Attics, basements, and crawlspaces are the least frequented areas of a home, which is one of the reasons they often cause the most problems. A regular inspection can catch potential problems—like leaks, condensation, termite activity, or the growth of mold—before they become a major headache.Attics can become virtual ovens in the summer, so work in the early morning or wait until a cooler time of year. Inspect basements after a heavy rain to catch any leaks. And don’t neglect the crawlspace under your home if it’s built off the ground on piers.

Jul 28, 2017  Mike Holmes: The down-low on fixing up crawl spaces If you’re in an older home with a crawl space, it’s likely unheated and not insulated. Many homeowners don’t know how to properly take. Nov 19, 2019  An Eye-Opening Peek Underneath Your Home. It's important to have your home inspector check out the crawl space and basement areas before you sign on the dotted line.

While it’s not the most inviting place to spend an afternoon, early detection might save you thousands of dollars in termite damage or rot that would otherwise go undetected.Here are some of the most common questions concerning problems with attics and basements:AtticsQ: Is it necessary to install a separate vapor barrier between the living area of a house and the attic or crawlspace?A: No, a separate vapor barrier is usually not needed since any condensation should be able to escape from a properly vented attic or crawlspace. For more information, see our article on.Q: Should the facing on insulation in the attic or under the floor go up or down?A: Install insulation with the facing toward the heated living area of the house. In the attic the facing should go down against the ceiling while under the house it should be up next to the subfloor.Q: Should you install a layer of faced insulation in the attic on top of the insulation that is already there?A: No, always put unfaced insulation on top of existing attic insulation. Since the facing acts as a vapor barrier, it could trap moisture in the insulation. For more information, see our article on.Q: If I install a second layer of insulation in the attic on top of the existing insulation, which way should it run?A: If the existing insulation is even with or higher than the top of the joists, the new layer should run perpendicular to the joists. If the existing insulation is lower than the joists, lay the new layer between the joists.Q: How much venting does an attic require?A: A typical house should have one square foot of vent for every 150 square feet of attic floor space. Ideally, half the vents should be located in the soffit at the bottom of the roof and half in gable or ridge vents near the top to create a flow of outside air into the attic.

For more information on venting your attic, see our article on.Q: What size should an attic vent fan be?A: An attic vent fan should be large enough to completely replace the air in the attic every six minutes. To determine the size needed, calculate the volume of your attic in cubic feet and divide by 6. This will equal the rated capacity of the attic vent fan in cubic feet per minute (CFM). For more information, see our article on.Q: Can you cover electrical wires and boxes in the attic with insulation?A: While recessed ceiling fixtures should not be covered, wiring and ceiling boxes for surface mounted or hanging light fixtures can be covered by insulation.Q: How can I prevent condensation in my attic?A: Condensation can occur when heated air from inside the house condenses on cold surfaces in the attic. This can usually be prevented by removing any sources of moisture in the attic, and making sure there is adequate ventilation in the attic. Always vent dryers and bathrooms fans outside rather than in the attic, and check to be sure that soffit vents under eaves have not become blocked by insulation.Basements and CrawlspacesQ: How can I prevent mold and termites in of the crawlspace under my house?A: Mold and termites can be a problem under homes, particularly in warm humid climates. Since both need water to thrive, start by checking for any plumbing leaks, condensation from ductwork, or rainwater seepage.

Cover the crawlspace with sheets of 6 mil black plastic, overlapping them a foot and taping all seams. Run the plastic up the sides of the foundation walls with holes cut for the outside vents. Use a flashlight to inspect the joists and the subfloor periodically for signs of mold. Check the piers and foundation walls for mud tunnels make by termites. For more information, see our articles, and.Q: How can I add a bathroom or laundry room in a basement?A: Since plumbing uses gravity to drain, you will have to install what is known as a “grinder pump” or “lift station” to pump waste water up to the level of the drain pipe leading away from your house.Q: What can I do to keep my basement walls from sweating?A: Start by taping a one foot square piece of plastic to the wall and sealing it around all fours sides with tape. If moisture appears on the outside of the plastic, the problem is condensation due to excess humidity in the air. If water forms behind the plastic, then water is seeping in through the walls.

To prevent condensation, start by reducing the humidity in the air as much as possible by venting dryers and bath fans to the outside and eliminating any plumbing leaks. If problems persist, consider insulating the exterior walls or installing a dehumidifier. See below if the water is coming from outside the basement.Q: How can I stop a basement from leaking?A: Start by being sure the land around your house is graded so rainwater is diverted away from the house. Install gutters and put extensions on existing downspouts. If that doesn’t help, you may have to excavate around the basement and waterproof the walls from the outside. For more information on basements, see our article.

Hi!In my “cold room” where the water pump, sump pump and water filter is located, I’m getting condensation on the concrete ceiling, which is also the floor of the front porch. This only happens in cold weather. There had been a moldy, rotten piece of plywood there, probably left from forming the slab ceiling/floor, of which I removed. I’ve had a floor fan directed out of that room all winter, but am still getting condensation.I’m considering using Nansulate thermal barrier paint.

What do you think of this solution?Thanks!I. I built my SIP (structural insulated panel) home in NH,in 2005, with a full foundation,(6 feet below grade). I have no leaks in the basement, as I did install a perimeter drain after they poured the foundation. I can smell a musty odor when I enter the home, both upstairs, and down in the basement. In the Summer, the pipes in basement sweat a lot.I am in the proces of insulating all the pipes in the basement.

Even if I run a dehumidifier, I can still smell the odor. House is quite “tight”, along with energy efficient windows. Did I “overkill”, and what can I do? Hi George,Gable and roof vents together should be fine, the more ventilation the better, what can cause a problem is combining a ridge vent with a power vent, since the power vent can reverse the natural air flow through the attic as heat rises and draw air (and possibly rain) in the ridge vent rather than expelling it through it.

For the most effective attic cooling, you should also have soffit vents under the eaves to draw outside air in as the heat rises. More info is available in our articles on. Hi Came home from vacation and have rust stains on ceiling, which is under attic crawl space.

We had a blizzard and lot snow on roof. Last years blizzard got this staining too. We have 2 gablevents, ridge vent almost whole length of a roof, and power attic fan, and a continous soffit vent, on this side of the crawl space. With the A roof and this crawl space has no circulation to the attic. Small Mold has appeared on closet wall that shares this wall with crwal space. Husband has plugged in fan and has dried everything up.

He has added more insulation to floor. Do we need another type of vent to vent this area and what else can we do. Only seems like when we get these long cold spells and lots snow, the lack ventilation is a problem. We tore down and old garage, kept the foundation and built a family on the slab as well as built a new garage with new foundation next to it. We “built” up the old garage floor to be flush with level of the existing house (there was a step down into the old garage), and before we put the plywood down on the “frame” that was built, we had the whole thing spray foamed with closed cell insulation.

Then plywood was put on top. The hardwood flooring guy had his materials delivered a week before installation and he use black “tar” paper before laying the flooring down. ( I think that’s what its called) Anyway, it looked great for a few weeks but now we noticed the boards are cupping. We see water was getting in under 2 sets of french doors where the snow is piled 3 feet high outside. Could this water be the culprit?

Could it wick all across the room (25’x25′ room size.) Most people that see it think not. They feel there is a moisture problem from underneath. How can we tell? Could it be too insulated somehow?

Does this area need to vent? Do we wait until spring and see if it gets worse.? Or is there something we can do now to uncover the problem?Any help would be greatly appreciated. I feel like $6,000 just went down the drain and I don’t want to throw good money after bad until I can get down the actual problemThanksSue. Hello, my question is what would cause my basement floor and certain walls to be pink in color? On the walls it appears to look like it dripped out of a drill holes and around the electrical box And the floor I don’t know if it is coming up from the ground????

Survive through exploration, and unlock the mysteries of Gliese-6143-C. It comes from the creators of Unmechanical, and serves as the spiritual successor to The Ball.Earth has been destroyed and mankind lingers on in a small fleet of ships near Pluto. The solus project xbox one. As humanity's last hope, you are sent to scout a distant planet as a potential location for a colony.

Could it be iron or a mineral? The house has well water and septic.the water is treated for being hard water.I am puzzled Hoping it’s nothing seriousI personally haven’t noticed this.it was pointed out by a potential buyerthanks for your help. Danny,We want to insulate our basement walls, but the previous owner put studs (14 1/2 inches apart) up against the concrete with with plastic sheathing between the studs and the concrete wall. My wife said she saw on one of your shows, insulation that fits between the suds. We can’t seem to find it online. What Brand is it?

Should we rip out the plastic in-between the studs before we install it? We don’t want moisture or mold issues.Thank you in advance for any help you can give us.Richard and Marie.