Tips On Maintaining Your Attic

Make Sure Your Attic Is Well Insulated

Most attics are insulated, but how well they are insulated is the question you should be asking. The heat in your home, as well as cool air, is affected by your attic. Without proper insulation, air can escape from its core rooms into your attic space. Good insulation prevents this. Making sure that your attic is completely covered with insulation is the key to a properly maintained attic.

If it’s not, then check to see if it has shifted to other areas of the attic that you can spread out or simply add more. The goal is to eliminate any bare spots on your attic floor space. The other thing you will want to look into is the condition of your insulation. Insulation can become damaged for many reasons. If your insulation is in poor shape then you’ll need to replace it. Water damage, mold, infestations and compressed insulation are all signs that your insulation is in poor condition.

Check That Your Attic Has Proper Ventilation

In order to regulate temperatures throughout your home each season, it’s important that you have proper ventilation. This will help your home stay cool during the summer months and warm during the winter. The idea is that there are places for the air to come and go from your attic so warm air doesn’t get stuck there. A home should have both intake and exhaust vents throughout the home and in the attic, soffit vents, otherwise known as eave vents for air intake. Exhaust vents consist of ridge vents, gable vents or fan operated vents. These ensure that warm air is leaving during the summer and cold air can come in during the winter.

You may wonder why one would want cold air to come in during the winter. Well, the reason for that is that you don’t want warm air hanging out in your attic. If it does, then the warmer air, during the winter months, will cause outside frost or snow to melt which will then puddle up towards the edge of the roof potentially freezing and causing an ice dam. This of course then leads to possible leaks through the roofing material because of built up water, once it starts to melt.

Inspect For Unwanted Visitors

The thought of unwanted visitors taking up residence in our homes can make us cringe. No one wants to find out that these guys are lurking above us, but if we don’t want a major problem on our hands then inspecting for these unwanted visitors is a must. There are many things that can get into our attic spaces. Termites, wasps, mice, rats, raccoons and bats are just some of the unwanted visitors on the list. To prevent these guys from making our home their own, we need to inspect our attic space for possible entry points that these critters can get through. Unsealed windows, venting systems where holes are not sealed, crevices between floor jams that rodents can squeeze through are all ways that these potential visitors can get in. A thorough walk through will help ensure that your home is well protected.

Check Your Roof For Leaks

Leaks in your roofing can be a major set back. If they’ve gone unnoticed, mold has probably already set in and can be a nightmare to get rid of. Routinely checking your roof along with your attic is a good habit to establish as this will help you stay on top of potential disasters. If your headed up for one, you might as well take a look at both right? This is also a good time to see that your roof is not missing any shingles or that vents are still in their proper place. High winds can easily remove shingles and if you have trees that overhang your home, the chances of branches falling off onto your roof is likely. If they’re heavy enough, they can easily strip off shingles or damage vents on top of your home. A new roof will cost thousands of dollars so it’s worth maintaining to save you money.

Place Things In Bins!

Not every attic is used for storage but if your attic is, then you’ll want to make sure that things are stored away. Placing items in bins that are air-tight will help keep those unwanted visitors from getting into them. It may not seem like it, but rodents and wildlife typically come inside our homes to nest. They will use any materials for their nesting, so storing these items away ensures that your belongings are safe. Sealed bins also help keep out the insects. It doesn’t take much for these unwanted visitors to get into things so air-tight containers are a must! It’s also helpful to store your belongings away in bins because if you ever have a major leak, these items will be protected from possible water damage. Of course, you can be as organized as you wish, but storing items in bins and labeling them will help when you need to access your storage.

The main goal when your looking to maintain your attic, is to ensure that your attic space is in good condition. Routinely checking your attic will keep you a step ahead of any problems setting in and could potentially save you tons of money.