Have you ever experienced a roof leak on a sunny day in the middle of winter? It is probably from attic freeze or attic rain.
Frost and ice can form in attics when warm, humid air accumulates and condenses on the underside of your roof sheathing. Typically you will start to see this accumulate during extreme cold temperatures like we are having now. A little bit of frost forming is not unusual and typically doesn’t cause any major problems if it is able to melt and evaporate so the wood can dry.
However, if the frost is not able to evaporate and starts to accumulate, this is when we see issues. The longer this goes on, the greater the ice will build up and the more water you will have leaking down into the ceiling when the temperature finally start to warm up.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀?
𝟭. 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲
Do you have high humidity and condensation problems?
You can reduce humidity by remembering to use bathroom and kitchen fans when showering and cooking, run a dehumidifier in the basement if needed, and don’t hang laundry to dry indoors, unless your humidity is down around 30% RH level.
𝟮. 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Is your attic vented correctly and sufficient?
Take a look around the lowest edges of the roof. If there is light coming through from all around the edges of the roof, the ventilation is probably fine. If not, chances are that when someone added insulation, they pushed it down against all the edges and blocked air circulation which is not good! There should also be a good vent at the top.
𝟯. 𝗔𝗶𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴
Is there ceiling vapor barrier intact and doing its job? Is your attic hatch seal air tight?
Any areas where humid air could be escaping into the attic space should be properly sealed. Old electrical outlets, venting, attic hatches etc are all areas where you could find a leak.
In the case of attic frost, it is important to be aware and have the problem fixed. If you are not experienced in this kind of repairs, it is always a good idea to hire a professional.
Reach out if you would like me to provide you with a list of reliable contractors.