What the Ottawa Home Inspector Saw -Lack of Insulation

Posted on December 19, 2008 
Filed Under Buying Your New Home, Listing and Selling Your Home, Things Buyers May Notice, Valerie Zinger

You can say all you want about winter but one good thing about having snow on the roof of a house and icicles is that they are indicators of whether or not there is adequate insulation in the attic.  If all the houses on the street have snow on the roof and one does not (and it has a similar pitch) then there is a likelihood that heat is escaping through the roof and melting the snow.  As the snow melts, it forms the icicles at the edge of the roof.  While fascinating, 1) do not stand or park your car underneath these as they could impale you and your car and 2) as they melt, skating rinks of ice form underneath that are sneaky accidents waiting to happen.   Notice in the picture that the dormer window does not have snow on top.  This is an indication of poor insulation.  Dorm windows are particularly difficult to insulate. 

The home inspector will take the lack of snow (sometimes in only spots) and the icicles possibilities of heat loss and will look in the attic to determine what type and what depth of insulation has been used.  Buyers are shocked at some of the insulation types.  Old newspapers were sometimes used in very old homes.  From time to time, buyers will find old Eaton’s catalogues.  What?  We think of the pink bats of fibreglass but vermiculite and sprayed in cellulose are just two more types.  As a Buyer, you want a decent amount of insulation to prevent heat loss and keep your heating bills in the winter and air conditioning in the summer in a reasonable price range.   

 Embrace winter for what it can tell you about your house.

Photo Credit:  Weather Watch – Ottawa 0308 @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeygottawa/2311107448/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

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