Thread: Odor in attic

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Robert,

Who would you think is a "appropriate" contractor?

I would just comment that a unknown odor was present in the attic and leave it at that.

Could be a dead rodent or some type of vermin urinating in the attic space.

I would not call it out as mildew unless I actually could see it.

JMHO

rick

Originally Posted by RobertSmith

Strong smelled of mildew like odor in the attic, but of course, do I know for sure its mildew? No....so what what would you say?

"Unknown odor smelled in attic. Have appropriate contractor determine cause and appropriate repairs needed?".


Note: Roof decking significantly water stained with rot damage at many locations. But of course, the homeowner just spent $4K replacing the shingles without replacing the decking. Go figure. Guess that $4k just went in the toilet.

Did you check water stains and rot damage with moisture meter? If sheathing was wet and you smelled mildew, I see no reason not to include that fact on your report. Just say what you observed.
Was insulation wet from past leaking?

"It smells like something rotten (or whatever) in the attic and I don't know what it is."

Robert,

See all those white things hanging down? Those are fungi (at least that's what they look like to me in those photos), and that is likely what you smelled.

I would add: Remove *new* roof covering, replace rotted roof decking, *replaced* roof covering ... again ... cleaning up the attic of any decaying material when the roof sheathing is off for replacement.

Originally Posted by dan orourke

Rick, I agree not to call out the mildew but should we as homeinspectors just "leave it a that". I mean, should we not tell the client what to do about that odor?

NO, I don't think so myself that we should tell them how to get rid of an odor. If you don't what is causing the odor, how can you make a call on how to handle it. Masking an odor is not getting rid of the source.

Now that Robert has posted some pic's after the fact, I would make note that the roof decking has water damages and it should be replaced.

JMHO

rick

Robert,

If I smell a "musty" odor, I report it as a "musty" odor, state that it indicates an excessive moisture condition and that I am not qualified to test for mold or mildew. The source of moisture needs to be located and controlled/eliminated.

However, the stuff in your pics... Well, I would certainly talk about that. And, not just as a "musty" odor. That is certainly a problem that you can see. Could be caused by inadequate ventilation, roof leaks or both. (I think both)