In northern climates, winter is fast approaching. Now, I know that you all want to plug your ears when you hear me say that, but I have to tell you: it’s true, and it’s not going to stop.
We don’t get very cold weather here in the winter time. Things often freeze, but we don’t need to wear much more than a warm jacket. However, what we do get is rain, and lots of it.
For the past week, we’re been having our roof removed, inspected, and redone. This is to prepare for the fall and winter season so that we don’t have any new leaks. A few years ago we had water leaking into a smoke alarm in the master bedroom, which was no fun at all.
Aside from wailing electronics, leaks are also of concern for another reason: mold. You do not want to live in a house that is full of mold, although many of us do and never realize it. While mold is ever-present in our environment, some of us are allergic to it or particularly sensitive to it. Mold can lead to breathing difficulties and to illness.
Leaks in the attic are one area that you want to inspect very carefully. If you can, go up to the attic and take a look around after a rain. Do this in the fall. Look for signs of moisture on the roof and the floor of the attic, and look for mold.
Even if you don’t find moisture damage on the attic roof, there is another way for moisture to enter your attic. In some homes, the bathroom fan vents directly into your attic instead of venting to the outside. You might assume that any moisture would vent to the outdoors – I always did. However, this building shortcut might be damaging your attic. Even if the roof is excellent, if you take a shower and the moisture ends up in the attic, you can also have moisture damage. When you are in the attic, look to see if the bathroom vent goes all the way to the ceiling.