Have you noticed any ball-shaped frozen water droplets or frost on your attic ceiling? If yes, then it is “attic rain!” Yes, it can rain in your attic too. Alberta is a place where the temperatures can swing between cold and hot conditions. With continuous change in the weather conditions, there are many cases where Edmonton exterior home renovation companies get a lot of calls regarding the issues of the attic rain. Before we start with what’s causing the attic rain, let’s know more about attic rain.

What Is Attic Rain?

Attic rain is a condition when moisture accumulates in the attic and freezes during the cold temperatures. This frost then melts when the weather warms again. These fluctuations in weather produce the most inappropriate attic conditions that can further damage your house, if not treated at the earliest.

What Are the Causes of Attic Rain?

It’s simple, attic rains are caused due to the heat inside the house. Anything that creates heat inside the house can eventually start the whole process of attic rain.

– Inadequate Air Sealing Technique

Reducing the number of air leaks in and out of the house can reduce the rain attic and save on costs, improve durability, increase comfort, and create a healthier indoor environment. Attic rain occurs when the temperature fluctuates. During the cold and windy weather, too much air may enter the house. With proper air sealing technique, it will reduce the moisture problems caused by air leakage, hence preventing attic rain.

– Disconnected Appliances

Disconnected appliances such as vents, fans, dryers, kitchen hoods, etc., vent the humidity straight into the attic space. These appliances create air movement to take place in the interior. When these appliances draw the warmth out of the air in a room and pass it through the insulation. The insulation appliances eventually take the air into the attic. This condition is also known as “conduction.”

– Gaps in the Walls of the Attic

Even gaps, cracks, openings of the walls, ceilings, around lights, outlets, etc. can cause the temperature to enter the house. This can eventually lead to moisture creation in the house, thus leading to attic rain. When the air escapes from the small open spaces, the air through the wall cavities makes its way into the attic. This process is known as “convection.”

– Solar Radiation

Your attic spaces can be warmed through solar radiation as well. Solar radiations involve materials that are quickly warmed by the sun. Solar radiation can pass through the roof materials, thus transferring heat into the attic.

What Are the Possible Solutions to Avoid Attic Rain?

Nothing can completely prevent attic rain from happening because it occurs naturally with the drastic swings in the temperatures. Therefore, it’s the homeowners’ responsibility to take necessary precautions to prevent it from damaging your home. So, here are some of the possible solutions that you take to avoid attic rain.

– Check If the Attic Is Well Ventilated

When your house is well ventilated, the chances of having attic rain reduces. Make sure to check on the areas where there is air leakage and check on the ventilation system inside the house. When there is proper ventilation in the home, it eliminates the heat caused by solar radiation. The Canadian government has given recommendations to have a certain amount of indoor ventilation based on the size of the house.

– Make Sure the Air Movement Goes Directly Outside

While you are using vents, fans, and other appliances used for insulation purposes, you need to make sure that the air movement made by them do not let the air to enter the attic.

– Turn on the Kitchen Vents

The heat can generally occur in the house, causing a swing in the temperature. It is suggested to keep the kitchen exhaust fan on to lead the heat produced during the cooking out of the house.

– Turn Down the Humidifier

The ideal moisture needed in a house is 30% – 50%. During the winter season, you might want to warm the house to enjoy a cosy place. But, you need to ensure the house temperature is warm enough to not add up to the moisture in your home. You can also have a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) at your home along with proper and timely exterior home renovations to replace the damp indoor air with the dry air outside.

– Have Your Home Inspected by Trusted Roofers

If you have taken the necessary precautions and still notice water stains on your ceiling and the walls, then you need to call the professionals providing exterior home renovations to find the core problem. The ideal solution is to replace the standard rooftop and install a proper material to get greater assurance for preventing attic rain. Get your roof inspected by professional providing exterior home renovations to prevent further damage to your house. The professionals will inspect the roof and attic properly and inform you of the core problem of the issue. They will also provide necessary solutions related to the exterior home renovation to the problems found by them.

Roof ventilation is an important area which can’t be ignored. You need to protect the roof and the attic space through right exterior home renovations to avoid running into mould and rot every time you go up there. So, this year take preventive measures to get your home winter ready. Make sure to keep attic ventilated and reduce frost accumulation. Invest in your new roof and let it pay you back.