What Are Those Noises?!

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Causes of Noises and Smells in the House

You just bought a home in FishHawk Ranch, it’s late at night and you are laying in bed relaxing while reading a book, all of a sudden a noise from the attic startles you and you jump out of bed. What is that and where is it coming from? The home is loaded with strange noises and weird odors. Let’s try to pinpoint where these are coming from and what if anything you can do to stop it.

Creaking at Night

The many materials that make up your house – wood, plywood, glass, metal ducts, nails, plumbing pipes. As it gets cooler at night these materials will expand and contract rubbing against each other and making noises. These noises tend to tend to be more noticeable when there is a large difference in temperature from day to night. These noises are harmless and normal unfortunately there is not much you can do to stop them.

Weird Odors

It’s either time to throw out the garbage or call your gas company to check on your gas lines and connections. If you are smelling rotten eggs it could be a serious issue so call the gas company immediately! Natural gas is odorless, but natural gas suppliers add a bad-smelling odorant called butyl mercaptan to the natural gas. This is intended to alert the occupants of any gas leaks.

Natural gas leaks can occur at your gas-fired water heater, fireplace, clothes dryer, or any other gas line. A natural gas leak can be potentially very dangerous. Get out of the house and call your natural gas provider to assess the situation. For homeowners in FishHawk Ranch, the natural gas provider is TECO Peoples Gas. In general, most gas companies will perform safety checks for free.

Noises in the Attic

In most homes, the attic is an unfinished, open space. So a small critter like a raccoon or squirrel walking on your roof might sound like something large in the attic. For the most part, these noises are just the small animals using the roof as a sidewalk.

Make sure your roof vents are covered with screens and in good shape. If these vents have the slightest opening these little critters can actually find their way into your attic. Try to trim tree branches away from your home. This will cut off easy access to your roof.

Something’s Burning

Are you smelling what seems like burnt wood? First, check to ensure there is not a fire in your home. If there is get out and call the fire department. If it is not a fire, and I know that not too many homes in FishHawk Ranch have these but if you do, it could be your fireplace.

Even if you have not had a fire for days the most likely cause of the smell is a drafty chimney and negative air pressure in your home. This causes the outside air to be sucked down your chimney bringing a burning smell with it.

To stop these drafts ensure your fireplace damper has a good seal. Regulate air pressure by adding more cold air return ducts to your HVAC system. By doing this, you will get rid of the odor and save on your energy bill too!

Clanking Sounds

No, it’s probably not a ghost! On windy days you may hear some weird clanking sounds in the home. These noises are usually caused by the vents for clothes dryers, bathrooms, and water heaters that exit out the roof or the side of the house. To prevent backdrafts into the home, these vents are designed with dampers or flaps that allow vented air out and prevent outside air from coming back into the home. On windy days, these flaps will sometimes move and rattle in high winds causing a clanking sound.

Because of the location of these dampers, the sound can often be difficult to pinpoint. These noises are typically harmless but a new damper may help reduce the noise.

Homeowner Related Real Estate Information

• Homeowner Maintenance Schedule and Checklist via Lowes
• Home Maintenance Checklist via Bob Villa
• 10 Simple Fixes to Instantly Raise Your Home’s Selling Price

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About the author

The above FishHawk Ranch real estate article “Causes of Noises and Smells in the House” was posted by Jeff Gould.

Jeff is a top-selling, nationally recognized REALTOR® and local FishHawk Ranch real estate expert. You will find him selling homes in Tampa Bay, Florida, and surrounding areas. Some of those areas include FishHawk, Lithia, Riverview, Valrico, Apollo Beach, Brandon, and Tampa.

If you are looking to sell or buy a Tampa Bay area home, Jeff is your local and trusted professional. He can be reached via phone/text at (813) 421-3007 or by contacting him below.

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