Ventilation

Drip Alert: Many people falsely assume that venting dryers inside the house saves money by adding warm air in the house, rather than outside. What people fail to realize is that this is moist air, and it costs much more to repair parts of the house damaged by the mold that grows from improper ventilation than the money they save in heating bills from venting indoors. Be sure your vents lead to the outdoors and never into the attic or another part of the house.

□ Inspect bathroom, kitchen, and other exhaust ducts for leaks and blockages.

□ Install timers on bathroom and laundry fans, and run fans for 20 minutes after showers.

□ Use an approved aerosol foam sealant to seal around any ceiling penetrations that may allow moist air to flow into the attic space.

□ Place foam rubber insulation gaskets around attic space access panels.

□ When inspecting your attic space, ensure that your soffit (under eave) vents are not blocked by the attic insulation. Cardboard air dams can be placed within the attic to prevent this from happening or to facilitate the opening up of blocked vents.