Can any DIY buffs help me with this one.
We have had a new roof to our house which is a large semi and has one roof pointing NE and the other south-west (so it gets most of the sun). At about the same time I put some more insulation down (it was cheap in B & Q) which made the insulation over six inches thick.
The insulation was in rolls and in a plastic covering- one orange side and one silver. The silver side is supposed to be upwards.
Since then we have had heavy condensation only on the north east roof not the other.
We also had two windows fitted on the sunny side and so this does heat up the attic. This can really be the only reason why it is warm in the attic- the insulation is too thick for it to be leaking up from the house. Is it simply due to the sun?
Today I have reversed the rolls (orange side up) where sunlight lands to see if it makes any difference.
Has anyone else come across this and if so do you think simply installing blinds on the windows would sort it out.
2006-12-23 01:41:22 · 10 answers · asked by roly 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
You need a professional roofer [not some hack, ranch mechanic] to evaluate the intake/exhaust ratio of the roofs air flow. Roof ventilaion is measured in Sq.inches. For every one inch of air exiting you need a minimumof 1-1.5 inches coming in. You must address this immediately or you will replace your roof this spring.
If you are using a humidifier on your furnace, shut it off. Humidifiers are your roofs #1 enemy. Your insulation is restricting the air flow move it away from the the soffit vents. To minimize the risk of mold growth. put a fan in the attic to accelerate the drying process.
2006-12-24 13:44:09 · answer #1 · answered by william k 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Simple- you aren't getting enough cross ventilation in your attic. This can be due to insufficient area of vents, or incorrect placement of venting which fails to provide the appropriate airflow pattern needed to control condensation.
It is NOT the insulation, other than the fact that insulation lowered some of the heat loss to the attic and has thereby changed some conditions. Even the color of the roof changes conditions; a darker roof heats up more on the sunny side and affects attic temps. The fix is in the venting; it clears the moisture and keeps inside/outside temps close enough (by gravity air circulation) to eliminate condensation.
Attic condensation will damage your roof decking from the inside- it's a serious problem that you should fix soon.
Suggest getting a good professional review of the layout and recommendation for the correction. Not from a roofer! Get a builder who designs, an architect or engineer. The design of the attic and facing exposures enter into a good venting solution.
Power vents are helpful, but not necessary if you have the area and placement of venting correct.
2006-12-23 03:56:20 · answer #2 · answered by spiritgide41 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are not over insulated. Turn your insulation back over the way it was intended to be.
Your attic is not adequately ventilated. You need to make sure Air can come up through the vents on the eves and escape through the roof, either by a ridge vent (metal cap on the peak of your roof) or through a attic fan or other means of escape.
Yes the windows are probably allowing the attic to build up more heat.
2006-12-23 01:54:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
one thing is you used insulation that has a covering to it. it should be unfaced on top of the original stuff. another thing is not enough ventilation. make sure you don't have the soffit vents covered. if the windows have storms on them open the bottom storm window and then the top inside window. half way on both should do it. that way air not rain can come in. it sounds like you have enough insulation to do this. a small fan would move the air around if all else fails. the warm s-w side is heating the attic and condensing on the cold n-e side. i hope this helps, good luck.
2006-12-23 03:08:15 · answer #4 · answered by car dude 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it this a metal roof? If not u do not have sufficient attic ventalation, soffitt and ridge has to be equal or greater on intake. over insulation is not the problem, total recommended is r30 which is about 12". Use Elk Highpoint Series 5 ridge/shingle over using 2 1/2" nails to fasten vents and shingle. the proper cut of the top ridge decking is 1 1/2" from the center line. Instruction are on the box. the soffitt vents are 8x16" if u can get them to fit every 4' around the perimeter of the soffitt.
2006-12-23 06:15:37 · answer #5 · answered by john t 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The attic needs to be +- 5 degrees of the outside temperature. You should have some type of ventilation system that helps accomplish this temp. Do you have soffit vents and did you cover them up when you layed the new insulation?
2006-12-23 01:49:12 · answer #6 · answered by CAM1122 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'll tell you what it's suppose to be and you figure it out, there's suppose to be a vapor barrier in the attic. the plastic, in theory is suppose to be against the ceiling then the insulation, get it? go from there.
If you put the plastic up then the moisture is forming against the insulation sheet away from the plastic and the moisture is forming, soon it'll be raining in your house.
2006-12-23 05:31:37 · answer #7 · answered by cowboydoc 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Do you have any bathroom or kitchen fans exhausting into the attic ?? your new insulation would magnify the condensation problem.
2006-12-23 02:32:27 · answer #8 · answered by wilson 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you're over-insulated. either get a lower-rated (thickness/density) insulation or install an attic fan vent to keep the moisture from settling. check with a local contractor or at the gome improvement store on what grade insulation you should use if you're gonna change it, but I would go with aeration
2006-12-23 01:45:53 · answer #9 · answered by rachel 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
attic fan?
2006-12-23 01:43:36 · answer #10 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋