O/T Attic question

larry@stinescorner · Dec 23, 2013

we have a ranch house,one end of the house has a two car garage door under neath ,stairs come up to the kitchen, In the stairway going up to the kitchen,in the cieling is a trap door to get to the attic, The attic has a ridge vent the whole lenght of the house and a vent at the peak on each end. Sunday morning an attic smell seemed to be in the stairway coming from the trap door.Not the smell of something dead.just a attic smell. I got the ladder out went up into the attic,which has blown in insulation,and a plywood walkway down the middle,All the plastic tubs with stuff in them looked ok,I didnt see anything wet or moist, It does not smell in the hallway this morning.My question is,,,,,,we had a drastic change in temperature,could that do something to make the smell occur,we never noticed anything like it and we have lived here since 1985

ray hofstetter · Dec 23, 2013

Yeah, long as you're not seeing any leaks, i'd say some condensation from the temperature change....or a rotten turnip

Anonymous-0 · Dec 23, 2013

Been transporting any Amish?

JF in MI · Dec 23, 2013

Yup, I think its called a temperature inversion. I get the same thing when it warms way up and the house is colder and no fire in the wood stove. I get a chimney smell out of the stove.

Pops1532 · Dec 23, 2013

(quoted from post at 12:06:14 12/23/13) we have a ranch house,one end of the house has a two car garage door under neath ,stairs come up to the kitchen, In the stairway going up to the kitchen,in the cieling is a trap door to get to the attic, The attic has a ridge vent the whole lenght of the house and a vent at the peak on each end. Sunday morning an attic smell seemed to be in the stairway coming from the trap door.Not the smell of something dead.just a attic smell. I got the ladder out went up into the attic,which has blown in insulation,and a plywood walkway down the middle,All the plastic tubs with stuff in them looked ok,I didnt see anything wet or moist, It does not smell in the hallway this morning.My question is,,,,,,we had a drastic change in temperature,could that do something to make the smell occur,we never noticed anything like it and we have lived here since 1985

Do you have vented soffits? You need vented soffits along with the ridge vent to properly vent your attic. The trend the past several years has been to close off gable vents. The idea is to get the air to enter through the soffit vents and flow up to the ridge vent. Kind of a chimney effect.

Geo-TH,In · Dec 23, 2013

You may want to check in to a power vent that also has a humidistat.

Texasmark1 · Dec 23, 2013

+1..........

larry@stinescorner · Dec 23, 2013

It did cross my mind,but the turnips are in the garage,So are potatoes and onions ,i check them often toss out bad ones,and recognise any smell like that,this was a attic smell,sort of like moth ball type smell I keep mice poison in special places in tamper proof units and there is no sign of mice activity so far

larry@stinescorner · Dec 23, 2013

do they smell like moth balls? lol

Murray2 · Dec 23, 2013

Hi Larry, your aet up/design is some what similar to our's. Once in a while do get sort of a musty smell nothing serious. I have the ridge vent and vents in the gable ends. I don't have ventilation in the soffit. My thoughts for our place is to make ventilation openings in the soffit, to get air moving from a different direction. Note: my first start on this project, last week to remove all stored plastic containers from the attic and place additional insulation in the attic, presently there are no odors in the attic. Cheers and Season Greeting's to everyone, Murray.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 23, 2013

Agreed. And when some people blow in an extra lay of insulation they sometimes cover the soffit vents.

Leroy · Dec 23, 2013

Never again will I have attic vents. Never had any for a hundred years and no problems. 30 years ago put an adition to Dads house and put in those soffit vents and the ridge vent. First year snow storm and it filled the attic through those vents. Ever try digging out the snow from that over the top of the fiberglass insulation? I thought we were going to loose the celing and all the insulation. Got rid of those vents and no problem for the next 20 years we owned the house.

waltdavies · Dec 23, 2013

When bought this old house (1871) I was up in the attic looking around it was full of cans of all sorts to catch the rain dripping threw the roof. While there I saw this 4X8 that went clear across the house over 30 ft. Long yes one long board. I could not find where anything was attached to the top or sides I afraid to remove or mess with it my whole house may come down. Funny the thing one can find in an old house.
Walt

Brian G. NY · Dec 23, 2013

With the kind of weather we've had in the Northeast the last couple of days I would say JF in CT has your answer.
I sometimes get the chimney smell from my basement stove in this kind of weather.
I've learned not to attempt to start a fire in that stove in weather like this as there is precious little draft.

Texasmark1 · Dec 23, 2013

"Different strokes for different folks" as the TV series. Only problem I ever had of the sort was on a barn with a Cupola.

Mark

2x4 · Dec 23, 2013

could it be a gigantic herd of hybrid Lady Bugs? They collect in huge balls & layers in attics. Smell like old potatoes.

O/T Attic question

larry@stinescorner

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ray hofstetter

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Anonymous-0

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JF in MI

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Pops1532

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Geo-TH,In

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Texasmark1

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larry@stinescorner

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larry@stinescorner

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Murray2

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Anonymous-0

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Leroy

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waltdavies

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Brian G. NY

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Texasmark1

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2x4

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