OK guys and girls… Lets be very careful out there when we inspect the attics with the extreme temps. I had a attic that I just had to go into to try and see where the day light was going from. Roof was just to steep for me to get onto to look. The attic temp was 225 degrees. I tied off a rope to myself and told the husband and my helper to keep talking to me. I told them if I pass out or feel down, they were to pull me out asap. And call the squad. I placed my daylight 10 million spot light in the attic so the could see me. I told them to turn it off for a sec so I could get a better look at the problem. Well I did make it out. My wife always carries a personal thermometer with her for her for health reasons. My core temp was 103. Needless to say, I was very happy that this was my last inspection for the day. And my client told me not to worry about the report until the next day. So be very careful when you venture into the attic. When you hear the Western and extreme southern inspectors tell you how they handle the attic inspections in there areas, listen up. OK, that’s my tip for the day. :mrgreen:
Careful MarK! I was in a 151 attic this week and alomost over did it. I can’t imagine a 225!!!
Needless to say, I called out the need for better attic ventilation. Insulation was right up against the soffits, no ridge vent, 2 vents three qrts up the roof and 2 gable vents. I started including rope with my inspection tools when 2 years ago, a home inspector was found in an attic. Coroner stated cause of death as heat stroke. 
I look around one at 160 degrees the other day and got my sweaty face out of there in a hurry.
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9797
At a temperature of 225 degrees, the Attic space is unsafe for entry.
I had a heat stroke several years ago, in the summer I only do attics very early morning, if real hot and there is an issue that can’t be handled from the outside or hatch, i will offer to come back at night or during rain.
I usually open the attic scuttles as soon as I start the inspection and inspect the attic last. They get very hot here in Fl as well. I do the best I can and try to find a couple of spots in the attic that I can view most of the attic from with a light. I keep lots of cold water with me in the summer months.
Mark 250 degrees is HOT! If you are ever in a jamb at those temps dont hesitate to just drop in through the ceiling or seperate an AC duct connection. The cost of the minor repairs are better than having a heat stroke and your life.
I’m a firefighter, we had a call once where a guy had a heart attack in the attic. We tried getting him out from the attic and quickly realized it would be much quicker and easier to pull the ceiling and lower him down. Thats what we did.
You could come back in the early morning, or at night. I do that, never had a problem with sellers, or the buyer. Life’s too short to die in an attic.
Stu
I did one at 147 this past week and thought that was hot. I’ve lost 10 pounds this summer with outdoor August temps at or above 100 and attics so hot you could make muffins in them.
Today’s attic was 149 F. I was soaked in 10 seconds, got a little woozey and got out quick. Gator-Aide to the rescue. I keep 3-5 bottles in my truck all year long.
This week I was inspecting an older home and, before I went into the attic I asked them to turn on the whole house ventelation system for 5 minutes. It made the attic somewhat more bearable.
Mark, Ohio has Arizona beat all to hell temperature wise I think…
When I was in the road building business years ago, hot asphalt from the batch plant was 225-250 degrees when it arrived at the job site in trucks if the batch plant was close.
The hottest temperature I can remember shooting (infrared) the OSB or Plywood from an attic in Arizona was 190 degrees when the outside temperature was about 119 degrees.
The hottest temperature I can remember in an unvented attic here was about 165-170 shooting an interior framing component.
A little inside info on this house. Slate roof, outside temp was 105, heat index 115. After thought… Yes I was stupid to NO end on this one. I am still feeling the side effects from it. I took the whole day off yesterday to take my flying lessons with my new helicopter. RC that is. I will be using it to inspect the roofs once I get all of the bugs worked out of it. I finished the build of it last week. More on that later.