Shedding Light on Your Dark, Scary Attic - by Greg Corbiere & Kevin Boneham
Attics are an important part of your building! Look, we get it. They can be dark, scary, and often overlooked. We will help you conquer that three-headed attic monster and enlighten you on what a functional attic can do for your building – and your wallet!
The most common attics in our climate zone are unconditioned spaces. This means they are not heated or cooled like the inside of your home. There are several compo- nents that make up this type of attic, including: roof shingles, shingle un- derlayment, sheathing,
Greg Corbiere, B.E.Sc., P.Eng. Sr. Project Associate gcorbiere@edisonengineer s.ca 226-580-6185
Figure 1: Attic Components.
wood framing, passive vents, vented soffit pan- els, rafter vents, insulation, vapour barrier, air seal caulking/weatherstripping, an access hatch, drywall ceiling, and more. Let’s dive deeper into common issues we see in unconditioned attics, the three most important aspects of your attic, what a well-functioning attic can do for you, and what an Engineering Consultant can do for you!
Time to Conquer your 3 - Headed Attic Monster
The 3-headed attic monster – not so scary, just misunderstood. We want to make this monster happy, because when it is unhappy, it can create all kinds of problems for you, including:
Ice Damming •
Damaged roof shingles, sheathing
Leaks into living space
• •
Icicle hazards
Kevin Boneham , BSc. Arch. Tech. Project Associate kbonham@edisonengineer s.ca
Roof Shingle Failure •
High shingle temperatures
Shorter asphalt life
•
Condensation in Attic • Mould growth • Wood damage/rot
Uncomfortable Interior Temperatures • Heat escape in winter (conduction) • Heat entry in summer (radiation) • More expensive utility bills
14 — 2019/2020 - 4
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker