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Ventilation went from background detail to job one after a soggy sheathing incident.
I used to treat attic ventilation like an optional extra, something to address if the client insisted or code absolutely demanded it. That changed on a re-insulation project where the original install had blocked all the soffit vents with dense pack cellulose. Came back for a follow-up call months later to find the roof deck spongy with moisture and a faint mildew scent hanging in the air. Cutting in new vents and redoing sections was a tedious, costly fix that could have been avoided. Now I start every attic estimate with a flashlight and a deliberate check of intake and exhaust pathways. Explaining the physics of warm air escape has become a standard part of my pitch. It’s a quieter, less glamorous part of the job, but letting a house breathe correctly matters more than I gave it credit for.
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fisher.dylan3h ago
Oof, that's a rough lesson to learn the hard way. Like @miller.brian found with ridge vents, it's often the unobtrusive fixes that prevent the biggest headaches. I've seen similar cases where blocked vents led to condensation issues that weren't obvious until the sheathing started to go. Now I treat attic airflow with the same reverence as a good foundation, boring but essential.
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