How To Look At A House

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How often should I check my attic?

Sunday, April 12, 2020

We recommend poking your head up in the attic to look around every six months or so. But definitely once a year at a minimum and after any major storm passes over. If you keep holiday decorations in the attic, that would be a good time to sweep the area slowly with a flashlight when you take them down.

    Look for staining on the underside of roof sheathing, fecal pellets and/or disturbed insulation that might indicate small animals have moved in overhead, evidence of mold, and anything that appears to have changed. If you want to do a more thorough look around, please read our blog post What are the hazards to avoid when going into an attic? first.

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Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about ATTICS:

What are the mistakes to avoid when doing attic improvements? 

Why is vermiculite attic insulation a problem for both buyers and sellers of a home? 

What are the building code requirements for installing an appliance (furnace, air handler, water heater) in the attic?

How do I safely remove a dead rodent (rat, mouse or squirrel) from the attic?

What are the common problems with attic insulation? 

Why is there no attic access hatch in the house?

How do I safely clean up rodent (rat, mouse or squirrel) urine or droppings the attic?

Why is there no attic access hatch in the house?

 Is an attic required to have a light by the building code? 

What is the building code requirement for an attic access hatch, scuttle, or door?

What are the code requirements for NM-cable (nonmetallic-sheathed cable or Romex®) in an attic? 

What are the warning signs of a dangerous attic pull-down ladder?


How much of a roof truss can I cut out to make a storage platform in the attic? 

• When was a fire separation in the attic first required between sides of a duplex?  

     Visit our ROOF AND ATTIC page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.

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