You must not overlook the care and maintenance. Some people do and they do so to their detriment. Part of properly caring for your attic is to appropriately clean the space. While a number of reasons exist for attic cleanup, four more commonplace situations necessitating attic cleaning are:
- Odors coming from attic
- Rodent infestation in attic
- Roof leaks
- Passage of time
Odors Coming From Above
A major sign that you need an attic cleanup is when you begin to experience unpleasant odors wafting downward from your attic. In addition, odors from your attic can be conveyed throughout your residence via the ventilation and HVAC systems in your home.
Odors can develop in your attic because of a number of reasons, including:
- Mold
- Mildew
- Rodent droppings and urine
- Decaying animal or bird carcass
The circulation of odors in your home coming from the attic are indicative of other issues as well. These include rodent infestation. As a consequence, while you will want to undertake attic cleaning to stop the odor infiltrating your living space, you will want to take on and eliminate the underlying cause of the stench. For example, if the issue is foul odors coming from rodent droppings and urine, you will want to eradicate the rodent issue and undertake rodent droppings cleanup.
Aftermath of a Rodent Infestation
Odors associated with a rodent infestation were just referenced and the matter of mice or rats having taken up residence in your attic is expanded on a bit more here. Not only should odors associated with a rodent infestation trigger attic cleanup, other significant consequences connected with this type of varmint invasion demands comprehensive, intensive attic cleaning.
A rodent infestation results in the presence of droppings and other waste. Rodent droppings and associated waste can be contaminated with what are known as pathogens. Pathogens include viruses and bacteria that have the potential to cause disease and illness in humans. This can include serious and even life-threatening conditions caused by viruses and bacteria that can be carried in rodent droppings.
An important word of caution: if you have a rodent dropping issue in your attic, you should not enter the space without proper personal protective gear. As mentioned, rodent droppings carry dangerous viruses and bacteria.
Rodent droppings can carry a live pathogen like the hantavirus even when they dry out. When these droppings dry, they crumble very easily. Thus, it is possible for something like hantavirus to become airborne, infecting a person in an attic contaminated in this manner by breathing without a safety device like a respirator.
Leaks in Roof
If you’ve experienced a problem with your roof that resulted in leaking, your attic likely took the biggest hit. If you’ve had a roof leak, you definitely need to follow up that occurrence with attic cleanup.
A roof leak will result in the quick growth of mold and mildew in your attack. You mush address such as situation immediately. The failure to do so will allow these fungi to grow rapidly and extensively. That process can created a health risk to your family and also cause permanent damage to the structure of your residence.
Passage of Time
Dust and other substances accumulate because of the passage of time. Thus, if no other reason for a thorough attic cleaning, the passage of time itself warrants this type of cleanup. You definitely want to regularly inspect your attic to keep abreast of its status and cleanliness. This strategy permits you the ability to be as proactive as possible if an issue arises, like a rodent infestation.
A good number of people have made the decision to undertake attic cleaning at least once a year. Employing this tactic is an important part of keeping a residential environment as healthy as possible. Regular cleaning of this nature, based on the passage of time, ensures that the air quality of a residence is optimized. It also aids in making sure any dangerous substances that might harbor in an attic are eliminated sooner rather than later.
Benefits of Hiring an Attic Cleanup Company
As you contemplate attic cleanup, you should also consider some of the very real benefits associated with retaining the services of a professional. The key benefits associated with hiring a professional attic cleanup company include:
- Safety. Attic cleanup can include the need to eliminate hazardous materials from an attic. These can include biohazardous substances like rodent droppings that contain bacteria and viruses.
- Comprehensive. Proper attic cleanup is a comprehensive process that includes removal of debris, including biohazardous material. It also includes sanitization of any contaminated areas in an attic. Finally, comprehensive attic cleanup necessitates deodorization in some instances. Comprehensive attic cleanup is designed to ensure that a residence remains in or is returned to a wholly livable condition.
- Cost. A reputable attic cleanup company charges a fair, transparent fee for services. There are no hidden fees, charges, or surprises.