Hello World! Welcome Friends! The attics of most homes usually end up becoming garbage piles, unsanitary repositories for all the junk accumulated over the years. Not only is this a health hazard that can threaten air quality and insulation, but it’s also a total waste of space. Attics and basements don’t have to become the creepy, filthy dungeons of your home; conversely, they can add new dimensions of utility and even financial value to your property.
The following is a brief overview of what you need to do:
Credit: Beth Bryan
Cleaning
Let’s be honest: the main reason to clean your attic is for hygienic and health purposes. An unkempt attic is destined to become the domain of Roof Rats in Attic, pests, and grime. Untreated, this will lead to infestations, mold, destroyed possessions, and disgusting smells. Diseases spread by rodents infesting attics include the following: Leptospirosis, Lymphocytic, Chorio-meningitis (LCM), Salmonella, Hantavirus, Eosinophilic Meningitis, and many more.
Not only is an uncleaned attic a threat to your health (this stuff can end up being transmitted to other parts of the house), accumulations of mold, dust, bacteria, viruses, and rat droppings can wreck your home’s walls, insulation, HVAC systems, and the very air you breathe.
I saw this firsthand in Southern California, where a number of Orange County infestations caused thousands of dollars worth of property damage. As a result, the type of attic cleaning Orange County residents opt for usually includes insulation replacement services.
Decluttering
Aside from the health and property benefits of cleaning, decluttering has additional perks. For one, storage space and organization is crucial in most homes, as objects, papers, files, and antiques accumulate over the years. The attic and basement of your home are the best places to store stuff, but if they’re completely cluttered it will be impossible to get organized.
Decluttering is also good for mental health. Many home decorators believe that by decluttering your rooms, closets, and all areas of your living space, you can gain clarity in other aspects of your life. With the rise of hoarding as a cultural trend – as well as a possible diagnosed mental illness – decluttering your attic or basement is a good way to start taking control of your domain. If you don’t address it now, it will only get worse over time.
Renovate/Reimagine
In addition to re-acquiring a clean, uncluttered space in your home, renovating your attic can add value to your home and create a totally new space for you and/or your children. There are countless Pinterest pages and other websites devoted to renovating an attic space but the basic principle is that you are creating an extra dimension to your home.
Instead of being a gross, stale, smelly garbage pile, your attic can become a new room, an entertainment space, a clubhouse, a man-cave, or even a home office. Whatever you want, whatever you need. But you certainly don’t need a landfill residing over you and your family’s heads.
Remodeling an attic is certainly not an easy task, nor is it one that you want to enter carelessly and without forethought and strategy. Attic to bedroom remodels routinely add value to a home, so much so that it’s considered a smart use of money. Some contractors state that this kind of remodeling job usually retains 65 percent of the value invested.
However, you will want to consider a variety of factors, including rafters, windows, insulation, vents, climate control, electrical/plumbing, permits, etc. In other words, it’s not necessarily a quick, easy job, but the effort and payoff will almost certainly be worth it.
Not every attic can be converted into a usable room. This will require having a contractor inspect the space. However, even if your attic can’t be totally converted into an amazing bedroom or office, wouldn’t you rather have an extra functional space in your house that is clean?
If nothing else, this could be a great spot for your kids to play games. But you don’t want them up there if it’s infested with mold and rodents.
Click the links below for any posts you have missed:
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Toodles,
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