What a home inspector looks for when inspecting the attic in your home

Simply inspecting a roof won’t necessarily turn up defects in the structural integrity of the attic. The surface of the roof may look fine, but inside the attic you might find broken trusses or rafters. A home inspection would reveal and note any stress cracks that may cause the integrity of a roof to be compromised. On the plus side, it would also give home buyers confidence that everything is up to code. Platinum Property Inspections will use their decades of experience in the construction industry and professional training to detect, explain, and report all issues that are discovered in your Prescott home inspection.

Truss/Rafter damage in an attic
When a home inspector looks at the attic, he might discover that the rafters are of another color than natural wood. This could indicate that there had been a fire in the home at some time. The wood might even be black, scorched or sooty, a sure sign of a previous fire. However, if the wood is painted white, this could be a sign that fire damage was covered up because painting wood helps to eliminate the smell.

Water damage to an attic
Rain normally flows from the top down and very rarely enters a home sideways. A good home inspector will look for staining on the wood supports or on the walls which would indicate that water had leaked (or is still leaking) through the roof. The inspector also looks for condensation from around pipes, which can cause wood to deteriorate.

Attic insulation
Some attics have been insulated by blowing in insulation, others by laying fiberglass batts. Fiberglass insulation is rated with an R factor. The higher the R number, the higher the insulating efficiency. The home inspector will note if the batts are facing in the right direction, that is, whether the paper side is up or down. Properly insulated attics will cut down on your heating and cooling costs.

Rodent Damage in the Attic
The giveaway that a rodent has been living in the attic is often evidence of pellet droppings left behind by squirrels, raccoons, possums, rats or mice. Often these critters enter attics through loose boards or through the eaves. These creatures can cause quite a bit of damage.

The attic is an important factor in the integrity of a home, and attic damage is one of the things that can be discovered in a thorough home inspection of your Prescott home. Call Platinum Property Inspections at 928-713-0889 for an expert home inspection.