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Has anyone ever bought a house with no access (scuttle) to the attic? How does one know if there is insulation, or able to check the condition of the roof, existence of mold, etc?
Are you absolutely certain there is no scuttle or access somewhere in the house ?
Sometimes it's in weird places- in a linen closet ceiling, over the basement stairs, sometimes high up on the connecting wall between an attached garage and the house.
If there is none, the only way to see into the attic would be from the gable vents on either side of the house which is not adequate to really inspect the attic.
Obviously if you bought the house, you could always add an access scuttle or pull down stairs. Me, personally, I'd probably pass on the house if I couldn't get a home inspector into the attic to check it out.
Did anyone ask the homeowner if he or she perhaps closed up an original scuttle ? Maybe the seller would be willing to open it up again.
Definitely no scuttle. Yes, my agent has requested seller to make a scuttle for inspection. Listing agent acting as if this is a totally unreasonable request. However, we are insisting (now waiting for answer).
There may be legalities to consider also. When we built our house, we HAD to put an access in that was a minimum size. Something to do with fire codes and allowing a firefighter room to maneuver. Try looking at that approach...if it is mandatory for fire codes, the seller may not have a choice in the matter.
Some portions of a roof area may not have an attic space (cathedral ceiling areas, vaulting with a flat roof, etc). But there should be some access somewhere for the electrical and mechanicals.
Question now arises, is something being hidden?
If you are getting an FHA loan, the appraiser has to be able to access the attic space as well.
How does one even know they have an attic (insulation, wiring, A/C ducting, etc)? It's sort of like attaching a door to a wall ... with a sign that says 'finished basement' --- 'No Access'.
Some homes don't have (or required to have) an attic access (low roof slope).
Many times I have inspected homes where someone is doing renovations, and they just cover up the access.
One comment about installing pull down ladders. Many times someone will install them in a hallway. Great for access, but not so great because they have cut thru the bottoms of the roof trusses.
There may be legalities to consider also. When we built our house, we HAD to put an access in that was a minimum size. Something to do with fire codes and allowing a firefighter room to maneuver. Try looking at that approach...if it is mandatory for fire codes, the seller may not have a choice in the matter.
Not only that but how would an electrician get in there to inspect wires (or add new ones) or junction boxes. Down the road almost everyone adds some lights or a fan here and there.
How would plumbers check the vent pipes? What if something damaged them?
How would a roofer easily check for leaks? What if there's mold?
How would you know if your house is properly insulated form the elements if you can't get up there to see how much or what kind of insulation you have?
How would hvac get up there to check the duckwork (assuming you do have some up there, it's normal in modern homes, perhaps not in pre 1970's homes) or to re-route things (like maybe you get your bathroom redone and want to vent the bath fan outside instead of just pumping that moisture into your attic space and onto your rafters and insulation...)?
Like I said earlier, not all homes have to have an attic access. According to the IRC Section R807.1 Attic Access "Buildings with combustible ceiling or roof construction shall have an attic access opening to attic areas that exceed 30 square feet and have a vertical height of 30 inches."
Log cabins with vaulted ceiling have no attic.
Most homes with flat roofs have no attic.
Many homes with vaulted ceilings have no attics.
Many homes have ductwork under the floors (crawlspaces and/or basements).
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