Fond childhood memories prompted Glenda and Mike Crosby to buy the family homestead. But time has taken its toll on this 1963 ranch style, in Orange, Calif. Now they’re wondering whether it’s worth keeping this piece of family history in the family. They call in home inspector Rick Yerger to help sort things out.
Inspector's Notebook
The homeowners’ attic in Orange, Calif., was too hot for comfort. In fact, an unventilated attic can reach 150 degrees in the heat of summer. That’s 50 degrees higher than it should be. An overheated attic could bake asphalt shingles on a roof from the inside out, causing the shingles to deteriorate. The heat in the attic also causes your air conditioner to work harder than it needs to. This means higher energy bills to cool your home and keep you comfortable.
Here are some options to help keep your attic from boiling over:
- Electric Ventilators and attic fans remove hot air from the attic. They have thermostats that turn the fan on at a recommended preset temperature of 100-110 degrees.
- Passive vents like gable, soffit and ridge vents are openings in the roof that allow hot air to escape.
- Your attic should also have a minimum R-19 rated insulation depending on where you live. This will help keep the hot attic air from heating the living space.
- How much venting is enough in your attic? An attic should have one square foot of venting area for every 300 square feet of floor space.
Guests Rick Yerger
Building Specs, Inc.
6441 Burt Road, Suite 57
Irvine, CA 92660
Toll-Free Phone: 888-773-2711
E-mail:
rickyerger@earthlink.net
Website:
www.buildingspecs.com Also in this Episode
