So You Think Your House Is Haunted
Things that go bump in the night. The sound of a footstep on the hall outside of your room. A sudden cold draft that freezes you in place.
Spooky, isn’t it? Let’s be honest: when you’re living with the above, they sound pretty terrifying. No matter how rational you are or how proud you are of your skepticism, when you experience the above phenomena, it’s tough not to feel a chill down your spine.
That’s why thousands of people every year take to the internet to see if their house is haunted. While the question of the spirit world existing is one we’re going to stay well away from, there’s a few things you should consider before you jump into full Ghostbusters mode. There could be very rational, earthly reasons that your house is displaying signs of a haunting — so run through this list and see if any apply.
1) Creaks / The Sound Of Footsteps
Nothing will disturb your comfort at home like creaking sounds or hearing (what you think are) footsteps along the upper rooms. However, it’s far more likely that your house is settling or pipes are groaning due to a change in temperature. If you’re really concerned or the noises are incredibly frequent, you could always ask a structural engineer to take a look at your home.
2) Scratching At The Wall Or Ceiling
Walls and ceilings being scratched is a horror movie staple, bringing to mind images of vengeful ghosts scraping their fingers in desperation to get to the humans inside. These spirits are mean, nasty, out for reve — oh and they’re probably squirrels.
Yes, squirrels. Mischievous squirrels in the attic could be the source of your nighttime terrors. As they run around and scratch at the floor, your overactive imagination can easily interpret those sounds as ghosts trying to get in contact. While you might think you’d take squirrels over ghosts anyday (probably a good call), if you do have squirrels making a home in your attic, do speak to a pest control specialist to help remove them. If only getting rid of ghosts was that easy.
3) Sudden Chills
If you’re experiencing sudden chills in your home, then it’s far more likely there’s a draft in your home than a spirit. Even when your walls appear to be completely solid with absolutely no holes in sight, there’s always a chance of a draft.
The most common area for drafts to make their way into a house is around the window seal. If you spray water on the window from the outside — a direct hit, rather than the occasional pitter-patter that rain creates — then you can check the inside for any excess moisture. Patch up any leaks, no matter how small. Then, get on your hands and knees and inspect your flooring and skirting boards for holes. Drafts don’t need a lot of space to give you a chill, so be ruthless, and patch up even the smallest of holes.
The above demonstrate that even occurrences which appear to be supernatural are actually grounded in reality. By reassuring yourself of this, you can sleep easy, safe in the knowledge that you won’t be disturbed.
Thanks for interesting post.
Very helpful. Thanks!