The attic is the one space in your home that can pretty much store anything. It holds your insulation, your water tank, and they even hold the old and decrepit boxes that were left out from your previous owners. The problem is that attics are also magnets for moisture.
If you’re not looking after your attic enough, you could end up with a leak that runs down your ceilings and causes damage that’s very difficult to fix. Most people associate dampness with basements or cruel spaces, but attics can suffer from moisture problems just as much as any of those other areas of the home. It can lead to damaged insulation and structural issues, and it could be because of something so simple such as not having a clean gutter. If you’re noticing the common signs of moisture in your attic such as musty smells, ice on cold surfaces and foggy windows, it’s about time you started looking at how the moisture got into your attic in the first place. Below, we have a list of the common causes of moisture getting into the attic.
- The roof is leaking. A roof leak can actually be very small and it can still have a terrible impact on your attic space. If the leak is small enough, evidence of water damage is not yet visible to your home. You could catch up quickly but just make sure that you call a roofer. Attics are the first place you’re going to notice a leaky roof, so get in there early and get it fixed.
- Your pipes need support. The attic is filled with a network of pipes that extend to the rest of the home. They can sweat and leak, because they are bombarded by the hot and cold changes in the home. Your pipes should be checked to ensure that water vapour is not sitting on cold pipes and the pipes are not dripping down.
- Your foundation is causing the moisture. Water in the ground can travel through the basement or crawlspace floors and walls. The water will then work upwards until it’s in the attic, evaporate into the air and travel through bypasses in the home. Bypasses are any area where warm air could flow into the attic.
- Your ventilation is blocked. Most people have an attic that is ventilated to the outside, this allows moisture to travel through and not become trapped. If your ventilation system has stopped working or has become blocked, this can then move that water inwards and settle in the attic.
- The air-conditioner is the problem. An air conditioning unit operates by sensing the indoor air temperature. If the temperature drops enough, but the resulting humidity stays high, moisture forms and condenses on the unit, which causes problems long term.
These are not an exhaustive list of what causes attic leaks, but if you are dealing with water in your attic space then you need to call an expert to come and make sure your pipes are working correctly.
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