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There is black spots identified in our attic which we are trying to gauge if this is mold.

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    That could be mold. Your best bet is to get some samples tested.
    – jwh20
    Mar 3, 2020 at 18:10
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    What happens if you attempt to smudge one of those spots with your finger?
    – isherwood
    Mar 3, 2020 at 18:17

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Yes it is mold , don’t panic all wood has mold spores. Most of the spores are not hazardous the only way to know is by testing. If you want to kill the mold bleach water OR hydrogen peroxide and water 3% both will kill surface mold. I prefer hydrogen peroxide as it doesn’t stink. Keeping the attic well vented really helps to stop mold growth but a few spots like you have is quite normal, Why don’t you see mold in the lumber yard? After wood is finished it is sprayed with a fungicide that stops mold growth for a couple of months, kiln dried has the moisture removed so it doesn’t get the treatment. I tried to cover common issues as some folks are panicked by the word mold when most of the time it is harmless and has been there for years, if new may indicate a roof leak or moisture source in the attic space.

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    Hydrogen peroxide works better than bleach, since H2O2 attacks it at the atomic level, where mold can go on a defensive "hibernate" style mode if the bleach isn't the correct concentration.
    – computercarguy
    Mar 3, 2020 at 19:33
  • That is what I learned working in a hospital, but I could only remember the % they used.+
    – Ed Beal
    Mar 3, 2020 at 20:21
  • Different bleach concentrations of bleach work for different types of mold, or so I heard from a mold remediation expert. They have to test the mold, too, in order to know how much bleach to use. Evidently this is why they get paid "the big bucks", even though the person I talked to also said each expert uses a different concentration as well as other products anyway. It's far from an exact science, from what I understand. The H2O2 is an exact science, since it attacks the molecules that make up the fungus with oxygen, destroying it below the cellular level.
    – computercarguy
    Mar 3, 2020 at 20:49
  • livescience.com/… and greenopedia.com/clean-mold-without-bleach
    – computercarguy
    Mar 3, 2020 at 20:55

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