Property & Building Inspection · Task 8 of 19

Insulation, moisture & ventilation study notes

Report insulation type and approximate depth, plus attic, crawl and moisture conditions.

Key points

• Attic: balanced soffit intake and ridge or roof exhaust; baffles keep insulation off the soffit vents.
• Frost or mold on sheathing usually comes from warm, moist house air leaking into the attic.
• Vapor retarders go on the warm-in-winter side in cold climates; avoid double vapor barriers.
• Bath, kitchen and dryer exhaust must go outdoors, never into the attic or soffit intake.
• Crawlspaces: ground cover over all the soil, vented or conditioned, insulation in contact with the subfloor.
• Vermiculite may contain asbestos: report as suspect material.

Exam tip

fix air leakage first. Most attic moisture comes from below.

Practise this task

Try free insulation, moisture & ventilation practice questions with answers and explanations, or look up terms in the glossary.

These notes are an original study aid and may contain errors. Verify against current IRC, NEC and NFPA editions and your state's standards of practice.