If you have easy access to your attic, a quick inspection will either put your mind at ease or alert you to situations that need to be remedied before they cause problems. Why is now a good time to check your attic? If you’ve ever been in an attic in the summer, you know why you should do it now.

Here are just some of the things you should check out in the attic of your Santa Cruz home:

• Insulation. Is it adequate? Has it shifted around into peaks and valleys? Is it properly installed? Are there gaps that need to be filled?
• Ducts. Are there open joints in the ductwork? Are the ducts insulated?
• Ventilation. Are vent openings blocked? If you see frost on roofing nails, or rust stains or mildew around roofing nails, it means the attic needs more ventilation.
• Leaks. Do you see evidence of past or current roof leaks? Look for delaminating plywood or warped roofing boards. Check around the chimney and vent stacks to see if they need to be sealed where they penetrate the roof.
• Vent stacks. Do they terminate in the attic? Ideally they should vent out above the roof. If they vent into the attic, they need to be capped with an air admittance valve (AAV).
• Exhaust fans. Check to see where kitchen and bath fan ducts are. Do they vent into the attic? They should vent above the roof; otherwise they are adding excess humidity to the attic of your Santa Cruz home.
• Electrical wiring. Are there open electrical junction boxes or makeshift wiring? These are a fire hazard and need to be addressed.
• Structural problems. Check the rafters and trusses for cracked, broken or sagging members.

Once you do an inspection of your Santa Cruz home’s attic, you’ll feel like you really have a firm grasp of its integrity. You’ll be able to face any issues you find and prevent bigger problems in the future.

For more home maintenance tips like these view www.MySantaCruzRealEstate.com.

Links

Insulation

Ducts

Air admittance valve

 

Posted by Lauren Spencer on

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