attic ventilation: I'm Not a Fan
- 05/10/15 10:11 PM
Blind devotion can put you on the losing side Fanaticism is typically associated with political extremism or sports. Seems like a pair of odd bedfellows. Although if you have met a die hard sports "fan", you know it's really not that far of a stretch. I for a time was a sports fan, but my team was sold and moved away. So I can understand....to a degree, how one can become emotionally irrational when it comes to supporting their favorite team. Or a point of view for that matter. Such is the case I have found with whole house fans. A whole house fan … (15 comments)
attic ventilation: Panic in The Attic
- 05/02/11 11:43 PM
The attic is a place home inspectors go into on just about every house. That is unless there is massive storage in the closet or once in the attic the Christmas decorations have formed an impenetrable jingle, jangle wall. Like I say home inspectors go, homeowners or home buyers as a rule do not with out a good reason. And when they do go up, it's in, out and done. Lately here in Connecticut I have been getting more calls than usual about, I hate to use the word, mold in the attic. From my experience seeing something growing on the … (13 comments)
attic ventilation: A Frosty Winter Tale
- 12/19/10 04:50 AM
A few weeks back I wrote about attic condensation which typically occurs in the winter here in Connecticut. Another home inspector here in the Rain, Reuben Saltzman, wrote about basically the same phenomenon in his part of the country, Minnesota. One important difference between our two locations is climate zone and thus the temperature, which is an important variable in to what degree condensation will occur in an attic or if it occurs at all. As I wrote before typically and almost without exception when I find this happening in CT it is due to over humidification. Reuben attributes condensation to … (13 comments)
attic ventilation: And The Rains Came
- 12/06/10 12:50 AM
Every year when the weather turns cold they come; the attic rains. Sure as the heats on, water will be dripping in someone's attic. Nor is this a once in a blue moon event, but a regular cold weather phenomenon. The reasons for an attic rain forest can be several; Over humidification inside the home, lack of adequate ventilation in the attic or excessive moisture from the basement or crawlspace. Any one of these conditions together or by it self can be enough to start a small cloud burst in the rafters. Most often what I find seems to be the … (25 comments)
attic ventilation: More About Roof Beavers
- 12/19/09 12:32 AM
Every winter here in Connecticut they come with the winter snows wreaking havoc on unsuspecting homes. An insidious phenomenon that can send unsuspecting homeowners into a fit of panic; Ice dams. Ice dams are not created by over sized swimming rodents. No not all. They are formed because of old building designs. The infrared image (the pretty orange and blue picture) is a good visual illustration of the temperature gradients along a roof. If you're having trouble identifying the image it's from an attic. The stuff at the bottom is insulation and above is the roof framing. The dark blue areas are … (16 comments)
attic ventilation: Warm House, Wet Attic
- 12/18/09 06:16 AM
Winter time. It evokes visions of snow, cold winds and hunkering down beside by a nice warm crackling fire. Most of us also notice the air is dryer. The frigid winter air can not retain as much moisture as the temperate air of summer. We find our lips get chapped and our sinus become dry and uncomfortable. The air inside our homes during those cold winter months is perceived to be dryer as well, especially because the heat is running. And to some extent the air is dryer, but don't forget we heat our homes and warm air holds more moisture … (9 comments)
attic ventilation: A Story of Three Vents
- 11/18/09 03:33 AM
Once there were three attic vents; the gable vent, the ridge vent and the soffit vent. All three vents worked hard to move air through the attic. Each vent had its very specific place and job to perform. Of the three vents Gable vent was probably the oldest and most experienced. Gable vents are found on many, many homes. Soffit vent has been around a while as well, but did not work very well with Gable vent. Soffit vent found an ideal companion in ridge vent. Ridge vent partner with soffit vent are a team that's hard to beat. They can … (8 comments)
attic ventilation: Misguided Efficiency
- 07/27/09 12:58 AM
An interest in Energy efficiency has again become a concern for American home owners. I say again because in 1973 an oil embargo by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) propelled the United States into an energy crisis. One energy conserving measure then President Nixon asked of Americans was to lower their thermostats to 68 degrees. As a result of this emphasis on home energy conservation homeowners began probably for the first time to focus on making their homes more energy efficient. One obvious area that became the focus of energy saving improvements was the attic. The majority of heat … (34 comments)
attic ventilation: Watch Your Water
- 02/01/09 09:56 PM
Forced air heating is found in many, many homes. An addition to these systems is often a humidifier for use during the dry winter months. Furnaces by their operation dry the air out further and some people find they need to add moisture back into the air in order to breathe comfortably. Humidifiers integral with the heating system or portable models will do the job, but there can be consequences unbeknownst to the home owner. Too much long term moisture in a house can cause some serious problems. The most notorious is of course mold growth. Other problems are wood decay … (16 comments)
attic ventilation: Is the Attic Gasping for Air
- 06/20/08 03:08 AM
Attic ventilation is an often misunderstood and vitally important component of a home. Without it the home would be unable to dissipate moisture or keep the attic cooler thus extending shingle life. Common attic ventilation devices are gable vents, ridge vents and soffit vents. Some others types are roof vents, either square vented metal boxes or round turbine types. These are all passive methods. Mechanical methods are fans installed in the attic controlled by a thermostat and or a humidistat. Mechanical methods require power to run and can fail because they machines. A common defect I find in an attic is … (13 comments)
attic ventilation: Is the Attic Gasping for Air
- 06/20/08 03:03 AM
Attic ventilation is an often misunderstood and vitally important component of a home. Without it the home would be unable to dissipate moisture or keep the attic cooler thus extending shingle life. Common attic ventilation devices are gable vents, ridge vents and soffit vents. Some others types are roof vents, either square vented metal boxes or round turbine types. These are all passive methods. Mechanical methods are fans installed in the attic controlled by a thermostat and or a humidistat. Mechanical methods require power to run and can fail because they machines. A common defect I find in an attic is … (0 comments)
attic ventilation: It’s Raining in the Attic, Inadequate Ventilation, New Haven, CT
- 09/07/07 08:28 AM
When inspecting a 1940s colonial I noticed the roofing shingles had an unusual and uneven pattern of ageing. Viewing the home from the rear, the left side of the roof covering was distinctly more cupped, curled, and dried than the right side, which was fairly smooth. Going into the attic I noticed there was only one gable end vent, which was on the right side of the home as viewed from the rear. This was the side with the better looking shingles as described previous. I then look around on the floor of the attic for other tell tale signs of problems. … (1 comments)
attic ventilation: It’s Raining in the Attic, Inadequate Ventilation, New Haven, CT
- 09/07/07 08:21 AM
When inspecting a 1940s colonial I noticed the roofing shingles had an unusual and uneven pattern of ageing. Viewing the home from the rear, the left side of the roof covering was distinctly more cupped, curled, and dried than the right side, which was fairly smooth. Going into the attic I noticed there was only one gable end vent, which was on the right side of the home as viewed from the rear. This was the side with the better looking shingles as described previous. I then look around on the floor of the attic for other tell tale signs of problems. … (2 comments)
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