Inspecting attic insulation and attic ventilation is an essential task. If you suspect there is a problem in the attic, for example a water leak coming from condensation or from roofs or chimney leaks, you should take no delay by going up to the attic to inspect it. Fixing it before it turns into a bigger problem can save you a lot of cleanup task, cost and time.
While some room-like attics have a proper stairway up to them, many attics have only an access panel. For the latter style, determine whether you have a safe way of climbing up through the panel. Some might incorporate a pull-down stairway. If this is the case, make sure the stairway is sturdy and the pull-down mechanism is working smoothly. If there is no pull-down stairway, then a ladder is your best option of climbing up to the attic. But make sure the ladder reaches all the way up to the access panel. A shorter ladder will force you to balance on its upper steps while reaching up to open or close an attic hatch panel. This is certainly not a good idea to practice.
Once you have reached the attic, check on its surrounding and structure. If your attic doesn’t have a floor surface, just joist for example, step only on the joists. Stepping between the joists puts your weight on the wallboard or plaster ceiling of the room below, which can easily give way. To make your work in the attic easier, some tips here which you can apply are you can lay a sheet of plywood over the joists. By doing this, you can step your feet on the sheet of plywood which offers you more flexibilities in moving around.
Some of the structures you may see in the attics are plumbing vent stacks, electrical wiring, chimney flues and exhaust ducts running through the attic. You should inspect them to make sure they are in good shape such as rust free, adequately supported and the right materials, for example electrical wiring shouldn’t rely on extension cords, it should be permanent.
Moreover, exhaust ducts from bathrooms and kitchen in cold-climate attics should be insulated to prevent condensation from forming inside the ducts and dripping back down into the bathroom or kitchen. It’s especially important that these ducts exhaust to the outside, rather than simply ending in the attic. They are designed to remove moist air from the house. Channeling that air into the attic will cause condensation problems.
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How To Reduce Your Energy Bills / Energy Conservation Begins at Home
Imagine leaving a window open all winter long — the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a folding attic stair, a whole house fan or AC Return, a fireplace or a clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home every day.
These often overlooked sources of heat loss and air leakage can cause heat to pour out and the cold outside air to rush in — costing you higher heating bills.
Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in the home. Air leaks occur through the small cracks around doors, windows, pipes, etc. Most homeowners are well aware of the benefits caulk and weatherstripping provide to minimize heat loss and cold drafts.
But what can you do about the four largest “holes” in your home — the folding attic stair, the whole house fan or AC return, the fireplace, and the clothes dryer? Here are some tips and techniques that can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes.
Attic Stairs
An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add an attic stair cover. An attic stair cover provides an air seal, reducing the air leaks. Add the desired amount of insulation over the cover to restore the insulation removed from the ceiling.
Whole House Fans and AC Returns
An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a whole house fan cover. Installed from the attic side, the whole house fan cover is invisible. Cover the fan to reduce heating and air-conditioning loss, remove it when use of the fan is desired.
Fireplaces
A recent study showed that for many consumers, their heating bills may be more than $500 higher per winter due to the air leakage and wasted energy caused by fireplaces.
An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a fireplace draftstopper. Available from Battic Door, a company known for their energy conservation products, a fireplace draftstopper is an inflatable pillow that seals the damper, eliminating any air leaks. The pillow is removed whenever the fireplace is used, then reinserted after.
Clothes Dryer Exhaust Ducts
An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a dryer vent seal. This will reduce unwanted air infiltration, and keep out pests, bees and rodents as well. The vent will remain closed unless the dryer is in use. When the dryer is in use, a floating shuttle rises to allow warm air, lint and moisture to escape.
If your home has a folding attic stair, a whole house fan, an AC return, a fireplace, and/or a clothes dryer, you can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes.
Mark D. Tyrol is a Professional Engineer specializing in cause and origin of construction defects. He developed several residential energy conservation products including an attic stair cover, an attic access door, and is the U.S. distributor of the fireplace draftstopper. To learn more visit http://www.batticdoor.com