Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Attics, basements, and crawlspaces are the least frequented areas of a home, which is one of the reasons they often cause the most problems. A regular inspection can catch potential problems—like leaks, condensation, termite activity, or the growth of mold—before they become a major headache.

From vaulted to tray to coffered, it seems like the sky’s the limit for ceilings these days. Specialty ceilings can add a distinctive design element to a room and make it feel larger than it really is. And when it’s time to sell your home, custom ceilings might be just the thing to make your house stand out from the crowd.

Even if your attic is well insulated, the folding stairs that provides access can be a major source of heat loss. They often are poorly sealed and provide only a thin piece of plywood to keep the heated air from escaping. Begin by checking to see if the attic stairs close tightly then apply self-adhesive foam weather stripping around the perimeter where the plywood door meets the frame, except on the hinge end.

David asks, “Could you wrap your house with a plastic vapor barrier on the outside before you brick it? If not why, because I’ve heard you can on the inside? I know you can use a Tyvek wrap, so why not plastic?”

David asks, “My house attic is insulated, but I noticed that the attic over the carport is not insulated. The carport is open on two sides. It joins the main house and both attics are open. Does it matter if the carport attic is not insulated?”

Bjorn asks, “I have a new house with a metal roof and without a ridge vent. Please recommend a vent system without cutting holes in the metal roof.” That would depend on the style of roof you have. If your house has a gable roof, you can install a vent in each gable then mount an exhaust fan in the attic behind one of them that is controlled by a thermostat. If you have a hip roof, you would either have to replace the existing ridge with a vented one—making sure the roofing and sheathing at the peak are cut back so air from the attic can escape through it—or mount a power vent fan on the roof itself, which would require cutting a hole in the roofing.

Hot air in your attic may not seem like such a bad thing in the winter, but it contains moisture that can condense and cause long term problems. In summer, heat in the attic not only makes your air conditioner work harder, but it also cooks roof shingles from the underside and reduces their life.

How well insulation works is expressed by its R-value, which is a measure of resistance to the flow of heat. The higher the R-value, the better it insulates. The amount of insulation recommended for your home is dependent on where you live, but here are some general guidelines.