How To Check Attic For Leaks

Water will reflect light so bring a flashlight along.

How to check attic for leaks. Quick check of insulation levels. The underside of your roof may be obscured by. If you do not have built in pull down stairs then use a sturdy ladder to access the attic area. Replace your old recessed lights with air tight insulated can models available at home centers and lighting stores.

On a nice day have a helper tap on the mark while you re on the roof. Here are the solutions we recommend if you have recessed can lights protruding into your attic. You may see stained or discolored wood areas that will lead you to the source of the leak. You can test to see if you have attic door leaks with an incense stick or thin piece of toilet paper first.

If the smoke or paper begins to move erratically you have an air leak. Insulation is responsible for keeping warm air inside your living space and out of the attic where it can lead to condensation. If the water meter test indicates a leak inside your home check the cabinets under the kitchen laundry and bathroom sinks to make sure they re dry. Examine the entire attic roof underside surface for evidence of water intrusion.

Follow damaged insulation back to the source of the roof leak. Arm yourself with a flashlight and head up to the. See basic ladder safety if you intend to use a ladder. Replace incandescent bulbs with cooler operating compact fluorescent bulbs.

Inspect the underside of the roof for. Walk on joists or truss chords not exposed ceiling drywall or insulation to avoid falling through the ceiling. Scan your roof monthly for deteriorating shingles and missing or broken flashing. Looking across your attic if the insulation is level with or below the attic floor joists you probably need to add more insulation.

Investigate appliances and fixtures. Once you locate the source of the water mark the area. Attic leaks develop slowly over time. Visual inspection can go a long way to heading off these problems.

You can use this air leak detection test in other areas of your home as well. Seal the leaks you found with your hand and smoke pencil before using the fog machine. Find a roof leak head into the attic to get a good look at the underside of the roof. If you have an attic the easiest way to spot the leak is to up there on a rainy day.

To save time and better pinpoint the problem you can hire a professional to inspect your insulation and fill any gaps that might be letting warm air into the space.