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Attics and Basements
Can
you spot the least frequented area of your home that gives you
the most headaches? Of course its the attic and the basement.
Every house has one. And every home-owner faces a host of problems
because of the same. From leaks, termites to mold growth and
condensation, roots of hygiene and cleanliness issues have staunch
roots in these two places of a typical home.
We
shall therefore discuss the problems and their solutions that
plague the attics and basements
of almost all homes in general all over the globe.
Attics
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Organize Most attics suffer from a
generic disease of cluttering and being treated as a storehouse
for junk. Every other attic you visit will have either things
stored up-to-their-throats, or will have stuff in such a crowded
manner that there is no space to maneuver at all. Therefore,
plan and build your attic in such a way that it uses the space
available to the optimum and also allows segregation and revision
of the stored items on a regular basis
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Internal Construction The attic
should have shelves and stack spaces, but they should be set
up in a way that they do not hinder effective usage of attic
space. Also, keep in mind that keeping heavy and large boxes
on the floor is a better option than stacking them all up
one over the other or over furniture. The latter prevents
pest-hunts and cleaning missions in the attic, the basic reasons
for the problems that had been discussed earlier.
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Insulation and Ventilation Keep
your attic well ventilated with cleverly constructed passages
and inlets as well as vapor barriers for air as well as sunlight.
But do not let this compromise with your attic space. Insulation
between floor joists is a good option to buffering the passage
of heat to the attic floor. Make clever insulation setups
that do not cause problems of condensation or moisture buildup.
Now
we shall come to the case of the other half of your problem:
Basements
- Pest
& Mold Control The basic environs in which
the termites, pests and mold thrive is moisture oriented.
Therefore, keep your basement dry. For this you can implement
plastic coats on the walls and floors with holes in vent mouths.
Seaming all sides up with plastic will prevent moisture on
the walls and floorings giving birth to a riot of mold or
pests in your basement.
- Flooring
Make sure that your flooring is apt for basements. Check
for leaks, and apply latex paints to make the flooring more
water resistant and durable. Carpeting the floor is an option
if your floor does not have moisture or water seepage issues.
Excavate around the walls and make them waterproof externally
if your internal water seepage problems do not cease.
- Ceiling
The Ceiling can be carpeted wall-to-wall too. Make sure
that the walls are waterproof otherwise the ceiling décor
may give rise to molds and other moisture related problems.
Creating
an inventory map for your attic and
basement stuff is a huge advantage, not only
to seek out any of the materials you are looking for but also
to help you keep your attics and basements neatly organized.
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