Attic ventilation is one of the important items on a long checklist of things to watch for when you buy a home. It’s also important if you have a home built–the home should have the right attic ventilation designed into the home. I learned long ago that the answers you get in life are only as good as the questions you ask. The challenge too often is that we don’t know what questions to ask. This real estate blog with almost 2,000 articles written specifically for Sequim buyers, helps you to know what questions to ask, and then I answer the questions.
Why Good Attic Ventilation
I just represented some buyers in the purchase of a home in Sequim, and when the home inspector came down from inspecting the attic, what he shared set off some big alarms. Apparently the owners had someone blow insulation into the attic years ago. The insulation guy covered all the attic soffit vents with insulation. Dumb and very bad. But wait, because it gets better. The vent from the laundry room ended in the attic and for years had been dumping moisture into an attic with no circulation at all. There were no vents at the ends of the attic, and there was no ridge vent. The result was mold in the attic. Not good.
There’s another important reason for good attic ventilation. A hot attic will shorten the life span of composition shingles. Since roofing a typical home in Sequim can cost $12,000 to $18,000, this is a big deal. And of course, a very hot attic can contribute to higher temperatures inside the home.
Proper Attic Ventilation
Soffit vents are required in the eaves under the Uniform Building Code, but you could also have a vent (and even an automatic fan) that vents out the end of the attic or through the roof. Another great way to get good attic ventilation is with a ridge vent. You can easily recognize if a home has a ridge vent, because at the top of the ridge there is a heightened ridge with shingles about an inch above the rest of the roof.
Attic ventilation in a mild climate like Sequim’s climate is not as critical as it is in Las Vegas or Phoenix, but it is still important. Even with temperatures in the 70s and 80s, an attic can get quite hot without good ventilation.
If the home you want to buy doesn’t have good attic ventilation, you could add it, but first you want to hear from your home inspector as to whether there is a problem now. Knowing what to ask the seller to do and what you can do later yourself is part of the negotiating process, and it’s important to know what Sequim sellers are willing to agree to when it comes to repairs or improvements to attic ventilation.
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