Buying a home is a very exciting time. It is especially exciting if the home buyers are first time home buyers or if the home being purchased is a large dream style type home. With the excitement and everything that needs to be considered it is important to be certain to look at some factors that can be overlooked by the buyers.
One system that needs to be inspected when buying an older home is the roof and attic system. Many people will see the roof and attic as separate, however they are tightly connected to each other. The attic in an older home is less likely to not only having enough insulation to meet the modern standards. This potential lack of insulation will effect the energy costs for heating and cooling the home. A hot attic without adequate insulation between the attic space and the interior rooms will heat the interior of the home. In the summer it is not unheard of to have attic spaces reach temperature of 140 degrees. This heat gets transferred in to the home and the costs for cooling the home goes dramatically up. In the winter the effect is reversed and the cost to heat the home is increased.
The attic space must also have proper ventilation. This is something that older homes are often lacking. A properly ventilated attic space will prevent the build up of heat in the attic during the summer. Attics will always be warmer in the summer time however with proper ventilation the increase in attic temperature will be minimal. A good combination for venting an attic is a ridge vent and open soffit vents. This combination allows the heated air to escape the upper ridge vent and the cooler exterior air to enter the attic space easily through the soffits. This ventilation also helps to reduce cooling costs due to avoidance of excessive heat buildup in the attic.
Another effect that high attic temperatures have is on the life span of roof shingles. Excessive heat will result in fiberglass and asphalt shingles aging faster than they should. When this happens you will need to replace the roofing material faster than you want.
คอนโดมือสอง กรุงเทพ The proper ventilation for an attic space also helps during the winter. Sometimes home owners will block the ventilation systems in the attic with the idea of trapping any heat possible in the attic. What they are also unknowing trapping is moisture. Moisture vapor will naturally escape from the living space and enter the attic area through small air gaps. During the winter when the moisture in the air makes contact with the cold underside of the roof the moisture will reach the dew point and will condense getting the roof sheathing damp. This dampness creates a conducive condition for mold growth and for allowing wood destroying insects to eventually take residence in the attic and home.
If you are buying an older home be certain to inspect these areas. Hire yourself a home inspector or do the home inspection yourself. Just be certain that the attic and roof system is checked out.
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