I’ve run into the same thing—thought I was being smart by just adding more insulation, but didn’t realize how much those little gaps around fixtures and pipes mess with airflow. It’s wild how a tiny spot can make the whole attic feel damp or musty. I’m still not convinced it’s always just insulation, though. Sometimes I think old houses just have weird air currents no matter what you do. But yeah, patching up those oddball gaps made a bigger difference than I expected, and it didn’t cost much either. Just wish I’d checked sooner instead of blaming the vents for everything...
Funny, I used to think more insulation was always the answer too. But after crawling around up there and finding cold air sneaking in around the bathroom vent pipe, I realized how much those little gaps matter. I sealed a couple spots with some leftover foam and the musty smell dropped off almost overnight. I still think old houses have their own quirks, though—sometimes it feels like the air just finds a new path no matter what you do. But yeah, chasing down those weird leaks made more difference than any fancy vent upgrade I tried.
That’s wild, because I keep hearing people say “seal everything!” but my uncle (who’s been doing roofs since the dinosaurs) swears that if you over-seal, you can trap moisture and end up with even funkier smells or mold. I get wanting to block drafts, especially in these old houses where you can feel the wind through the walls some days… but isn’t there a risk of blocking too much airflow? I tried foam in a couple spots and then suddenly had condensation on the nails. Maybe it’s just my luck, but sometimes I wonder if a little draft is better than a soggy attic.
I get where your uncle’s coming from—too much sealing can definitely backfire, especially in older homes that weren’t built with tight envelopes in mind. I see a lot of attics where someone went wild with spray foam, thinking more is better, but then moisture gets trapped and you end up with rusting nails or even mold spots. It’s kind of a balancing act: you want to block obvious drafts and gaps, but you also need proper ventilation (like soffit and ridge vents) so the whole system can breathe. I’ve seen cases where just adding baffles made a world of difference without going overboard on sealing every little crack. Sometimes “a little draft” isn’t such a bad thing after all...
I’ve actually run into this exact issue after a big hailstorm last year. The homeowner had sealed up every gap in the attic, thinking it’d help with energy bills, but after a few months, we found condensation on the underside of the roof deck—enough to start rusting some of the fasteners. Turns out, their ridge vent was blocked by insulation too. Once we cleared that and added baffles at the soffits, things dried out pretty quick. It’s wild how just a little airflow can make or break roof health... sometimes less is more when it comes to sealing.
