Hopefully by now everyone has taken my advice and had their Air Conditioning units serviced for the hot summer ahead. If you don’t remember hearing that advice, go back a few weeks and read the blog titled ‘Is Your AC Working Right, or Just Working?’.
If the HVAC technician gave your Air Conditioning unit a clean bill of health but your home is still too warm, there are some things you can look at for answers. Let’s start with the most simple, but often overlooked ideas.
- Keep windows closed and latched. Check to make sure there is no hot air leaking in.
- Check the weather stripping on your exterior doors. If you can see light coming in around your door, you can bet the hot air will be getting in too.
- Keep the registers open allowing the conditioned air to enter the rooms.
- Running fans (ceiling or portable) helps circulate the air and make it feel more comfortable.
- Keep blinds or shades adjusted to allow light in without letting in the heat. Curtains or blinds on windows with southern exposure should be closed in the afternoon to keep most of the heat out.
Sometimes these ideas, although simple, are overlooked. If you have checked all these ideas and still have not found a cause, you may have to dig a little deeper. Here are a few places you may need to examine, or have examined, to find the answer.
- Attic insulation is a key component in keeping your house cool in the summer and warm in the
winter. Insufficient attic insulation can allow the hot attic air to penetrate through the ceilings.
- Ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in the attic. Keeping the air moving through the attic keeps it cooler and reduces the risk of transferring heat to the rooms below.
- If your home has an attached garage, make sure there is sufficient insulation in walls common with the house and in the ceiling if there is a room above.
- Determine if there is adequate insulation in the exterior walls. The heat from the sun and outside air can transfer through the walls into your home if there is not enough insulation.
This list points out some of the most common discrepancies found in today’s homes, but certainly not all of them. If you have checked all the ideas listed and you still think it’s too hot in your house, it is time to schedule a Maintenance Inspection.
Feel free to post a comment or ask a question. If your need is more specific, or if you are ready to schedule an inspection, call our office today.
Thanks for visiting!
David Novalinski
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847 669 9040
Mold is a part of the natural environment. Outdoors, mold plays an important part in nature by aiding in the breakdown of dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees, but indoors, mold growth should be avoided. Mold reproduces by means of tiny spores; the spores are not visible to the naked eye and float in the air both outdoors and indoors. Mold growth begins indoors when mold spores land on wet surfaces. There are many types of mold, and none of them can grow without water or moisture.
It is virtually impossible to get rid of all molds and mold spores indoors. Mold spores can be found floating in the air and in house dust. Without moisture, the mold spores are unable to grow. In order to control indoor mold growth, you must control indoor moisture. If there is mold growth in your home, you must clean up the mold and fix the moisture problem. If you clean up the mold, but don’t fix the moisture problem, most likely, the mold will come back.
Moisture in your home can come from many sources. Water can enter your home by leaking or seeping through basement floors, foundation walls, roofs, improperly installed windows & doors, or from a faulty sump pump. Everyday activities such as taking showers and cooking can add significant amounts of moisture to the air in your home. This moisture can encourage biological pollutants to grow.
Proper attic ventilation reduces chances of mold.
Here are a few tips to help control moisture, which in turn reduces the possibilities of mold growth.
- Repair any areas that allow water to enter the home. Roofs, foundations, windows & doors
- Maintain sump pump in working condition
- Provide adequate ventilation in the attic (soffit vents, ridge vents, etc.)
- Install ventilation fans in bathrooms and kitchens which vent to the exterior. DO NOT vent into attic space
- Ensure clothes dryer vents to exterior
This is a general list of moisture prevention. There may be more specific actions you may need to take in your particular case. A thorough inspection can aid in pinpointing these areas along with answering any other questions you have about your home.
If you have questions about today’s post or if you are ready to schedule a maintenance inspection for your home, please call us at 847 669 9040.
David Novalinski Sr.
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847 669 9040
Now that we understand what Truss Lift is, what can we do about it? If you have no idea what I’m talking about, this would be a good time to go back and read last week’s entry. Go ahead……..I’ll wait!
Truss Lift is a naturally occurring phenomenon that would be most easily and cost effectively addressed before it occurs. In other words, it should be fixed during the building process. Since so many people are experiencing the effects, it is apparent that this is not happening.
In most cases you cannot prevent Truss Lift from happening, but what you can do is minimize the unsightly cracking that it causes. The easiest way to mask the cracks is to attach a crown molding over the affected areas. During installation, attach the molding only to the ceiling (not the walls). This allows the molding to move up and down with the ceiling and keeps the cracks covered.
If that isn’t the answer for you, then you can follow these three steps:
- Install slotted ‘L’ brackets which secure the truss to the wall (in the attic) but leave room for the truss to move up and down.
- Remove screws or nails from ceiling drywall 18” away from wall.
- Secure a 1X6 stop plate to the top of the wall (in the attic) to prevent ceiling drywall from lifting with the truss.
Once you have completed these steps you can repair the corner, touchup the paint and say goodbye to those ugly cracks!
If you have any questions about your home whether it is related to Truss Lift or not, feel free to call our office. If you are experiencing cracking in your home and are not sure what the cause is, it’s time to call and schedule a maintenance inspection. Don’t wait. Call today!
David Novalinski
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847 669 9040
Three posts in a row about the attic. That seems a little odd since most people have probably never even seen their attic. Maybe that is why it is important that we touch on some of the most common causes of attic moisture.
Moisture in the attic can cause issues in your home that you don’t want to deal with if you don’t have to. The most common of these issues is mold, but there is also a possibility of stains, damage and leaks to the ceilings of rooms below the attic. Damage from both of these concerns can escalate quickly if not corrected and the cost to repair them keeps rising.
So how does moisture get in the attic to begin with? There are many ways, but the most common are:
Not a pretty picture.......
- Improper ventilation
- Dryer vent terminating in attic
- Over range exhaust fan terminating in attic
- Bathroom exhaust fan terminating in attic
- Improperly sealed penetrations from living space to attic
- Can lights
- Bathroom exhaust fans
- Vent stack and furnace flue
- Attic entrance or pull down stairs
- Un-insulated HVAC ducts
Dryer vents, bathroom exhaust fans and over range exhaust fans should never terminate in the attic. These all carry warm, moist air that if vented into the attic can promote mold growth and cause other problems. These exhaust vents should all be directed outdoors.
Insulating HVAC ducts in the attic serves a dual purpose. It prevents condensation from forming on the duct and reduces the workload of your furnace and A/C, therefore saving energy and money.
The conditioned air from your home can escape into the attic through any penetrations listed above. These penetrations, if not properly sealed, will allow moisture into the attic, and again will cause your furnace or A/C to work harder.
Last, but probably most important, is proper attic ventilation. Most homes were designed with attic ventilation in mind. A proper ventilation system will have an entry point for air to enter the attic, and an exit point for it to leave. This allows outside air to freely move in and out of your attic and prevent moisture inside and also reduces the chances of ice damming in the winter.
Questions or comments…….Call David Novalinski at 847 669 9040
Last week we talked about the importance of having insulation in your attic. This week we would like to discuss something totally different. Something you shouldn’t have in your attic. That something would be wildlife. Wildlife does not belong in your attic. Whether there are raccoons, opossum, squirrels, birds, bats or bees in your attic, they need to be permanently removed.
Probably one of the most unnerving scenarios to have happen during a home inspection is to open the attic entrance and see two (or more) eyes looking back at you. It doesn’t matter who you are, unless you are expecting it, you will be startled (this is when the inspector tries to be cool and not fall off the ladder). Once that happens, the inspection inside the attic is usually complete.
So how are those unwanted ‘guests’ getting in the house? There are many possible entry points that will need to be looked at. Attic vents on the roof, on the gable ends or in the soffit area are always the first suspected areas. It is possible there is a hole in the roof. Some animals can claw right through a shingled roof. The opening does not need to be big. You would be surprised how small an opening is required for a raccoon to fit through.
Raccoon nest in the attic insulation.
At this point it is usually recommended to hire a professional to remove the wildlife in a humane manner. Some companies, such as All That’s Wildlife, Inc., will remove the wildlife and critter proof your home for you. This would be the ideal solution so the pests will not be able to get back in if they return.
Next you need to determine the extent of the damage in the attic and have that repaired. Animals that live in your attic can do a lot of damage in a short time. Insulation may need to be removed and replaced depending on the severity of the damage. At the very least, it will need to be re-distributed. Exposed wiring will need to be inspected for damage and repaired if needed. Areas containing feces and urine will need to be cleaned and disinfected. The longer the wildlife is in the attic, the more damage will occur and the more costly the repairs will be.
If you suspect there is wildlife sharing your house with you, no matter what species is involved, it is in your best interest to get rid of them today. If you have any questions feel free to call our office at 847-669-9040.
