What’s In Your Attic?
Cue the twilight zone music today… we are taking a journey to an often overlooked part of the home –your attic!
Have you ever given much thought to what is happening above the ceilings in your home? I didn’t think so. The attic, while unseen, is one of the most important parts of the domicile in terms of comfort, air quality and the overall health of your house.
First, what is in the attic of the typical single family home? We have the roof trusses obviously, or there wouldn’t be an attic. We have wiring in the form of alarms, cable, sound systems and electricity. We often find plumbing in the attic, and then my two favorite things; ductwork and insulation. As my longtime readers will know, there are many different kinds of attic insulation as well as ductwork, which vary in type from builder to builder.
Did I mention unwanted guest in the attic? You may have bugs of various types including termites, you could have rodents or squirrels, and I have even seen the occasional opossum and raccoon. If faced with unwanted guests, I urge you to take action and not ignore the problem. Pests in the attic can rack up thousands of dollar in damage in an extremely short period of time and the typical homeowner insurance policy is not going to help. The insurance companies love to use the “oh that’s a maintenance issue” clause when it comes to creatures doing damage in the attic of your castle.
Again, I’m not going to bore you with a long winded science lesson, however, the air in the typical attic can be up to ten times more polluted than the outside air. Outside air pulls into the soffit vents around the outside edge of your home and the particulates have a tendency to build up in the attic. I know, how does that affect the indoor air quality you ask? Remember the aforementioned ductwork? All the air you breathe in your home travels through that ductwork, and if the ducts are not sealed, well boom — you are adding air pollution to the home.
Comfort you say? The amount and type of insulation you have in the attic affects not only the temperatures in the home, but a lack of insulation can cause the air conditioner in your home to work harder than needed and suffer a premature failure. A properly insulated attic can also save you a big when it comes to air conditioning electrical usage.
Ok, call to action time! We are very we versed when it comes to all aspects of your home, especially what is happening in the attic. If you haven’t been, or had someone check out what is happening up there since 1987, I suggest that you give us a ring at 1-800-475-1504, or you can schedule a service call (just mention that you would like an attic evaluation) directly through our awesome website.
I just hope there isn’t a real portal to the twilight zone up there.
House Whisperer out.
