''This article refers to the area found generally above a house. For other uses see Attic (disambiguation).

An attic is an area found directly below the roof of a buildinghttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/attic (also called a "garret", a "hayloft", a "sky parlor", and a "loft").http://thesaurus.reference.com/search?q=attic As attics fill the space between the ceiling of the top floor of a building and most often a slanted roof , they are known for being awkwardly shaped spaces with exposed rafters and difficult to access corners. While some attics are finished as bedrooms or home offices, complete with windows and staricases, most attics remain hard to get to, neglected, and are typically used for storage. Attics can also help control temperature in a house by providing a large mass of unmoving air. Hot air rising from lower floors of a building often gets traped in the attic further compounding their reputation for in hospitability.

Attics In Culture

Portrayed generally as dark, dusty, and filled with forgotten storage items, attics have held a unique place in popular culture as horrifying or even wondrous places. The most common theme associated with attics, is the discovery of long lost items that have been covered by dust and lost behind other objects. Often in television shows or movies the act of moving out of a house will require the cleaning out the attic thus giving the characters a chance to discover old objects and reminisce on past events, lending nicely to the flashback technique. Also common is the discovery of something horrifying that had been lost in the attic such as in the movie Jumanji where a magical board game found in the attic has unforeseen consequences for its players.

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