Hello everyone,
I am currently in the middle of a "house buying" project. In other words, I am looking at properties and still searching for the right house at the right price.
In this particular case, it’s a house from the 1990s. The attic has two unfinished rooms. One of them looks like the one in the photo. Based on the other pictures, the house otherwise seems to be in good condition. I’m just uncertain about this one spot.
I understand that judging from a photo alone is just speculation, but could someone tell me if this is how it’s supposed to look or if there might have been poor workmanship? What should I pay attention to during the inspection? Subjectively, the vapor barrier (?) seems to be hanging down quite loosely and appears to be open at the bottom as well. The listing doesn’t mention any retrofitted insulation, so this seems to be the original condition from about 30 years ago.
Good luck,
Christian
I am currently in the middle of a "house buying" project. In other words, I am looking at properties and still searching for the right house at the right price.
In this particular case, it’s a house from the 1990s. The attic has two unfinished rooms. One of them looks like the one in the photo. Based on the other pictures, the house otherwise seems to be in good condition. I’m just uncertain about this one spot.
I understand that judging from a photo alone is just speculation, but could someone tell me if this is how it’s supposed to look or if there might have been poor workmanship? What should I pay attention to during the inspection? Subjectively, the vapor barrier (?) seems to be hanging down quite loosely and appears to be open at the bottom as well. The listing doesn’t mention any retrofitted insulation, so this seems to be the original condition from about 30 years ago.
Good luck,
Christian
D
Dahlbomii8 May 2024 00:30The photo quality is quite poor. It looks like mineral wool has been stuffed between the rafters and a foil layer has been installed as a protection against dust infiltration. Hopefully, this is not a vapor barrier.
Why does it appear spotty? Is it wet? Mold? If it is wet, the question is why and whether it can be fixed. It is definitely advisable to have a professional inspect it; a replacement might be recommended. It may also be useful to clear out a cavity now and check the exterior side. If it has been open for a long time, moisture could have condensed on the outer layer.
This is mostly speculation; it’s difficult to say much from a distance.
Why does it appear spotty? Is it wet? Mold? If it is wet, the question is why and whether it can be fixed. It is definitely advisable to have a professional inspect it; a replacement might be recommended. It may also be useful to clear out a cavity now and check the exterior side. If it has been open for a long time, moisture could have condensed on the outer layer.
This is mostly speculation; it’s difficult to say much from a distance.
When new, the mineral wool between the rafters is yellow to white.
Black coloration means either it is wet and possibly moldy, or simply dirty. Both can come from inside or outside equally.
In the current situation, I wouldn’t necessarily assume there is damage to the roof. This can be checked quite easily by looking/feeling/probing the rafters at the bottom edge. If the wood is solid, it’s not a problem. If it is rotten/crumbly/soft, stay away.
Aside from that, the insulation and sealing should be redone. As it is now, it’s poorly done anyway because air flows freely underneath. The effort involved is minimal. Remove the old wool, put in new wool, seal the vapor retarder airtight, and then at least add battens or plasterboard underneath, otherwise it will look like this again in a few years.
Black coloration means either it is wet and possibly moldy, or simply dirty. Both can come from inside or outside equally.
In the current situation, I wouldn’t necessarily assume there is damage to the roof. This can be checked quite easily by looking/feeling/probing the rafters at the bottom edge. If the wood is solid, it’s not a problem. If it is rotten/crumbly/soft, stay away.
Aside from that, the insulation and sealing should be redone. As it is now, it’s poorly done anyway because air flows freely underneath. The effort involved is minimal. Remove the old wool, put in new wool, seal the vapor retarder airtight, and then at least add battens or plasterboard underneath, otherwise it will look like this again in a few years.
Thanks for the tips. I’ll take a closer look during the inspection, and if your questions or concerns are confirmed, I’ll have a professional take another look.
> As it is now, it’s really poor because air is flowing freely underneath.
Yes, that was my thought as well. But I’m not familiar with this area at all, and bottom-open waterproofing does look quite strange.
The dark area next to the window could also be interesting. It might be either a shadow or a damp spot. Although the roof has an overhang, if there is a thermal bridge there and the heating wasn’t adequate, something could have developed.
> As it is now, it’s really poor because air is flowing freely underneath.
Yes, that was my thought as well. But I’m not familiar with this area at all, and bottom-open waterproofing does look quite strange.
The dark area next to the window could also be interesting. It might be either a shadow or a damp spot. Although the roof has an overhang, if there is a thermal bridge there and the heating wasn’t adequate, something could have developed.
Result of the Inspection...
The good news: the dark spot on the wall was actually just a shadow.
The bad news: the dark spots in the insulation are actually much larger.
Even as a layperson, I recognized that the insulation was not done properly there. The foil is not only a vapor barrier but also the only thing holding the insulation up from above. The insulation itself is extensively blackened. A capacitive moisture meter showed 20% moisture content in the roof beams. That’s not an excellent value, but also not extremely bad. Structurally, the beams looked okay. In the adjacent room (also unfinished), the ceiling insulation did not look any better. Everything was blackened. Even the estate agent had to admit that it would have been better if they hadn’t installed any insulation there at all.
The loft insulation (“top floor ceiling”) also shows slight signs of mold. What could not be seen was the condition under the paneled sloping ceilings. Since at least one other room needs a complete renovation anyway (smoking room and leaking roof window), it’s also possible to remove the paneling and completely redo the insulation.
The good news: the dark spot on the wall was actually just a shadow.
The bad news: the dark spots in the insulation are actually much larger.
Even as a layperson, I recognized that the insulation was not done properly there. The foil is not only a vapor barrier but also the only thing holding the insulation up from above. The insulation itself is extensively blackened. A capacitive moisture meter showed 20% moisture content in the roof beams. That’s not an excellent value, but also not extremely bad. Structurally, the beams looked okay. In the adjacent room (also unfinished), the ceiling insulation did not look any better. Everything was blackened. Even the estate agent had to admit that it would have been better if they hadn’t installed any insulation there at all.
The loft insulation (“top floor ceiling”) also shows slight signs of mold. What could not be seen was the condition under the paneled sloping ceilings. Since at least one other room needs a complete renovation anyway (smoking room and leaking roof window), it’s also possible to remove the paneling and completely redo the insulation.
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