What's Under the Roof?

I recently did work for a homeowner who got the shock of her life when we removed her old roof and found sheet after sheet of black, rotten plywood. The homeowner couldn’t believe it and asked me how the plywood could be so damaged if she had never had a roof leak. 

The answer is quite simple and a lot more common than you think. In our area of Connecticut, nearly all attics don’t have enough insulation and aren’t ventilated properly. I meet people who need a new roof and want me to just lay an extra layer of shingles over top of what they already have to save money. What they don’t realize is how much deterioration exists that they simply can’t see.

With a roof, airflow is absolutely crucial. Attic ventilation allows your home to “breathe” by taking in air from the outside and letting out air from the inside. Too many homes that I work in aren’t properly ventilated, in fact, most have their bathroom and even dryer vents going into the attic instead of outside. In order to have proper ventilation, your home needs a system that includes intake ventilation through the soffit or a new product called SmartVent which is installed on top of the roof near the gutter edge. Louver vents were typically used at an exhaust vent in the 1950’s and 1960’s but now ridge vents are more common. If your house has both louver vents and ridge vents, the louver vents should remain closed, otherwise, the louver will act as an intake vent and will only cool the top third of the attic. 

In the colder months, it’s not uncommon for me to see frost on attic plywood because of subpar insulation. Insulation and ventilation work hand in hand - the ventilation controls the airflow and the insulation controls the temperature. You’re probably familiar with insulation - it’s a cotton-looking fiberglass material that often comes in pink or yellow rolls. It can also be loose-filled into tough to reach areas with a blowing machine. Remodeling professionals use insulation between walls, in attics and in basements to retain heat in the house in the winter and keep it cooler in the summer. However, without proper ventilation, the insulation is just as susceptible to moisture and deterioration as the plywood.

My customer didn’t venture into her attic, so she never noticed the problem. What she thought was a simple roof replacement ended up being a bigger job simply because after years of decay, the plywood she had was no longer strong enough to properly support the new roof. Ignoring the problem would have voided the new roof’s 30-year warranty.

The lesson for this week? If you’re going to reroof your home, make sure that the plywood is healthy and that your contractor has given you a thorough plan to ensure that your home is properly insulated and ventilated. It might cost a bit more today, but it will regulate the heat and cooling in your home for years to come, saving you on energy costs and giving you more comfort as well as peace of mind for the health of your house.

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.

Cooler Nights Mean It's Time For Chimney Prep

With chillier nights starting to descend on our area of Connecticut, it won’t be long until home heating is top of mind. With so many homeowners kicking off autumn with a warming fire in the house, now is the perfect time to get your chimney and hearth prepped to roar. 

First, don’t leave ash and residue hanging around for another season. Fireplaces and chimneys are involved in 42 percent of all home-heating fires, so a preventative annual clean-out should definitely be on your list. If you have a regular wood-burning fireplace, remove all the old ashes with a shovel and bucket and get rid of any residual materials with an industrial vacuum or heavy-duty hand broom and dustpan. 

It’s important to note that during winter you never want ashes to accumulate to more than two inches in depth.  Also, remember that ashes are just disintegrated wood, so feel free to discard them into your compost pile. Once the ashes are cleared, you can remove any soot and fire stains with a spray bottle of soapy water and a tough, wire scrub brush. If stains are really tough to remove a muriatic acid solution will do the job. It’s available at most hardware stores. 

Once your fireplace is squeaky clean, it’s time to inspect the flue. Look up the fireplace and search for any cracks or damage. You’ll also want to keep an eye out for creosote build-up, which can be highly flammable and result in chimney fires if not removed properly. If you see any blockage, cracks or deposits during a visual inspection, you’ll want to get the flue looked at by a professional. 

Now comes the hardest part – the chimney. Firstly, make sure that you are comfortable on a roof and using a ladder. If you aren’t, leave this part of the job to an expert. Look around your chimney and remove any leaves or debris that may have piled up over the winter. If your chimney is open and you don’t use it often, it can be a great nesting place for birds and small animals.  Don’t let this happen; invest in a wire screen cover to ensure nothing from the outside can get in. Also, take a look at the mortar between the bricks to make sure it is in good condition and nothing is cracking or crumbling. If mortar needs to be replaced, remove the damaged segments and re-pack them with weather-resistant ready-mixed mortar from the hardware store. 

Finally, you’ll want to inspect your flashing which is where the chimney meets the roof. This should create a watertight seal, so make sure nothing looks loose or like it’s coming undone, otherwise you could be at risk for a leak. If the seal is at all damaged or worn away, you’ll want to get it repaired immediately. 

I can’t reinforce enough that chimney maintenance is a must and something that shouldn’t be brushed off. If you don’t know what to look for or aren’t comfortable taking on the job, get a certified chimney sweep to give you a thorough inspection or call me for a recommendation. The peace of mind in knowing that your home is safe from preventable fire hazard is worth the price of a simple assessment. 

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 http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Take Care of Musty Basement Smells for a Healthy Home

A lot of people think that the musty smell in their basement is a common problem that goes hand in hand with having underground space in your home. Sure, basements are prone to high humidity which, when combined with darkness, can become a breeding ground for mold and mildew. The smell that those mold spores emit can get into your clothes, furniture, storage, and your HVAC unit. If the problem does reach your air ducts and begins to infiltrate the rest of the house, that’s when you have a real issue on your hands. Before you get to that point, it’s a great idea to quite literally clear the air with a dehumidification and purification strategy. 

One of the best air quality units I’ve seen is by a company called Aerus.  They produce a system which uses NASA technology to remove pathogens, pollution, contaminants, and even pet dander from the air. It can work within an hour and is a great solution to get rid of that nasty mold smell. But without a solution to contain the humidity, the odor and the mold will keep coming back.

At this point, it’s time to reduce the moisture in the basement. Most homes want to keep a humidity level of 50% or lower, but in basements, the average humidity can often be higher than 80%, which is when mold and mildew can flourish. A dehumidification system will work to draw the moisture out of the air and into a holding tank, which often has to be dumped down a drain as often as daily depending on how quickly it gets filled. By removing the water from the air, you’re removing the odor-causing moisture and bacteria that allow mold to grow in the first place.

Finally, it’s time to purify the air. Overly humid areas attract a lot of bacteria, which is what causes the smell in the first place. That bacteria can live in walls and spread into your fabrics, furniture, and storage. By killing the bacteria in the air, you will remove contaminants that not only stink, but can also cause or irritate allergies, asthma, and immune system disorders.

When shopping for a basement air control system, be sure to look for a unit that has the EnergyStar seal, and make sure that you pay attention to the capacity of the air filtration as it pertains to your room size. If you have a big space with a lot of moisture, you might want to consider a unit that has a self-draining system to save your back and your patience.

Regardless of what kind of system you use, the air quality in your home should be taken seriously. If your kids are coughing or have allergies and you find yourself having difficulty breathing at home, it might be worth a call to your local contractor for an air quality inspection.

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.