We’ve all heard the saying, “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” That saying is true for your roof as much as it is for you. When your attic isn’t properly ventilated or when moisture gets in from a roof leak, you may end up with significant damage. You may also see increasing energy bills as a result of excess humidity build up in your attic
Signs of Humidity
Signs of humidity can be seen from the inside and outside of your roof. The most common visible sign of damage from humidity is on the outside of your roof when you see staining or streaking. That is algae growing on your roof and eating away at the organic materials in the shingle. The good news is that it’s fairly simple to remove by using a 50/50 mixture of bleach and water and spraying it, let it sit, and then rinsing. Just be sure to water your garden plants before and rinse them after to avoid harming them from the bleach. You can also call your local roofing company and have them inspect and treat your roof.
Other signs can be harder to spot because they’re inside your attic. Go in your attic and look at your insulation. If it has water droplets on it, you have an issue with humidity in your attic. Look at the roof deck, if you see mold or mildew growing on it, there is a problem.
How it Happens
There are three main reasons you may have excess humidity in your attic. First is if the exhaust fans from your bathroom or kitchen run through your attic and aren’t sealed, the humid air leaks into your attic. Another cause is from the outside air and an improperly vented roof. Your roof needs two types of vents. Vents that let the outside air in, your soffits, and vents that let air out, either ridge or box vents are the most common type. Your local roofing company will use a formula to calculate proper ventilation and if your attic needs additional ventilation, they can add some. Lastly is a roof leak that allows water into your attic and then the summer air heats it the air creating water vapor. A properly vented roof usually prevents this last instance.
If you don’t have a local roofing company, call Cooley Roofing and Construction. We’ll inspect your roof, let you know if you need additional ventilation or need another type of repair. We can be reached at 366-766-6488 or by completing our contact form.
