Sealing Your Attic Hatchway

Most homeowners don’t realize that the pulldown attic stairway is one of the biggest heat loss culprits in the house. Many of us don’t go up into the attic very often other than to get holiday decorations from storage or maybe grab the suitcases for an upcoming vacation. Because we don’t access the attic all that much, we often don’t realize how much the temperature up there fluctuates and how much heat and air conditioning we are losing through the space. 

I can’t tell you the number of times that I have gone into an attic to find frozen water droplets on the tips of the roofing nails. Because homes are underinsulated and underventilated, the attic gets very hot in the summer and below freezing in the winter. Condensation and moisture can become a major problem, causing rot in the wood and mold on soft surfaces. 

But then of course there is the heat loss issue. We all know that heat rises and because most Connecticut homes are majorly underinsulated, we end up losing tons of warm air through the attic hatch. Plenty of people use draft strips and different kinds of sealant on doors and windows, but this entry point is almost always overlooked even though it’s the most important. The same goes for whole-house fans.

One of the common solutions we always recommend is installing an insulated box to cover the attic entryway or a built-in house fan. An insulated box is made from heavy-duty insulation and sealed with expanding foam. The box sits on top of the stairs when they are folded inside the attic, creating a barrier that still allows the homeowner to access the space as they need to. This simple structure reduces the amount of heat loss seeping from the living space of the home, making for a much more comfortable and energy-efficient environment. 

I always recommend that homeowners have their insulation and ventilation checked to keep their homes healthy, reduce their energy bills, and live more comfortably. While insulation is a very cost-efficient and easy home improvement, an insulated box is an excellent solution to achieve some of the goals of an insulation-optimized house for just a few hundred dollars. You’ll be shocked at the difference it makes. 

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Need a New Roof? Don't Ignore This Crucial Step

If you’re a regular reader, you know that roof insulation, ventilation, and airflow are my favorite topics to talk about. The reason I tend to focus on these areas is that, in nearly 50 years of business, I still cannot tell you how many homes in our area suffer from mold, mildew, and moisture problems. A house that can’t breathe is one that harbors bacteria, so not only are people living less comfortably than they should, but they are also subjecting themselves to long-term health problems like asthma, allergies, and lung function. 

No homeowner actually wants to believe their home is allowing moisture to thrive and many are intimidated by taking the proper steps to fix the problem. What’s worse is that many insurance companies won’t cover the cost of attic ventilation, which means that homeowners are skipping a crucial step in the re-roofing process. So let’s make this simple to understand. Here are five reasons why attic ventilation is absolutely necessary:

1. It’s the only way a roof will meet its life expectancy.

2. A shingle warranty will be void without it. 

3. It keeps a building up to code.

4. It ensures that the roof vents themselves are sufficient. 

5. It helps to guarantee that a replacement roof will be worth the thousands you’ll spend on it. 

In addition to the financial and structural benefits, there are comfort reasons too. Proper attic ventilation fights summer heat build-up and reduces the risk of ice dams and moisture in the winter. It keeps a house warmer in cold months and cooler in hot months so energy bills are lower and heating and air conditioning systems don’t have to work as hard. Plus, as I mentioned before, you’re lowering your risk of mold and mildew taking a stronghold in your attic, which can then spread into your living space and affect the air that you breathe every single day. 

According to a poll conducted by Roofing Contractor Magazine, more than 75% of North American homes today have improper attic insulation, including insufficient or incorrect ventilation. If you’re getting your roof quotes from quality-focused contractors, this step will most certainly come up in conversation because, without it, your investment is pretty much doomed. Proper insulation and ventilation keep a roof healthy and stable which means it’s much less likely to be damaged during the 20-plus years of abuse Mother Nature will throw at it, and then some. 

The bottom line? Make sure you deal with a roofing company that’s reputable and knows what they are doing. If there is no mention of insulation and ventilation in an initial conversation about replacing your roof, you’re better off looking elsewhere. How you replace your roof is your choice, but you deserve to know and understand all the options available. 

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Ladybug Season Has Arrived

Along with the spring blooms, another, less welcome sign of spring has begun popping up all over. If you have a light-colored house with southwest-facing windows, you might have already begun seeing ladybugs making their home in yours. 

Ladybugs are probably one of the least offensive insects out there, but when they start showing up en masse in your house, you might not be too happy about it. These cute red and black beetles are creatures of habit. They like light-colored houses because heat more easily reflects off them. As for the southwest window, they love warm, bright areas where the afternoon sun keeps them comfortable. Like many insects and animals, ladybugs hibernate during the winter and wake up in the spring. They find tiny cracks and crevices, generally around windows, to creep into a home and rest for the colder months. When they find a comfortable spot, they release a pheromone to attract others, which is why you generally find more than one or two. Then they rest through the winter and start to wake up around now, not unlike our bear population. 

While ladybugs might seem problematic, they are actually harmless. Unlike other wood and fabric-eating insects, ladybugs won’t feast on your home. On the contrary, as the weather warms, they actually look to get back outside. So if you are willing to be patient, the bugs will leave on their own. However, if you have a large infestation or just hate the idea of bugs in your house, the best thing to do is to vacuum them up and dispose of them outdoors. Why a vacuum? Killing the bugs in a way that is stressful will cause them to release their own blood, a yellow substance called hemolymph. This is a ladybug’s way of telling a predator that they are a no-good meal, but hemolymph also stains and stinks. Using a vacuum is gentler and will allow you to get the bugs back outside alive which is exactly where they want to be. 

As I mentioned, ladybugs will make their way back outside in the next few weeks but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back in the fall. Your best bet is to seal those southwest-facing windows to keep the bugs out and the heat in. Use caulk for small gaps or buy some weatherstripping to create a tighter seal around windows. Also, be sure to remove air conditioning units once the summer is over. Leaving them in will absolutely give ladybugs an opportunity to settle in for another season of comfort in your home. 

Bob O'Donnell is the owner of O'Donnell Bros, Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro”. All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O'Donnell Bros, Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.