Haha, fiberglass itch is the devil's glitter—once it's on you, good luck getting rid of it. I've done the tape trick too, and yeah, there's always that one sneaky spot you miss. Cold showers though? Man, that's dedication...or desperation. I usually just grit my teeth and wait it out.
Speaking of attic fans, did you run into any issues with placement? Last one I installed, the homeowner insisted on a spot that looked perfect from outside but was right above a maze of ductwork. Ended up doing some gymnastics worthy of Cirque du Soleil just to get it in place without crushing anything important. Always seems like the "perfect spot" from outside is a nightmare once you're actually up there crawling around.
Curious if anyone else has had similar attic adventures...
Haha, the attic gymnastics struggle is real. I've lost count of how many times the "perfect" spot from the outside turned into a circus act once I poked my head inside. Here's my usual routine now:
First, I scope out the attic thoroughly—like, really scope it out. No quick glances from the access hatch. Crawl around a bit (yes, through that devil glitter fiberglass) and spot potential obstacles like ductwork, wiring, or plumbing lines.
Next step: grab a screwdriver or something long and skinny and poke it gently upward through the roof decking from inside (careful not to punch through shingles!). That way when I'm up on the roof later, I can easily spot exactly where I'll end up cutting. Saved me from a few "oops" moments.
Then climb outside and double-check that spot. Sometimes you realize it's right under a vent stack or too close to a valley—better to find out before you start cutting holes.
Finally, when you're sure, mark clearly and start cutting. And yeah...keep tape handy for fiberglass emergencies.
Still doesn't stop homeowners from occasionally insisting on "that perfect spot," but at least this way you're armed with solid reasons why maybe it isn't so perfect after all.
Been there myself—thought I'd found the ideal spot from outside, only to realize inside was a maze of ductwork and electrical wires. Learned my lesson after one close call nicking a wire (thankfully nothing serious). Now I always do the screwdriver trick too, but I also snap a quick photo inside the attic. Helps me remember exactly what I'm dealing with once I climb back on the roof...saved me more than once from making a costly mistake.
Yeah, the screwdriver trick is a lifesaver for sure. I usually poke it through and leave it sticking out so I can spot it easily from inside. Photos are smart too, especially if you're dealing with a complicated attic layout. One thing I'd add—always double-check your measurements from inside the attic as well. I've had a couple installs where the roof pitch threw off my perspective from outside, and what looked like plenty of clearance ended up being way tighter once I got inside.
Also, don't underestimate insulation thickness. Had one job where everything seemed clear until I moved some insulation aside and found HVAC lines running right underneath. Dodged a bullet there... now I always push insulation back carefully to see what's hiding beneath. Better safe than sorry, right?
Good call on the insulation—learned that lesson the hard way myself. A couple years back, I was installing an attic fan and thought I had everything mapped out perfectly. Got up there, moved some insulation aside, and found a bunch of old wiring running exactly where I planned to cut. Had to rethink the whole thing on the spot, and it turned into a way longer afternoon than I'd planned.
Another thing that caught me off guard once was vent placement. Thought I'd picked a perfect spot from outside, but once I got inside, realized it was directly above a bathroom exhaust vent. Definitely didn't want to mess with that airflow, so had to shift everything over a couple feet. It's funny how something that seems straightforward can turn into a puzzle once you're actually up there poking around.
