eBook - Real Estate Home Inspection Checklist from A to Z

Attic Insulation

• There is (y/n)__________ insulation noted in the floor joists of the attic area where visible and accessible. Insulation in the attic floor joists is required for energy efficiency in a house. Insulation is not needed in between the roof rafters because once heat has escaped through the upper level ceiling it is lost anyway. There is no sense trying to trap it in the attic, you will only be trapping unwanted moisture along with the heat in the attic if you install insulation in the roof rafters.
• The insulation is approximately (#)__________ inches thick. It should be at least 8 inches thick for energy efficiency. Installing additional insulation will increase energy efficiency in the house. Any air-conditioning or heating ducts in the attic must be insulated either on the exterior or the interior for energy efficiency.
• The type is insulation noted is made of ______________________________________________. The vapor barrier is (y/n)__________ installed properly. The "vapor barrier" is the aluminum foil layer on one side of the insulation roll. It must always be touching the heated ide of the building. For example, if it is installed in an attic the vapor barrier must face downwards. If it is installed in an unheated basement or crawl space the vapor barrier must face upwards. The reason for the vapor barrier is to prevent any moisture from getting trapped in between the insulation and condensing into water, which will decrease the energy efficiency. It prevents moisture problems by reflecting the heated air, which has moisture in it, back towards the heated portion of the house. If an existing layer of insulation has a vapor barrier, then if you add more insulation on top of the existing layer, the new layer added should not have a vapor barrier since the aluminum foil barrier will trap moisture in between both layers of insulation.
• The Owner or Realtor stated that they have (y/n)__________ installed insulation into areas of the structure. They stated that they do (y/n)__________ now if any prior owner's have installed insulation in the structure. Any "blown-in" type of insulation can have substances in it that are a health hazard. In the past, some houses had UFFI insulation blown into the walls and floors. UFFI stands for Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation and the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, has issued warnings about this type of insulation. If there is any UFFI or other type of unknown insulation in the house, it is highly recommended that an air sample be taken by a licensed laboratory to see if there are any health concerns with this insulation in the house.

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