Dealing with Attic Frost: A Guide to Safely Drying Out Your Space

As winter temperatures drop, many homeowners may find themselves facing the unexpected challenge of frost accumulating in their attics. This issue not only poses a threat to the structural integrity of the home but can also lead to mold growth and damage to stored belongings. If you've discovered frost in your attic during cold weather, taking prompt action to dry out the space is crucial. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you effectively address this issue and prevent further damage.

1. Identify the Source of Moisture: Before diving into the drying process, it's essential to identify the source of the moisture causing the frost in your attic. Common culprits include roof leaks, inadequate insulation, or improper ventilation. Inspect the attic thoroughly to pinpoint the problem areas, and address any issues you find to prevent future frost buildup.

2. Increase Ventilation: Proper attic ventilation is key to maintaining a dry and healthy space. Ensure that your attic is adequately ventilated to allow moist air to escape. Consider installing ridge vents, roof vents, or even attic fans to improve airflow. This will help prevent condensation and reduce the likelihood of frost forming in the future.

3. Remove Existing Frost: To dry out your attic, start by removing the existing frost. Use a combination of towels, rags, or a wet/dry vacuum to absorb as much moisture as possible. Wipe down any surfaces affected by frost to prevent water damage and mold growth. Consider placing moisture-absorbing materials, like desiccant bags or silica gel, in strategic locations to aid in the drying process. You can also put portable air fans up in the attic and leave your attic hatch open to move air and dry it out.

4. Address Insulation Issues: Insufficient insulation can contribute to attic frost, as it allows warm indoor air to meet the cold surfaces of the attic. Upgrade your insulation to meet recommended standards for your climate. This not only helps maintain a consistent temperature in the attic but also prevents heat from escaping, reducing the risk of frost formation.

By taking a systematic approach to identify and address the root causes of attic frost, you can effectively dry out the space and protect your home from potential damage. Regular maintenance, proper insulation, and adequate ventilation are essential components of a healthy attic environment, ensuring that your home remains comfortable and free from moisture-related issues throughout the winter months.

KEEPING THE WINTER CHILL OUT OF YOUR ATTIC

Title: Keeping Winter Chill Out: Tips to Reduce Condensation in Your Attic

signs of frost damage to roof sheathing

As temperatures plummet during the winter months, homeowners often face the challenge of preventing condensation buildup in their attics. Condensation occurs when warm, moist air rises and meets the cold surfaces of the attic, leading to potential issues like mold growth and damage to insulation. To ensure a healthy and efficient home, here are some practical tips to reduce condensation in your attic during very cold temperatures.

Firstly, proper attic ventilation is crucial in maintaining a balanced climate. Installing ridge vents and soffit vents can create a continuous flow of air, allowing moisture to escape. This ventilation system helps regulate temperature differentials between the indoor and outdoor air, preventing condensation from forming. Additionally, adding an attic fan can enhance air circulation, expelling moist air more effectively. Regularly inspecting and clearing vents from any obstructions like debris or insulation ensures their optimal function.

Secondly, focus on insulation and airtightness to create a barrier between your living spaces and the attic. Adequate insulation prevents warm air from reaching the cold surfaces where condensation occurs. Consider upgrading insulation levels to meet recommended standards for your region, and pay attention to areas prone to leaks, such as around chimneys, pipes, and attic hatches. Sealing gaps and cracks in the attic floor and walls with weatherstripping or foam insulation helps create an airtight envelope, minimizing the infiltration of warm, moist air.

Lastly, monitor indoor humidity levels and take proactive measures to reduce excessive moisture. Use exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms, and ensure that clothes dryers are properly vented to the outside. Humidity levels should ideally be kept between 30-50%. Installing a dehumidifier in the basement or other areas with high moisture content can further contribute to maintaining an optimal indoor environment, reducing the likelihood of condensation in the attic. By implementing these strategies, homeowners can safeguard their attics against condensation during extremely cold temperatures, promoting a healthier and more energy-efficient home.

Save On Your Energy Costs

SAVE ON ENERGY

Upgrading your attic insulation is an effective way to save money on your carbon tax bill. Carbon taxes are levied on companies and individuals who produce carbon emissions. By reducing your energy consumption, you can lower your carbon emissions and, as a result, reduce the amount of carbon tax you pay. In this article, we will explore how upgrading your attic insulation can help you save money on your carbon tax bill.

The primary benefit of upgrading your attic insulation is its ability to reduce energy consumption. If your attic is not properly insulated, a significant amount of heat can be lost or gained through the roof. This means that your heating and cooling systems have to work harder to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home, resulting in higher energy consumption and higher carbon emissions. Upgrading your attic insulation can significantly reduce this heat loss and gain, meaning your heating and cooling systems will work less, and you will consume less energy.

Reducing your energy consumption through attic insulation can lead to significant savings on your energy bills. The less energy you consume, the less you will pay for energy. These savings can be used to pay for the cost of upgrading your attic insulation, making it a cost-effective investment in the long run.

In addition to reducing energy consumption, upgrading your attic insulation can also help you qualify for government incentives and rebates. Many governments offer incentives and rebates to individuals and companies that invest in energy-efficient upgrades. By upgrading your attic insulation, you may be eligible for these incentives and rebates, which can help offset the cost of the upgrade and lead to even greater savings.

Finally, upgrading your attic insulation can help you reduce your carbon tax bill. Carbon taxes are based on the amount of carbon emissions produced by an individual or company. By reducing your energy consumption and carbon emissions through attic insulation, you can lower your carbon tax bill and potentially even avoid it altogether.

In conclusion, upgrading your attic insulation is an effective way to save money on your carbon tax bill. By reducing energy consumption, you can lower your carbon emissions and reduce the amount of carbon tax you pay. Upgrading your attic insulation can also lead to significant savings on your energy bills, help you qualify for government incentives and rebates, and ultimately lead to a more energy-efficient and sustainable home.

Beat the Summer Heat

Attic insulation is an important component of a well-insulated home. The attic is the space between the roof and the ceiling, and it is an area where a significant amount of heat can be lost or gained. Adding insulation to your attic is a cost-effective way to control the heat in your home during the hot summer months. In this article, we will explore the reasons why adding insulation to your attic can help with controlling heat in the hot summer.

The primary benefit of attic insulation is its ability to reduce heat transfer. During the summer months, the sun's rays beat down on your roof, heating up the air in your attic. If your attic is not properly insulated, this heat will radiate down into your living spaces, making your home uncomfortable and increasing your cooling bills. Insulating your attic will reduce this heat transfer, keeping your home cooler and reducing your energy bills.

Attic insulation works by creating a barrier between the outside air and the air in your living spaces. Most attic insulation is made of fiberglass. These materials are excellent at trapping air, which is a poor conductor of heat. When installed correctly, attic insulation creates a layer of air between the roof and the ceiling, slowing the transfer of heat into your home.

Another benefit of attic insulation is its ability to keep your home comfortable year-round. In addition to keeping your home cooler in the summer, attic insulation also helps keep your home warmer in the winter. Heat naturally rises, so if your attic is not insulated, warm air will escape through your roof, making your home harder to heat and increasing your energy bills. Insulating your attic will help keep warm air in your home, making it easier and less expensive to heat during the colder months.

Attic insulation also helps reduce the workload on your air conditioning system. If your attic is not insulated, your air conditioner will have to work harder to keep your home cool during the summer. This puts more wear and tear on your system, reducing its lifespan and increasing your maintenance costs. By insulating your attic, you can reduce the workload on your air conditioning system, which will save you money in the long run.

In addition to reducing heat transfer, attic insulation can also help improve the air quality in your home. If your attic is not insulated, it can become a breeding ground for mold, mildew, and other allergens. These allergens can then circulate through your home, aggravating allergies and asthma. By insulating your attic, you can help prevent the growth of mold and other allergens, improving the air quality in your home and reducing the risk of respiratory problems.

In conclusion, adding insulation to your attic is a cost-effective way to control heat in your home during the hot summer months. Attic insulation reduces heat transfer, keeps your home comfortable year-round, reduces the workload on your air conditioning system, and improves the air quality in your home. If you are looking to make your home more energy-efficient and comfortable, consider adding insulation to your attic. The benefits are numerous, and you will save money on your energy bills in the long run.

Prevent Damaging Ice Dams

UPGRADING your attic insulation can help reduce or eliminate ice damming. Cold weather and ice dams can go hand in hand if you have an under insulated attic. Why are “ice damns” you ask? We have all probably seen the manifestation of them, but didn’t give it a second thought. Basically, an ice dam will occur when heat loss into your attic melts snow at the centre of your roof, and the melted snow moves down your roof line, until it reaches the much colder eave and soffit area, where it freezes. if it warms up during the day, and we get cold nights (Chinooks) then the ice can build up to epic proportions, as layers and layers of new ice and longer icicles can form. It’s called an ice dam, because the ice build up will form a dam preventing moisture and water from shedding off the roof, and pooling and freezing at the eaves, where the problem is compounded.

Ice dams are problematic for 3 main reasons

1. They can represent a safety risk with large chunks of ice falling and injuring someone

2. They can severely damage your roofing shingles, if they occur regularly

3. When the ice melts, it can penetrate behind your wall sheathing and water damage can result to the interior wall, or worse, to the inside of your wall, where it’s invisible until severe damage occurs

Ways to prevent or mitigate ice dams

What can be done about ice dams. Sometimes ice dams are the result of structural design in a complicated roof, or poor design in roof drainage, but most often, insulating the attic properly and significantly reducing the melting effect of snow on your roof, can reduce or eliminate ice dams. As a side benefit, it can also save you money, in lost heat.

1. UPGRADE Your attic insulation. Reduce the amount of heat melting snow on your roof

2. Ensure good ventilation. Any heat lost into your attic, needs to be removed from your attic as quickly as possible. This will prevent heat damage to shingles in the summer and keep snow melting temperatures low in the winter. Ideally, your attic should be as close to the temperature outside as possible.

3. If you have upgraded your insulation and still have ice damning, you may have to use a special rake to remove snow from the edges of your roof or hire a professional to do so.

4. Another option is to install heat cables along your eave that heat up at certain temperatures and melt ice as it forms on the roof edge. Consult a profession if this is appropriate and on how to install heat cabling.

Why is it Raining in my Attic

Attic with frosted roofing nails

Whenever we have a prolonged cold spell in Alberta, we get hundreds of “attic rain” phone calls. Luckily, we don’t have extended periods of cold, too often, but when combined with warmer chinook weather, we get a phenomena known as attic “rain”. Attic rain is a circumstance where moist air in the home, driven by convection forces and heat loss, migrates into your attic and forms a frost on the roof sheathing, roofing nails, and other cold metallic penetrations. Much like ice dams on the roof, these frozen areas can partially thaw during the day, and refreeze at night, leading to a build up on the frost and even ice. When a chinook hits or the weather warms up, droplets of water will fall with the melting frost and ice. Because it’s most prominent on roofing nails, it’s scattered all over your attic, and may sound like rain as it falls into your insulation and the back of of the drywall ceiling.

Attic with excessive ice/frost in the attic

Counterintuitively, attic rain is very common in newer, better insulated homes, than most people think. Older, poorly insulated homes, tend to have hot attics. Because of extensive, and expensive heat loss, into the attic, it' can get quite warm up there, and it will “burn off” frost, before it has time to build up. This heat, is not a cure all, as it can do significant damage to your roof sheathing and shingles. Newer homes, or more insulated homes, have much less heat loss into the attic and this cold attic, will freeze moisture once it finally does pass into the attic.

As far as solutions, there isn’t a one size fits all way of eliminating something that happens infrequently, but can be a real shock to the homeowner. Ultimately, air ventilation to remove cold, moist air from your attic, is a key component. Many older homes have limited or no soffit venting, and framing designs often lead to making the problem worse.

Steps to take if you have Attic Rain

• Look in your attic from time to time, to see what is going on up. there. If you are unsure of something, take some pictures and send them to a local insulation company, to evaluate. If you are looking at buying a home, have an inspector evaluate your attic ventilation.

• Make sure all of your fan hoses from the house are connected to roof vents and no moist air is flowing into the attic.

• If you have a humidifier, turn it off completely during very cold periods or lower it as much as you can

• Make sure to use your stove hood exhaust fan whenever cooking or generating moisture in the kitchen

• Make sure to use your bathroom fans while showering, leaving them on for an extra 15 minutes to completely remove all of the moist air.

• Check to make sure that your attic hatch is sealed properly with weatherstripping. Attic hatches can be a major point of failure for air leaking into the attic.

• Reduce the amount of leakage through ceiling light fixtures with gaskets or caulking. Many older attics have a compromised vapour barrier, or none at all. Because of this, your drywall ceiling provides some protection, but is only as good as the weakest areas (penetrations)

• If you experience the problem frequently, consider augmenting your existing attic ventilation to move more air out of the attic. If you don’t have continuous soffit intake venting, consider installing passive roof vents low on your roof slope to act as intake. At the top of your roof line, ensure that you have adequate outtake venting. Consider a whirlybird to move more air.

• Consider having a power roof fan installed on your roof. It can have a thermostat / humidistat that will turn it on when your attic reaches a certain temperature or humidy level. It will move all of that moist air out of your attic in the winter, and the hot, shingle damaging air, in the winter.

• Consider having an HRV or Heat Recovery Ventilator installed on your furnace. This will ensure that the damp indoor air in the house is replaced with crisp dry air from outdoors.

• Upgrade your insulation. If you have a very low level, it will promote more heat loss into the attic, carrying more moisture with it.

• If you have water spots, you can go up into the attic and check the area above the water stains, and inspect for damage or gaps to the vapor barrier. You can seal these gaps with insulation tape or a can of spray foam, from a home improvement store. You can use a solution of 4 parts water and 1 part bleach to clean these water spots, and possible restore the stained color.

Ultimately, ice and frost in the attic is inevitable in most homes, it’s just a matter of degree. Most people would be surprised to find that their roofing nails almost always have frost on them. Usually this frost doesn’t build up too a large mass (short cold spells instead of long very cold periods) and when they do melt off, it’s usually a gradual process that goes unnoticed and is absorbed by the insulation. Nothing can completely prevent attic rain from happening; it’s just something that naturally occurs with the drastic swings in temperatures. Homeowners have a responsibility to mitigate damage by reducing humidity levels in their homes during cold weather. Although builders & homeowners can minimize the moisture reaching the attic by ensuring the air/vapour barrier is as continuous as possible, air leakage into the attic cannot be completely eliminated. Even a small air leak can deposit a significant amount of moisture over a long cold spell if the moisture content of the air is high.

Experts Place Emphasis on Attic Insulation

New Castle, DE -- 07/26/2016 -- Energy Services Group places an emphasis on attic insulation by conducting useful home energy audits.

According to ENERGY STAR, many homes and attics are poorly sealed and under-insulated. Because of this, homeowners are paying higher utility bills. By installing proper insulation, one can save up to 10 percent on their home's annual energy bill. Common symptoms of badly sealed and insulated attics are hot and cold rooms, uneven temperature between rooms, drafty rooms, exorbitant utility bills and ice dams on the roof in the winter.

Energy Services Group, regarded as the Original House Doctors, understands that most people are unaware that they are losing money because of their attic. Their technicians use specialized equipment during their energy audits to determine how and where one's house is letting their air conditioning and heating slip out, where there is little and no insulation and the efficiency of cooling and heating systems.

Read more at http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/3018316

U of C RESEARCHERS FIND LOST HEAT COSTS IN CALGARY

Calgarians may have barely stirred in their sleep one spring night in 2012 as a small-engine plane flew back and forth over the city’s neighbourhoods at low altitude.

But the images collected by a sophisticated, thermal imaging camera on board the aircraft are now waking residents to the financial and environmental cost of the heat that’s silently seeping from their homes.

A team of researchers at the University of Calgary used the images and city data to create a web-based map that shows potential greenhouse gas emissions for entire suburbs and pinpoints hot spots in each individual home where waste energy is escaping.

The project is the brainchild of geography professor Geoffrey Hay who began wondering four years ago why his recently constructed two-storey home in the Cougar Ridge subdivision was always cold.

** READ THE COMPLETE STORY FROM THE SOURCE ** 

HOMEOWNERS BEWARE OF ATTIC HEAT!

​Example of air chutes installed at the soffits, where there is a soffit intake vent.

One invisible area of concern, in 90% of homes over 20 years old, is excessive heat in your attic.  

Excessive heat in your attic can lead to more problems down the road, in both the summer and the winter.  

In the summer, it will cook the underside of your roof sheathing, and overhead your shingles-- leading to their premature breakdown.  

It can cause framing rot, and delamination of the roof sheathing as well.  In the winter, because Calgary has so many chinooks, it can lead to warm, moist air, building up in your attic, forming large ice build ups, that will melt with the next chinook, and cause water damage on your ceilings.  

It will also lead to compaction, of your existing insulation material, reducing its effectiveness, and value.  Ask us about solving your ventilation problems.  We charge very close to our cost, and consider this to be an added service to our customers, and ot a huge money maker.  We are in the attic insulation business, but believe we have a responsibility to answer customer concerns about other aspects of their attics.

There are two primary causes"

• Lack of insulation allowing heat from the home into the attic
• Lack of proper exhaust ventilation in your attic

​The solutions are also very simple:

• Upgrade attic insulation to R50 level
• Ensure proper air flow with air chutes, roof vents, and turbines.

​Upgrade attic insulation will act as the first line of defence, but preventing your expensive heat (in the summer) from leaving your home, and migrating into your attic.  Once it is in your attic, however, it's time to say goodbye to that heat.  Heat that is trapped in your attic can cause significant problems as outlined above.  While there doing your attic upgrade, our installers will take a look at your ventilation situation, and suggest simple, affordable solutions, if any are present.  

Almost all air flow concerns can be met by installing air chutes at the soffit, where good intake venting is present.  If you don't have good intake venting, we can install several roof vents low on the roofline, to act as intake, all in combination with one or two whirlybird turbines.  This should get your air flowing.  ​An added benefit is that in the heat of summer, this heat will be vented out of your attic, instead of dropping back into your home as the evening cools, keeping you cooking all night long!

NEW ZEALAND TO RENEW INSULATION SUBSIDIES?

While it may seem a little alarmist, I found it interesting to read about a recent study in New Zealand that tied comfort and moisture levels in the home, directly to health outcomes.  It turns out that warm well insulated homes may not only be comfy, but might also be a little healthier.  I would think that this transposes well to our colder more varied (Chinooks) weather patterns.

Two new health reports identifying damp housing as one of the root causes of child illness is further evidence of the need to extend the successful Warm Up New Zealand insulation scheme, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.

"Getting adequate insulation into kiwi homes isn't a ‘nice to have’; it is a health priority," Mrs Turei said "New research released from the University of Canterbury links poor home heating to increased asthma hospital admissions. "This comes on the back of a report yesterday linking rheumatic fever to damp housing.

"New Zealand has one of the highest asthma and rheumatic fever rates among developed countries. Home insulation can play a big part in reducing those rates.  "The Warm up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme was negotiated by the Greens as part of our Memorandum of Understanding with National. It has been a success, insulating 200,000 kiwi homes to date. It has created $1.3billion of benefits, mainly in better child health but these reports show there is more to do.

Now is the time to ensure the insulation scheme continues and has the opportunity to broaden its reach. We hope the Government extends funding for the scheme in the upcoming budget "Improving conditions inside kiwi homes for the kids that need it most is a priority. Extending the scheme is a common sense way to reduce rates of rheumatic fever and asthma, Mrs Turei said.