Should There Be Frost In My Attic

Depending on the temperature and the insolation ie.

Should there be frost in my attic.

If you already have frost in your attic i can assure you that it s only going to get worse winter is still two weeks away. If heated air in your home is allowed to escape into the attic it will cool forcing moisture out in droplets. If you ve ever experienced a leaky roof when it s not raining this is often the symptom of frost melting in the attic and this should be investigated before worrying about getting on the roof to examine seals and shingles. That s about it pretty simple.

Please excuse me while i digress for a moment. The colder it is outside the more frost will accumulate in an attic. Frost can also warp the wood in your attic cause shorts in electrical infrastructure and damage anything you may be storing up there. Frost in your attic space is a sign that warm humid air is somehow getting into your attic space.

Adding more attic ventilation is not the right solution. This will freeze if attic temperatures remain below freezing causing frost to build. Once we get a week of sub zero temperatures frost will really start to accumulate in attics. If the water stays in the attic mold can be a potential problem.

When the moisture gets into the attic it condenses on the roof. Humidity is the biggest contributor to this and like your basement you want to keep it pretty dehumidified. Since our minnesota winters are usually dry the only other source of humid air is your living space. When the outside temperature rises again the frost thaws water collects and can leak into your house.

The straight forward answer is that a little frost seen in a canadian attic in the dead of winter is nothing to panic about. Can sun get to the roof you will have either frost or water collecting. Frost and ice forms in attics when warm humid air accumulates and condenses on the underside of your roof sheathing. To start frost shows up in the attic when moisture laden air from the house gets into the attic.

Additional roof vents allow more air to escape from the attic and that pulls more warm moist air from the house into the attic.