When the moisture gets into the attic it condenses on the roof.
Causes of frost in attic.
What causes frost in your attic.
Will it cause any harm.
It is a serious problem because the frost turns into water as it dries out and this water will then leak into the home rot out the roof and joists and cause mold to.
Frost forms in the attic for one reason heat loss.
The humid air in your home rises to the top of your home the attic when the temperature gets too low.
My wife ali and i bought an old house 18 months ago.
When a warm sunny day arrives after a long cold stretch and it seems like you have a roof leak when there isn t a cloud in the sky it s probably attic icing otherwise known as ice dams or ice damming and the surprising thing is that it s very unlikely that the roof covering itself is the problem.
This frost is the result of warm air rising from the living areas underneath.
Frost accumulates in attics when moisture laden air from the house gets up there when it s cold.
The best way to prevent frost from accumulating in an attic is to seal off attic air leaks.
The problem in attics is primarily one of quantity.
Frost in the attic is no different than anywhere else.
The attic is meant to be a cool space in the winter.
At times there was ice and frost on the nails.
When it reaches the cold surface of the roof sheathing and framing it turns to frost.
During winter conditions attic frost is a problem associated with attic bypasses.
When warm air from inside the house escapes traveling up through the bypasses the moisture condenses on the roof boards and rafters where the frost can form.
Why is there ice in my roof.
That s about it pretty simple.
What you re looking at is evidence of excessive moisture in your house.
Last winter i noticed condensation and water droplets on the nails that stick through the roof into the attic.
While seemingly relatively small air leaks may not seem to be important these can add up to a lot of frost accumulation in the attic.
In one house frost accumulations of up to fifteen hundred pounds were discovered one cold february warm air rising in the house pushes moisture up through cracks in the ceiling.
Ice frost and water in an attic condensation new construction text.
Without proper attic ventilation in your home you could have a considerable amount of frost accumulate in your attic during the cold winter months.
Boxes stored in the attic were sometimes wet.
Click the following link for an excellent guide to attic air sealing.
What causes this frost.
Heat loss is when warm air and the moisture that joins it from the conditioned living space moves into the attic.
Well temperature fluctuations like that are a prime culprit for frost in the attic.
When the outside temperature rises again the frost thaws water collects and can leak into.
Why does frost form in the attic.
Remember that polar vortex we had not too long ago where we had 70 degree temperature swings in about 48 hours.
Can i cure it.
