It may be strange to think that your attic could be over-insulated, but it's true! In this episode of the Disaster Podcast, we discuss how your attic should be insulated and what could happen if it's insulated incorrectly! With franchise opportunities available across most of the country, Disaster Blaster is YOUR chance to take control of your future and be part of a thriving restoration brand. Contact our Franchise Team at 302-242-1042 or Franchising@disasterblaster.com to start your future TODAY! Disaster Podcast is brought to you by Disaster Blaster! https://disasterblaster.com/ With franchise opportunities available across most of the country, Disaster Blaster is YOUR chance to take control of your future and be part of a thriving restoration brand. Contact our Franchise Team at 302-242-1042 or Franchising@disasterblaster.com to start your future TODAY! Franchise Opportunities: https://disasterblasterfranchise.com #DisasterBlaster #DisasterPodcast #Podcast #Franchise #news #announcement #Business #Entrepreneur #FranchiseOpportunity #FranchiseOpportunities #BeYourOwnBoss #BusinessOwner #SelfEmployed #home #house #insulation #attic #roof #mold #winter

- Could your attic be over-insulated, and what's the big deal if it is? Coming up on this episode of the Disaster Podcast... we realize that it may be strange to think that part of your house could be too warm in the winter, but it's true. In fact, while it surprises many homeowners, one of the most common causes of property damage is actually over-insulated attics, and we can certainly understand where property owners are coming from. You go up into your attic to get your Christmas decorations down and you think to yourself, "wow, is it cold up here..." And instinctively decide to insulate your attic a bit better, but that could be a huge mistake. Here are some things to consider. Why can over-insulating your attic be an issue? You may think that the purpose of your attic is just to support the roof, but it does a lot more than that. Your attic space is actually integral in regulating temperature inside your home, facilitating air flow and ventilation, and even extending the life of your roof. It does all this with the help of your ridge vent, baffle vents, and soffit vents, which allow air to circulate. When you over insulate your attic or restrict airflow, serious issues can occur such as humidity problems, mold growth, and even damage your roof shingles. What happens if you over-insulate your attic? There are a variety of ways that an attic can be over-insulated and each creates its own issues. Here are some of the most common mistakes we see: Insulating the attic ceiling. Did you know that the ceiling of your attic shouldn't be insulated? In fact, because this can prevent your attic from being able to properly cool in the summer, this can lead to heat damage occurring to your shingles and can dramatically reduce the life of your roof and shingles. In fact, insulating the roof of your attic actually voids many of the warranties that come with roof shingles. Blocking the baffle vents. A lot of the airflow into your attic space comes in through your baffle vents, so it's really no surprise that it's so common for homeowners to block them up with insulation. We often have conversations with property owners that realized their attic was cold and felt the air coming in through the baffle vents and decided to stuff insulation down inside or against the baffle vents to keep the cold air out. This is a huge mistake, however, because without that air flow, humidity can get trapped inside your attic where it will cause moisture problems and mold growth. Blocking the soffit vents. Your soffit vents can be seen from outside and allow the airflow to the baffle vents. Unfortunately, we often see instances where siding was replaced and the soffit vents were blocked, closed off, or even forgotten. This creates a similar issue to blocking off the baffle vents where the attic doesn't get the airflow that it needs, moisture and humidity gets trapped in the attic, and mold eventually develops. While we do see this less often than blocked baffle vents, this is still a common cause of mold issues and moisture problems in attics. Blocking the ridge vent. Your ridge vent is a large vent along the top of your roof that allows air to leave your attic space. Essentially, your ridge vent is the last piece in the ventilation system that permits air exchange inside your attic, as air that enters through the soffit and baffle vents creates airflow that then exits through the ridge vent. The two most common issues we see are ridge vents that have been blocked as a result of insulating the attic ceiling, which prevents the necessary air flow to the ridge vent, or improper roof replacement or repair that either blocks or fails to properly install the ridge vent. A blocked ridge vent will prevent hot air from escaping, shortening the lifespan of your roof and potentially trapping moisture in the attic that can lead to mold growth. How should your attic be insulated? It's important to keep in mind that your roof and attic are designed specifically to encourage airflow and ventilation. So when insulating your attic, you want to make sure that you are not impeding the function of your ventilation systems, the ridge vent, soffit vents, and baffle vents. That doesn't mean that your house can't be warm and comfortable though, but you'll want to focus your attention on keeping that heat in your living spaces, not unusable space like attics. The best way to insulate your home and effectively keep your heat in the spaces you use is by insulating the floor of your attic and the exterior walls of these living areas. This creates a barrier of insulation that keeps the rooms you use warm and comfortable and prevents this heat from escaping into areas of your home that you don't use such as attics. This way you'll be able to stay warm while your attic does its job. We hope this helps correct some common misconceptions about attics and attic ventilation. There's no need to worry if your attic is cold in the winter, it's supposed to be. Would you like to take control of your future and build a business you can be proud of? We can help. As a Disaster Blaster Franchise Partner, our industry experts will help you unlock the potential of the $210 billion restoration industry. Disaster Blaster offers the most revenue streams in the restoration industry, training and support from industry experts, a unique model primed for your success, and more! Call our franchise team today to learn more at 242-1042 or visit us on the web at www.DisasterBlasterFranchise.com. Stay tuned for some frequently asked questions, but while you're here, don't forget to like and subscribe. Have you ever wondered what might be causing mold growth in your attic? Here are a few things to consider. Mold issues are extremely common in attic spaces, but generally fit into two primary causes. Water leaks and humidity problems. While a roof leak is most often the result of a sudden event such as a recent storm, humidity problems are caused by long-term construction or design issues. High humidity in an attic space is a serious issue that can lead to moisture condensing on rafters or sheathing where it will wick into the wood. Providing the perfect environment from mold growth. Here are the most common causes of humidity issues in attic spaces and how you can address them. One, don't over insulate your attic. Attics are intended to breathe, so stuffing insulation down into soffit vents or baffles, restricts this airflow trapping moisture in your attic area. Two, don't vent bathroom exhaust fans into your attic. While not to code, this is still extremely common. Bathroom exhausts should be vented to the outside. Three, ensure your attic is adequately vented. This is particularly common in older homes that weren't well insulated when they were originally built. These properties relied on gaps in the construction for airflow and often didn't have dedicated soffit or gable vents installed as your home became better insulated. Over the years, the gaps in the construction were sealed up, necessitating dedicated vents. Four, inspect attic air conditioners regularly, these units can leak resulting in water damage and or humidity issues. Five, go up in your attic periodically. Many homeowners rarely, if ever, go up into their attic. As a result, issues aren't discovered until months or years later. If you can't go up into your attic yourself, ask a friend or family member to check on this for you. Can mold make you sick? The understanding of the health effects of exposure to molds in homes and businesses still remains quite limited, but we learn more every day. While we have determined that a number of molds do produce mycotoxins, which have been shown to cause upper respiratory issues, trigger allergic reactions, and aggravate asthma, we have not been able to prove that any particular mold does not produce mycotoxins. In fact, many in the scientific community now believe that we simply are not yet able to test for the mycotoxin compounds produced by some molds. Some studies have also shown a relationship between the extent or duration of exposure to mold growth and its spores to short and long-term health effects from severe headaches, rashes, muscle pain, new or increased response to allergens, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea to more severe conditions such as hair loss, anxiety or depression, insomnia, fatigue, recurring infections, and autoimmune issues. This is known as mold toxicity and is an area of research that is of particular concern for individuals exposed to mold growth or its spores. Thanks so much for watching. Don't forget to like and subscribe and while you're here, check out our other great content.