\t\t\t\tThe attic is usually the last place to visit during your home inspection. Sometimes just entering the attic is a chore itself and sometimes not even possible. Some home owners will renovate a home and during the process cover up the attic access. This happens more often than you would think and prevents the buyer from knowing the true condition of the attic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most common deficiency that I come across in attics<\/strong> is the presence of rodents. Homes that have fiberglass insulation will typically have a varied level of mice infestation in their attic. Rodent proofing your attic will take some time and dedication to the task. Seal all holes and cracks with steel mesh and \/ or caulking, do not use plastics, rubber or wood<\/strong> that can be chewed. Use traps placed near entry points and empty traps frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many home owners or contractors will enter an attic to install alarm wiring, cable or to install a ceiling fan. When inspecting the attic there are many times where a trail is visible where individual has walked or crawled along the rafters compacting the insulation. In fiberglass, and most types of insulation, the air<\/strong> trapped between fibers is what gives an insulation factor to product. When insulation is compacted the R value is reduced and you create an area of heat loss in your attic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many attics<\/strong> are built using engineered wood<\/strong> trusses. Engineered trusses are designed to support a roof<\/strong> and the normal snow load for your area. If you hang a storage unit from an engineered wood<\/strong> truss you are technically required to have an engineer or designer produce a detail of proposed construction and having drawing stamped. Because the truss is an engineered product it comes under Part 4 of the Ontario Building Code regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soffit venting<\/strong> is probably the most important factor in preventing ices dams and allowing proper ventilation<\/strong> of your attic. The average roof<\/strong> requires 1 square foot of ventilation<\/strong> for every 300 square feet of roof, low slope roofs require 1 square foot for every 150 square feet of roof<\/strong>. The vents must be 25% on bottom and 25% on peak of roof<\/strong> with the remaining installed where required. It is considered a good construction practice to install upper vents on same side of roof<\/strong> so that air<\/strong> does not just cross over from one vent to the other. Soffit baffles are required to be installed at the eave of the roof<\/strong> to allow air<\/strong> from vented soffit to enter attic. Most subdivision homes<\/strong> will have a soffit vent installed in every third rafter bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n