Definition of "Attic"
An attic is an accessible room or space between the roof rafters and ceiling joists of a structure. The attic can be completely finished as a habitable place, complete with floors, insulation, beds, and furniture, like just another bedroom or home office. But when giving an attic definition, one can also refer to a sort of vacant space, unfinished, used as a storage room or not even that; just a gap filled with vacuum and void at the top of a house.
Why not filling this empty attic space? Lazyness, maybe. But that’s not to say that empty attics serve no purpose to the home; they are not really “dead” spaces. Attics serve the purpose of naturally controlling the temperature in the house by providing a large mass of slowly moving air. The heat produced by the residents in the lower floors get retained in attics, warming the home as a whole for longer periods of time. In fact, without proper refrigeration and ventilation, during the summer an attic can become an inhabitable place because of the intense heat. So much so that a modern building code will advise that even unoccupied attics should get proper ventilation from attic fans so there’s no accumulation of heat and moisture, thus reducing the proliferation of mold and other indoor allergies that could be creeping up on whoever lives in the house.
Because they are not proper rooms, attics are known to have unconventional shaped spaces, slanted ceilings, and are usually accessed through a hatch via a stair that serves no purpose but to connect the regular living space of the house to the attic.
Also called garret or sky parlor, the word attic comes from the Attica region of Greece as a nod to their architecture style which favored low decorative facades atop of a story in a building.
We hope our attic definition didn’t make you scared of all the indoor allergies that could be creeping up on you because of the lack of attic care and maintenance. But if it did try to declutter and make your home feel like new; we get the appeal of holding on to things, but one of those things you’re holding on to might be a disease, so declutter and live a healthier allergy free life!
Popular Real Estate Terms
A scholar second mortgage definition would go something like: a loan with a second-priority claim against a property in the event that the borrower defaults. But that’s too stiff, ...
Latin for through the life of another. A life estate in property is granted to an individual so long as a third person is alive. ...
Property that is zoned for industrial use, including manufacturing, research and development purposes, factory office and warehouse space, and industrial parks. ...
Appraisal concept stating the value a particular improvement contributes to the overall value of a property irrespective of its actual cost. ...
One to whom a gift or bequest is made. ...
If you have ever participated in a tricky real estate transaction, you might have encountered the relatively unknown term "deed of confirmation" or "confirmation deed." Read this ...
In legal terms, the definition of null and void (“void ab initio”) can describe an agreement that has no force or binding power. Therefore, it’s neither valid nor legally ...
Increase in the value of property. The appreciation may arise for many possible reasons, such as inflation, construction of higher priced homes in the neighborhood, tax incentives, and ...
Payment made instead of taxes, For example, a tax-exempt institution, such as a state government complex of buildings, may make an offsetting in lieu of tax contributory payment to the ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.