My Attic Has Frost

Common causes of attic frost.

My attic has frost. Since our minnesota winters are usually dry the only other source of humid air is your living space. But anything more than an occasional patch is. The air in the attic has water in it and it condenses on the cold metal. Why is there ice in my roof.

Frost in your attic space is a sign that warm humid air is somehow getting into your attic space. Left unchecked frost in an attic can lead to serious mold and decay. I ve blogged about attic air leaks many times and i ve shared photos of attic air leaks. A patch of frost here and there on the tips of roofing nails poking through the sheathing for instance probably isn t a cause for alarm.

When the outside temperature rises again the frost thaws water collects and can leak into. A point often overlooked is that since it s winter the water freezes on the cold nails. Check out my post on moldy attics for some. During winter conditions attic frost is a problem associated with attic bypasses.

In order to eliminate frost build up in the attic space we have to understand what causes it in the first place. When the weather warms up the frost will become water droplets and evaporate harmlessly. Frost gets into the attic from air leaks or attic bypasses. This exact same process is happening in your attic during extreme cold weather.

The nails that you see in your attic get as cold as the outdoor temperature.