Maintain Your Space
Most attics are not meant to be used for storage or living space, so be aware that the sheetrock on the floor is probably not reinforced enough for you to walk on it. Try to use the joists or decking to make your way around the space.

Two to three times a year, with a flashlight or the lights on, look for:

• Insect nests

• Animal droppings

• Webs

• Drafts of cold or hot air

• Mold

• Water leaks or gaps where the roof meets the ceiling horizon.

• Check for gaps in your ceiling by turning off the installed light and turning on your ceiling lights in the rooms below. If you see bright rays of light coming through the floor, that is one area where heat and cool air can escape. Many remodelers note that if there are black areas around the light on the insulation, air is getting through. Chris Hamilton, co-owner of Dovetail Craftsmen LLC, says to make sure those lights are insulation-contact (IC) rated or non-insulation-contact (non-IC) rated. IC-rated lights are usually a box within a box, and the outer box will often have a label on the top. If there’s no label, replace these lights as soon as you can, because they are a potential fire hazard.

• If you have batting insulation along the roofline, or loose-fill over the attic floor, check along the roofline, soffits, ridge vents and gable vents. Heat resistance (the R-value) for loose-fill and batting is measured in inches and density. The most you can check for without a professional is the evenness, settling or compaction of the two types.

• Areas where plumbing pipes meet the wall should be sealed with either a closed-cell expandable foam or caulking. Also, check for leaks.

• Gutters and drip edges (the metal flashing that goes behind the gutter) help keep your attic closed to animals and pests. This should be checked every few months. If you don’t have metal flashing, it’s a good idea to have it installed.

• Check the outside of air ducts for wear and to make sure they have not been blocked.

• As part of your regular maintenance, get a home energy audit to determine exactly how effectively your home is sealed against the elements and other invaders. Depending on your insulation, you may not be getting the most R-value, or resistance to heat, as you were when the insulation was new. The Department of Energy (DOE) recommends R30 to R38, with some areas as high as R49.

• The Home Performance with Energy Star audit program, created by the DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency, is managed in each state by a local organization. In Atlanta, Southface Energy Institute teaches professionals to diagnose and solve the energy and efficiency problems that can come with older homes.

Insulated from trouble
One of the most important parts of taking care of your attic is maintaining your insulation, of which there are several types. These are the main ones used for homes.

Fiberglass: This is blown in as loose-fill that sits on your ceiling or applied as batts or rolls, with or without formaldehyde, on your ceiling or roof. Any fiberglass insulation that has color contains formaldehyde; the white blown-in type does not.

Foam: There are two main types of foam insulation—open-cell and closed-cell. Most foam installed in homes is blown into place and then hardened. Open-cell foam allows some water vapor to come through, but also allows it to evaporate back out. Closed-cell foam does not allow moisture in,
so this type is better for sealing around pipes and outlets.

Cellulose: This is blown-in as loose-fill that sits on your ceiling. It is usually made from newspaper bits and is treated with an insect repellant and fire retardant.

Radiant barrier: You can use this in addition to loose-fill or batting insulation. It goes between the roof and the batting.


Scott Mitchell at ZeroDraft points out that it’s important to remember that if you see black anywhere insulation meets lighting, plumbing or outlets, that means air is getting through and your lights may not be insulation-contact rated. Ultimately, experts disagree about how to handle venting with foam insulation, so whatever method you have or choose, thoroughly research and ask questions about the pros and cons of the materials. You should also be aware that you can receive tax credits from the DOE, as well as some bonuses from your electric or gas companies, when you install more insulation.

In the atmosphere
Two important aspects you should keep in mind when maintaining your attic are temperature and humidity control. Several conditions contribute: air units, air and water leaks in the roof, types of insulation, and whether you condition the space as you would a regular room (in most cases, you would only air-condition the space if it’s a finished attic). If you have fiberglass or spray-down loose-fill insulation, and you have an HVAC unit, consider having a heat blanket put around the unit. Hamilton says if you can feel hot or cool air blowing from the system, it’s a good idea to have it sealed before the next season change.

Loose-fill insulation can create dust, so you need to make sure that your home’s envelope, the areas where air goes in and out, is well sealed, and that the vents that allow air in and out are not blocked. Otherwise, the unconditioned, dirty air can make its way into the clean, conditioned space, and vice versa, according to David Wasserman of Southface.

Vent it
Ventilation in your attic also is key, particularly if you have loose-fill or batting insulation, because you then need to be strategic about where your vents are installed. Otherwise, you will use too much energy. Also, check the vents periodically to make sure they are not blocked. Vents are installed differently depending on the roof and the type of insulation.

Ridge vent/soffit system: The ridge vent is at the crown of the roof and draws air from the soffit vents, which are along the ceiling.

Gable vents: These vents are usually installed throughout the attic, in the gables. Hamilton says one common problem is gable vents installed with ridge vents. “You’re supposed to have soffits to draw air up and let the air out of the ridge vent,” he says. “If you have both of these (ridge and gable vents), the air is no longer being pulled from the soffit.”

Venting through fans: There are several types of fan systems, whether heat-triggered, solar-powered, electric or whole-house. If you have any of these, check their efficiency during the energy audit. “Once you’ve insulated your home to R30, a fan is not going to save that much energy, even without air leakage,” Wasserman says.

Ventilation is handled much differently with foam insulation. If you have foam insulation installed, it goes along your roofline and acts as a sealant for the whole room, so that may be a good method if you plan to finish the area out one day. If you do decide to make it usable space, you need to insulate the exterior walls the same way you would a normal attic, so you have a good heat barrier.

Joe Maddox of Maddox Management, a remodeler who also works with EarthCraft homes, installed Icynene, a brand of open-cell foam insulation, in his last EarthCraft home. He says if you use foam insulation, you seal the entire area and do not have a roof or soffit vent.

Keep critters out
Phil Wheeler, who installs insulation with Home Energy Inc., says most rodents get in through the gutters, so you need to install a drip-edge, which is a metal piece that falls behind the gutter and is usually painted. Also, he says that these animals leave a smell trail that other animals may follow into the home, so the drip-edge is very important to install after animal removal. Eric Rothman, a designer for HammerSmith Inc., also notes that in his experience, animals like to get into the house the most during season changes.

Since there are many aspects that go into maintaining an attic, remember to be methodical about your inspections. It’s always better to know as much about your next project as possible so you don’t waste effort or money.