Home Inspections

The attic is often overlooked when a buyer is set into buying a house. Even during a house inspection, the buyer usually forgets this part of the house, which can reveal a lot of things like the history of a house and clues that might lead to problems, which the current owner might not even know.

There are many problems and damages that a home inspector can discover if he inspects the attic thoroughly. The first among these are damages on rafters and supporting trusses. A roof inspection alone cannot reveal a defect in structure. The inspector might even say that the roof is fine, but with a closer and second look, the attic can be filled with broken rafters and trusses. If such problems can be revealed, it could be noted that a particular house is compliant with certain codes, giving peace of minds to buyers and sellers alike.

A home inspection that checks the attics can also reveal possible damages from a history of fire. The home inspector should be able to check that the rafters are of a natural wood color. Otherwise, especially if these are colored black or filled with soot for that matter, there is a very big possibility that the house was set on fire before. If, however, the rafters are painted white, the fire damage must have been covered. Be wary of such situations where the rafters aren't in the color that they should be.

In addition to fire, water damage can also be uncovered by the home inspector. Upon home inspection, the inspector will be searching for stains along the walls of the attic. Such stains will give hints that water may have been leaking through the roof, as water flows from the roof down to the bottom of the house. Also, the inspector should also look for condensations around pipes, which are factors for the rotting of wood.

Furthermore, insulation in attics can vary from house to house. Some ways can be blowing in some insulation or using fiberglass batts. A home inspector can be expected to know how an attic is insulated. Ask your home inspector some questions regarding this to be able to know if the attic is adequately insulated or not.

In home inspection, a chimney's condition cannot be seen by checking on the attic alone, but thorough inspection in this area can reveal a lot regarding the chimney's interiors and structure. Even if the interiors of a chimney are not exposed to outside elements, they can also breakdown, especially in the case of older houses. How can a home inspector check on these then? What he would be doing is to look for cracks along bricks and mortars that are crumbling.

If tiny pellets are found scattered in attics by the home inspector, it is also probable that rodents, raccoons, and squirrels may have taken residence before. These animals can bring damage to wood and weaken it, and they may have entered the attic through the eaves or some other loose board. Not only wood, they can also chew upon any wires found in an attic.

A home inspection must not miss any area of the house. The attic may be a place for storing whatnot, but one should be able to have this checked thoroughly. There are certainly a lot of things that can be uncovered by inspecting the attic alone.