House Smells Ruining Your Appetite? When to Call a Professional for Your Attic.

Your attic space is the second most common place to find mold. This is why proper ventilation, insulation, and roofing are so important. Here’s how.

Ventilation

Typically your bathroom accumulates a lot of moisture. This from the showers and hot water used to keep clean. This moisture needs ventilated, hence the bathroom fan. Where, though, does your bathroom fan vent to? It must ventilate outside your home. Duct runs must be short and aimed in the proper direction for airflow. They must be installed in a way that limits condensation (which could drip through and rot your ceiling). They should include properly operating backdraft dampers before ventilating through a nearby exterior wall or the roof. This must also be properly cut and sealed to prevent leaks and rot. Electrical must also be safely run to a switch and/or timer. Follow manufacturer instructions for GFCI requirements exactly. Professional assistance with fan selection and installation are highly recommended.

Insulation

Proper attic insulation is key to ensuring that you pay no more than necessary to run your HVAC equipment. Requirements vary by region, but for most attics, the recommended R-value is up to R-38, or about ten to 14 inches, depending on insulation type. Insulation alone won’t do the trick. Attic ventilation also plays an important role in optimizing your home’s heating and cooling performance. In winter, a natural flow of outdoor air helps the attic stay cool. It reduces the risk of ice dams and related roof damage. In summer, the same ventilation—in some cases aided by an attic fan—helps usher out superheated air, reducing its burden on air conditioning. One of the biggest mistakes that homeowners make when installing insulation is blocking the flow of air at the eaves. This compromises the insulation’s effectiveness in winter.

Roofing

A small roofing defect can eventually undermine the structural integrity of your entire home. If you let mold, mildew, or dry rot sit for a long time, you can even be harming your personal and family’s health. The growth of mildew on the roof can turn into rot and create small holes in the roofing material. This is why routine roof maintenance is important, which includes keeping gutters clear of debris, so as not to back up on the roof, creating problems in the attic.

To learn more about how this affects your family and home please visit us at http://www.bloomenviro.com/ or give us a call at 812-327-1127 for a free estimate today!