Getting Rid Of Horrible Attic Smells

Okay so you went into the attic and it smells bad, now what are you going to do. How do we get rid of these horrible smells in the attic? First thing we need to do is isolate where the smell could be coming from.

Is this an odor you are familiar with? If the odor smells like something you have ran across in the past, there's a good chance you will find a solution sooner. If it's an older you're not familiar with, then read on.

How do you find a smell that you're not familiar with? This is going to be tough, if the attic smells bad and you can't figure out where the smell is coming from or what's causing the smell. Let's start with installing a fan somewhere to circulate the air in the attic. Poor ventilation normally creates most of the horrible smells in your attic.

If the access opening to the attic is located in the ceiling of your house. Position the fan in the access hole and pull the air from inside the home into the attic. This will force the air and odor to exit through the gable vents, dormer vents or ventilation blocks. There's no guarantee this will get rid of the smell, but it's a start.

Does it smell musty or like a damp cloth, that has been sitting around the house for a long period of time? This is usually from poor ventilation and additional vents should be added to increase air circulation in the attic. One of the simplest ways to add ventilation is to install dormer vents. Check for blocked or damaged vents also.

Does it smell like animal urine or feces, in other words poop or pee? This is a smell that most people recognize and can be cleaned up if visible, quite easily. Some feces carry harmful organisms that create health problems, so be careful. You could gather more information by contacting your local health department before you start to clean up this mess. If you're not comfortable, you can always hire someone with some experience, cleaning attics. Make sure the person has experience walking around in and cleaning animal feces in attics.

Does the attic smell like dirt or dust? This is pretty common in most attics and seems to bother me more than smelling horrible odors. Moving around in the attic will often stir up these fine particles of dirt or dust and soon you will be breathing these particles into your lung's. Make sure your not allergic to dirt or dust, before entering the attic. Always wear a breathing safety apparatus that covers your nose and mouth snug with a tight fit. Loose fitting protection, simply allows the harmful particles to go around the dust mask.

Does it smell like a dead animal? Most people recognize the smell of a decaying carcass. Finding a dead animal could become quite an adventure. Some of these animals can crawl into spots that you can't reach. If the animal is in the process of decaying, it could have maggots or other insects and should be removed carefully and put it into a plastic trash bag for disposal.

Good ventilation is normally the solution to horrible attic smells. If these smells persist, longer than six months, you should contact a local contractor who has experience working with similar problems, in your area. Most experienced roofing contractors can install dormer vents to increase attic ventilation.