Roofing 101: Attic Smell and How to Fix It

Are you detecting a strong attic smell in your home?! Unpleasant smells quickly infiltrate other areas of your home and potentially even more serious bad odors can be hazardous warning signs of deeper home issues. Whatever the cause of your home odors, when you detect a foul odor, it's time to take a serious look at improving the attic ventilation in your roof system. Well-maintained attic ventilation can help prevent many common causes of bad attic odors.

Roof Issue | Mold and Mildew Growth

The attic is considered one of the most common places for mold and mildew to grow. Improperly installed insulation in the attic under the roof combined with a lack of a properly balanced attic ventilation system can lead to the growth of these fungi, which generates a musty smell. This is where ventilation comes in!

Intake vents if improperly covered with insulation can cause hot and moist air can to be prevented from leaving the attic through the ridge or other exhaust vents and creating the perfect environment for mold and mildew to thrive! 

While insulation is absolutely essential in a solid roofing system, and insulation can keep your home warm during cold months, if insulation is improperly installed insulation will block the vents and hinder airflow in your roof system.

Your attic may also not have enough ventilation capacity for the air it needs to enter and leave the roof system and will lead to stale air. This particular issue is considered a major cause of condensation and, eventually, mold. 

Adding soffit vents is one of the easiest ways to solve mold and mildew growth in a roofing system. You can also add roof vents at the roof peak, since that's where the high temperatures and moist attic air escapes the attic space in your roof system.

Roof Issue | Wet Insulation

Unfortunately mold isn't the only issue that can create attic odors. Attic insulation in itself can get damp when there is excessive air moisture, and cause condensation to drip from different ceiling areas of the rooftop. 

Wet insulation will also not function correctly and possibly require replacement if and when it gets wet. It will also cause your energy bills to rise and reduce the overall energy efficiency in your home.

In order to avoid recurrence of the wet insulation issue - it's most advisable to make sure you have sufficient ventilation going forward.

Roof Issue | Unwanted Animals

Unfortunately, certain enterprising animals will gain access to your home through openings in your roof system. Gaps in your window frames or near ducts are always favorite entry points. Pesky critters can enter and their urine and feces can create an extremely foul attic to smell.

Some animals, like mice and rats, may even die inside your home and decompose fast, which creates an extremely unpleasant, sulfur-like scent. It's crucial to find the source quickly as it can attract other unwanted pests and insects. Keep in mind, the animal may not be directly in the attic, but inside perhaps an air duct that vents near the attic.

Conclusion | Attic Ventilation Is Vital

These facts confirm attic ventilation is essential to keeping your attic safe from hazards and smelling good. Continuous airflow prevents mold growth and helps to prevent insulation from getting wet and needing to be replaced.

Proper attic ventilation reduces energy costs and protects your roof from needing replacing due to fast aging. Ventilation will help warm air flow to go out of the house and encourage cool air flow in, whereas if the roof temperature is kept stable, the likelihood of the roofing shingles and roof decking to crack or buckle will occur. In colder seasons, attic ventilation is also key to preventing ice dams from happening during the winter months.

If you do not know if your home has good ventilation in the roof and attic, it's best to hire a certified roof professional like Great Lakes Home Remodeling immediately for a roof inspection and roof estimate to help ensure these spaces get the proper amount of airflow. Only a roofing professional can determine how many additional attic and roof vents your home needs and make sure they're installed for maximum roof ventilation effectiveness!