Feazel recommends that homeowners do a quick assessment of their attic a couple of times a year. Often, a problem with your roof will first appear in the attic. It makes sense considering that your attic is the space between your living area and your roof.
Your attic can help regulate home temperature, keep your energy bills in check and increase energy efficiency of your HVAC system so keeping it functional is important to the overall health of your home.
Regardless of if you are in a warm climate or cold climate, your attic can start to get a musty smell if there is inadequate roof ventilation or a roof leak. What can you do if you notice a musty smell permeating in your attic? The team at Feazel will discuss what it means if you notice a musty odor and what you need to do about it.
Musty Attic Meaning
What does it mean if you have a musty odor in your attic?
It could mean a couple of different things and it’s incredibly important to get it addressed before mold growth and mildew sets in. Typically, eliminating musty attic odor requires the following.
Adding insulation to your home
Sealing air leaks that bring warm air into the attic
Remove blockages to soffit vents
Add an attic fan to help move air out
Musty smells form when there is moisture present. The moisture could come from a roof leak or improperly vented appliances.
The roof leak does not need to be active; it could be from not replacing wet insulation after having your roof replaced or repaired.
All appliances such as bathroom fans, dryer vents, and kitchen hoods should vent outside of your home and never into your attic space.
Can Attic Insulation Get Wet?
This can depend on what type of attic insulation you have in your home.
Cellulose loose fill insulation can easily get wet due to its sponge like quality. If cellulose insulation is exposed to a small amount of moisture, it may be able to dry out. If the exposure is significant, you may be better off replacing the insulation entirely than risking mold and mildew formation.
Batt Insulation is the standard pink insulation you may have seen at home improvement stores. Fiberglass batt insulation will suffer from reduced efficiency if it gets soaked and can expose nearby wood to damaging moisture. If it is slightly wet, you may be able to use a blowing machine to dry it out.
Will Attic Insulation Dry Out?
Attic insulation can dry out. The methods used may vary depending on how wet the insulation is and the insulation type.
Loose fill can be spread out to let it dry thoroughly if it has been exposed to a small amount of moisture. This does require a large amount of space. Soaked loose fill should be replaced immediately.
Batt insulation too can be spread out to dry. Fans or a blowing machine can be used to dry out slightly wet batt insulation. Soaked batt insulation should be replaced so it does not lead to the formation of mold or mildew
How to Get the Musty Smell Out of my Attic?
The first step in getting the musty smell out of the attic is to remove what is causing the dampness in your attic space. If you do not effectively remove the cause of moisture in your attic, then you will wind up retaining the cause of the musty smell.
Once the source of moisture has been limited, now the clean-up begins. There are products on the market that are built to remove odors. These could be boxes of baking soda left open in your attic, scattering charcoal briquettes around the attic, kitty litter, or utilizing commercial deodorizers.
These products have a shelf life so you should look to replace them every month at minimum.
Schedule Your Free Roof Inspection with Feazel
If your roof is suffering from a leak, it’s important to get it addressed quickly. Feazel has offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Indianapolis, and Raleigh-Durham and will help you repair or replace your roof. Our team of roofing experts will ensure that your roof has enough proper ventilation to keep you and your home safe. Contact us today to get started!
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