Handyman Hints: Next steps from the walkabout of your home

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Last week we equipped ourselves with a pencil, clipboard, and with binoculars in hand, we set out for a little walkabout.

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It was nothing too strenuous, just around the house, but still requiring a minimum two-hour supply of food and beverages. And, although we did catch glimpses of a yellow warbler and what might have been a northern flicker, the purpose of our mission was to spot the not-so-coveted, but nevertheless common creatures such as the ‘raised shingle tab’, ‘loose flashing,’ and ‘deteriorating caulking around window.’

If you were so unlucky to find any of these common home deficiencies, sorry about that, but not to worry because time is still on your side.

Were you able to have a peek up into your attic? Other than the stepladder needed to access the attic access panel, you’ll need a really good flashlight. I’m always surprised at how dark it is in an attic. You’d think that a hint of sunlight would be making its way through some crack somewhere, but unless you’ve got gable vents that swivel, similar to the one Clark Griswold poked his head out of in an attempt to get his family’s attention due to him being trapped in the attic, then we’re talking zero, dark-side-of-the-moon darkness.

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So, get yourself a really good flashlight, and if you’re going to make the very brave attempt to walk along the truss rungs and perform the investigation yourself, a practice I don’t recommend unless you’re a skateboarder or have recently competed in the balance-beam segment of a gymnastics event, have that flashlight hanging off a lanyard.

The lanyard connecting you to your flashlight will be your lifeline in safely returning to the attic access hole. Otherwise, dropping your flashlight in the bed of insulation will put you, the spiders, the skeletal remains of the rodent you heard scurrying about last winter, and whatever else is up there, in total darkness.

As a result, I like to simply scan the attic landscape by elevating myself a few feet up in through the attic access hole, remaining safely perched on the second-last rung of my stepladder.

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What should a healthy attic environment look like? Well, there ought to be a sea of fluffy pink stuff, at least 18 inches deep.

Having some idea of where the bathrooms are located, you should have insulated ducting leading up from your bathroom exhaust fans, to a roof vent, or at least feeding into the soffit. Otherwise, is your warm bathroom air being fed into the insulation, with the resulting condensation causing a sunburst water stain and mouldy drywall issue where the bathroom’s ceiling meats the edge of the outside wall?

And, can you confirm that there are foam attic vents placed in between every truss, leading up from the soffit, providing that very important intake air flow?

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With your attic space likely heating to upwards of 40 C on a typical August day, creating a somewhat unfriendly work environment, this won’t be today’s problem to fix. However, it’ll be a great September or October project for your chosen contractor.

If there’s a shingle tab or flashing issue, or second-storey windows that require caulking, call a roofing contractor or building contractor familiar with this type of repair.

Whatever you do, don’t make this your Saturday morning challenge. Reason? The job will no doubt require an extension ladder, a tool that only ranks below chainsaws and ‘the renting of a motorized scooter in Bermuda’ as far as things directly related to death or severe injury.

Essentially, the best way to avoid an extension ladder injury is to pay a more qualified person to climb it for you.

So, what can you do to be useful? Find a contractor. Your local building supply store will be a good source for experienced, qualified help.

Then, pick out a colour of roofing shingle, caulking for the windows, style of roof vent, all tasks that should keep you safe and well clear of the worksite.

Good building.