During colder months, there’s an increased risk of moisture within a home’s attic space.
If given a pathway, warm, moist air finds its way into the attic and condenses before it’s able to exhaust through various venting systems. The harsh, cold temperatures turn this condensation into frost and, as weather warms up, the frost melts and can cause serious damage to the sheathing, roof framing, insulation and living space below.
Home maintenance check
As part of all standard home inspections, home maintenance or pre-inspections, we’ll check for frost and moisture issues in your attic. We may even use thermal imaging to detect cold spots, which are often linked to voids in insulation or moisture in the attic.
If left unattended, attic moisture can lead to a lot of problems, the worst of which includes water damage and the formation of mould.
Visual inspection
As a homeowner, it’s also wise to perform your own visual inspection each winter. While we don’t advise that you climb into the attic and walk around, because it could be dangerous for anyone not familiar with the attic’s structural integrity, knowing how to detect attic frost and ventilation issues is helpful to protecting your family and home.
A ladder and flashlight are the only devices you’ll need to conduct a quick attic check. Lift the attic hatch. The box frame around the hatch will likely show signs of frost or moisture problems if they exist. Next, shine your flashlight into the attic area to see if any frost, moisture or insulation problems present themselves. If you see any problems, contact your home inspector immediately to take a closer look and devise a plan to correct your home’s attic issues.
Have questions about attic frost/moisture detection or any of our services? Answers are just a call or email away.
Contributing to this blog was Steve Schultz from Red Deer and Dustin Longpre, Franchise Owner in Red Deer and Fort McMurray, Alberta. Find an Inspector near you:
