What to Do About Water Damage in Your Attic

Wintry climates
If you live somewhere that snows in the winter, ice dams will be your biggest concern. The best way to prevent ice dams from forming is to keep the attic at least five degrees warmer than outside. If there is snow on the roof, do not attempt to remove it; you could damage your roof. Instead, check all exterior walls for staining. If you find any, act quickly to avoid further damage. Call a qualified professional and get help. If you do get ice dams, do not attempt to remove them, you could cause more damage to your roof. Besides calling a professional, you can temporarily remedy the problem by cutting grooves into the ice to allow the pooled water to drain. Just be sure to not cut all the way down to the shingles.

Ventilation
Bad ventilation can keep the attic humid causing condensation to run ramped, but this is not only place to worry about humidity. Research has indicated that humidity in the living space is a major cause of condensation in the attic. To help prevent this, be sure that the attic is sealed off from the rest of the house. If discoloration, condensation or mold is found on or around your vents, immediately trace it to the source, and repair the damage right away. It is also important to check outside for debris that may be building up on the vents.

Insulation
Insulation is going to be like a canary in a coalmine when it comes to early prevention of water damage. The most important time to check your insulation is after it has rained. Be sure to give it a good feel, even if it looks dry, because the slightest amount of moisture means you probably don’t have enough ventilation. Keeping your insulation in good condition is not only important for preventing water damage, but it will also keep your heating bill from running up, up and away.

Floor, ceiling and crawl spaces
These areas take a bit more time to check for signs of moisture, but are just as important as the rest of the attic. Be sure to use a flashlight and check thoroughly for discoloration and staining, as these will be harder to spot than rot and warping. Also, be sure to look with your hands as well as your eyes, especially around nails as they are metal and condensation will settle on them first.

Recessed lighting
Checking in and around recessed lights is one the most reliable way of detecting possible water damage. If you find corrosion or rust in the lights, be careful, it could be an electrical hazard. If you know how, turn off your power and repair the light, other wise call an electrician. Also be sure to trace the damage to its source and make all necessary repairs.

How To Make Your Roof Survive The Winter

Winter months take a toll on your roof. If your roof is not in shipshape condition, it can put you to a lot of time waste and expense on account of significant damage that needs to be urgently remedied. It is therefore, advisable that you take steps necessary to ‘tone up’ your roof condition while the weather is good for making roof repairs before the arrival of winter. It is rightly said, ‘A stitch in time saves nine’.

A leaking roof is one of the biggest problems. The most common sources of leaks can be cracks and damage to the flashing around vents and chimneys. Other potential reasons can be missing and worn out shingles or condensation as a result of inadequate ventilation in the attic.

A pointer that your roof system needs a leak repair is the presence of ceiling spots. Visual inspection from a vantagepoint allowing you to externally check your roof can reveal missing or cracked damaged shingles. These should be replaced at once to avoid structural damage to the roof deck and the home interior. If a crack in the flashing is diagnosed, the flashing needs to be replaced or can be repaired if the damage is small.

If shingles appear curled or buckled, the problem is probably on account of aged shingles or damage to the felt underlayment under the shingles. Underlayment is a weather protection layer in the roof and its damage can lead to accumulation of moisture; the ultimate enemy of all roofing systems. Underlayment is now available in self-adhering rolls that are applied directly on the roof deck or can be laid as a layer on top of the existing underlayment. Damaged shingles should be replaced and underlayment though costly must be replaced, must be changed, if required. If shingles appear blistered, it is usually because they were applied on a wet deck or due to inadequate roofing ventilation. Proper roof ventilation allows natural flow of hot air upward out of the attic and keeps the attic cool and dry.

In winter, the prime cause for concern is the moisture build up in the attic. Despite the vapor barrier in the floor of the attic, unwanted moisture seeps into the attic with the air leaking through ceiling light fixtures, access panels, fold down attic stairways, bathroom exhaust fans etc. The cold outside of the roof makes moisture condense on the framing members and inside the roof deck and supports growth of mold, mildew and rot. This seriously affects roof deck strength and longevity. Inadequate attic ventilation can also make ice dams form on the shingles. Water accumulation behind icedams can seep into the attic/house through the shingles. It is therefore absolutely essential to ensure proper attic ventilation.

If there is inadequate attic ventilation, you may get a ridge vent (if your roofing system does not have one) installed to improve ventilation. Alternatively, a gable vent in the sidewall of the attic can be installed depending on the construction of your roofing system.

Another solution is to have a powered ventilator installed. Improved ventilation will prevent moisture condensation that can severely damage the roof.

If you face roofing problems it is best to secure the services of a qualified roofing contractor for fixing things up. Roofing work is expensive but it will be worth the expenditure in the long run, and to make sure your roof survive the winter.

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