Frost In Attic During Winter

During the winter months the recommended relative humidity inside a house is anywhere between 30 50 percent.

Frost in attic during winter.

So what is causing all of these leaks during the winter if it isn t rain snow or ice. Sealing your attic access hatch to prevent the movement of indoor air past the edges is the first step. Frost accumulates in attics when moisture laden air from the house gets up there when it s cold. Most homeowners never look in their attic spaces and if moisture is present slowly but surely it can cause damage without the homeowners knowing about it.

During winter conditions attic frost is a problem associated with attic bypasses. When the outside temperature rises again the frost thaws water collects and can leak into your house. That s about it pretty simple. This winter warmer dryer weather has seen the return of more normal attic conditions with significant frost seen only in problematic attics.

The resulting thick layer of frost remained for several weeks until the weather warmed or a reasonable layer of snow covered the roofs to provide some insulation from the very cold exterior temperatures. The air in the attic has water in it and it condenses on the cold metal. This exact same process is happening in your attic during extreme cold weather. A point often overlooked is that since it s winter the water freezes on the cold nails.

The nails that you see in your attic get as cold as the outdoor temperature. 1 a leak 2 air infiltration from the living spaces and 3 incorrect venting of kitchen bathroom washer drier or plumbing vents. If there is excessive moisture accumulation in your attic it will condense on cold areas mainly on the underside of your roof deck. This will freeze if attic temperatures remain below freezing causing frost to build up.

When the moisture gets into the attic it condenses on the roof. The one common denominator that we found was frost or moisture in the attic space. During winter there are usually three sources of humidity in an attic.