A patch of frost here and there on the tips of roofing nails poking through the sheathing for instance probably isn t a cause for alarm.
Frost in attic north side.
Moisture or frost on the roofs sheathing.
There was also frost on the west wall on the north side of the dormer where the sun doesn t get to it this time of year.
Moist or wet insulation.
When a warm sunny day arrives after a long cold stretch and it seems like you have a roof leak when there isn t a cloud in the sky it s probably attic icing otherwise known as ice dams or ice damming and the surprising thing is that it s very unlikely that the roof covering itself is the problem.
How much frost should you have in an attic.
Why is there ice in my roof.
But anything more than an occasional patch is.
When the weather warms up the frost will become water droplets and evaporate harmlessly.
That s about it pretty simple.
You can t fully eliminate that moisture but you can try to limit it.
When warm air from inside the house escapes traveling up through the bypasses the moisture condenses on the roof boards and rafters where the frost can form.
A few years ago we had a lot of frost and a company came in and charged us 250 to spray the exhaust fan and duct to stop leakage.
Upon inspection of the attic the entire north face of the attic had frost on the nails poking through and most of the decking boards.
When the outside temperature rises again the frost thaws water collects and can leak into.
We still have one area in the rafters between the bathroom and a walk in closet that has some frost.
These signs can vary contingent on the catalyst of the problem and are generally worse on north facing or shady sides of roofs.
When the moisture gets into the attic it condenses on the roof.
During winter conditions attic frost is a problem associated with attic bypasses.
How does condensation get in the attic.
There is no snow on the roof.
Left unchecked frost in an attic can lead to serious mold and decay.
As to the frost there are a few things you can check.
Buckled or damaged roof sheathing.
John straube and chris schumacher answer the question why do i see frost in my attic the 12 days of building science is a project of rdh building science.
The frost is on the north side since the south side receives more sunlight over the course of the day during winter in the northern hemisphere.
Obviously the frost is caused by moisture in the attic air.