Why Check the Attic?

[Ariba]

Two good reasons to check the Attic on any appraisal not just FHA.

Nothing looked out of the ordinary until Hockenberry opened the hatch to the attic. "The guy had cut all of the webbing from the wooden roof trusses and built himself a workshop in the space he'd created. All that was holding up the roof was a 2 x 4 running the length of the unit," he says. "One snowfall and it could have collapsed.

Home inspector Frank Lesh still shakes his head over a discovery he made in one Chicago-area attic. "The owner had rigged a plastic chute into a tub to which he'd hooked an electric pump. When the roof leaked, the tub filled, the pump kicked on and the water went through a hose and discharged out a hole this guy had drilled in the soffit," he says. "The pump alone probably cost $125, when all he needed was a few dollars worth of flashing on the roof.

http://realestate.msn.com/Improve/Article_pm.aspx?cp-documentid=8714867&GT1=35000

 

[Mike Boyd]

Two good reasons to check the Attic on any appraisal not just FHA.





http://realestate.msn.com/Improve/Article_pm.aspx?cp-documentid=8714867&GT1=35000

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." Shakespear?

 

[RSW]

I did a FHA appraisal a few weeks ago and noted the roof was sagging on the front left side and called for an inspection of the roof system. I did not see any signs of failure when I looked in the attic. The inspection found that the sheething was damaged and about 1/4 of the roof had to be replaced.

 

[Indiana Jones]

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." Shakespear?

That's actually Sir Walter Scott

 

[realbiz]

Had one recently with a nice remodeled kitchen. The problem was they did not fix the fire damage in the attic. Looks can be deceiving.

 

[Lobo Fan]

I had one once where the flat roof was leaking and pooling over the garage. They had 4" PVC pipe running from the middle of the garage ceiling out to the garage door where it could run out of the driveway. There was serious water damage to a bedroom ceiling. I think Caterina got to follow in behind me on that one.

I went to an FHA presentation where they showwe where a furnace in the attic had scorched the rafters and joists to the point of structural damage. They made the appraiser pay for the $15,000 in repairs. Ugly lesson about brining a stepladder. Apparently the charred wood was easily visible from the scuttle.

 

[glenn walker]

"its fun" , wear bright yellow coveralls, big samm brown belt, with hammers, flashlights, radon gun and volt meter. stick head and shoulders "16" inches above the opening and spend at least 4 to 5 minutes looking around, if you dont see anything, ask the owner if he had the "leaks repaired", about 25% of the time the responce is " oh it only leaks every few years, or the owner says I have never had any leaks and you see no evidence then you are ok, it is simply amazing how many folks confesss that the roof leaks , if you ask them when your head is in the attic, also look for sagging truss, dead bodys, and people living in the attic. that about covers the day and you can go home feeling that you did a thorough job.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Apparently the charred wood was easily visible from the scuttle.

The other clue is kilz or silver mobile home roof paint over the rafters to keep the smell down....seen that a time or two.

 

[Doug Smith SRA]

Closet ceiling

Sometimes you can learn more about leaking roofs by looking at the closet ceiling. Borrowers will carefully paint over the water stains in the ceiling of the room but will forget the water stains in the closet ceiling.

Lots of reasons to look into the attic.

Absence of insulation
Open electrical junction boxes or poor electrical work, extension cord wiring
Evidence of water leaks
No roof ventilation
Evidence of fires or other damage
Bird, animal or insect infestation
Fire hazards, Debris, heavy objects
Lack of firewall separation between living area and garage

I was sued for not reporting that the insulation in the attic was Vermiculite. This has become a huge problem in Montana.

Much of the vermiculite used in the United States originated from a mine in Libby, Montana that was owned by W. R. Grace & Co., formerly the Zonolite Company. This vermiculite mine was contaminated with varying amounts of fibrous amphibole asbestos. One of the products produced from Libby, MT vermiculite was Zonolite Attic Insulation (ZAI). ZAI was manufactured and sold throughout the United States and Canada from approximately 1925 to 1984. The Libby vermiculite mine was closed in 1990. Older versions of this insulation are called "Zonolite Unifil", "Zonolite Eco-fill", and "Zonolite Insulating Fill". The vermiculite sold today does not come from the Libby MT vermiculite mine.

If you suspect you have vermiculite insulation in your home DO NOT DISTURB IT. Any disturbance is likely to release asbestos fibers into the air. The EPA and ATSDR strongly recommend:
Vermiculite insulation be left undisturbed in your attic. It is best to assume that the material may contain asbestos for safety's sake.
Do not store boxes or other items that when retrieving material would disturb the insulation.
Children should not be allowed to play in an attic that has vermiculite insulation.
Hire professionals trained and certified to handle asbestos to safely remove the material if you plan to remodel or renovate.
Never attempt to remove the insulation yourself.

Doug

 

[Lobo Fan]

How would you know (or be expected to know) if it was Vermiculite? Asbestos detection is well outside my scope of work.