workers to remove the mold. Another method is a high pressure dry ice machine. Works kinda like a sand blaster but using dry ice as the medium. Quick but expensive. Older homes (before 1980) are most likely to see mold in their roofs as aluminum soffit had yet to take hold in the market. They are less likely to have mold in the walls because most of the plumbing in that era was done with copper and solder (still the best if you ask me). Now homes after 1980 can have MAJOR plumbing problems and you will most likely find mold in the walls or floor. There was a short period of time when tek pipe (iirc) and plastic couplings where used with compression fittings. This pipe was soon banned because after a few years the couplings become brittle and snap/crack easily resulting in a multitude of leaks in your walls. (I'm replumbing one of my place's as we speak because of this very issue) Most of these homes though do not have mold in the roof because of the increased use of poly vapour barriers and new construction techniques that allowed for a huge boost in the amount of roofline ventilation. New homes are still susceptible to mold especially in the spring and fall when temperature variations are at there greatest. These systems work great as long as the vapour barrier is properly installed. The moment you cut a hole through it without properly sealing it off again you have ruined the entire system and would be better off without a vapour barrier as it now acts more as a condensation collector.

 

[andy52]

can filter all the way.works for me and they are cheap.lasts a long time also.

 

[Thorn]

I was sick with mold one year at uni and the stupid landlord didn't do anything about it for about half the year. I was constantly sick for about 4 months like with REALLY bad colds/fluey type of thing. Tater you speak very wise words

 

[Tater]

For some reason women seem to be more susceptible to mold, or maybe they are just more susceptible to complaining *ducks*

just kidding Thorn. Just trying to start the day with a smile.

 

[Thorn]

hehe no worries! Yea I know what you mean, although the other 2 girls in the house were no where near as bad as me, but I was suffering quite bad with my depression that year, even tho I didn't know it at the time. So my immune system was probably pretty low.

Hows your day been so far tater? I had a cruddy one, but been to pilates tonight so had a little stretch and tryin to forget the day. Gonna write my notice for work tomorrow