Water Leak On Attic Insulation

Box out light fixtures.

Water leak on attic insulation.

In warmer weather you ll find water staining in these same areas. It creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew and ruins the air trapping pockets that block heat flow. The best way to fix a wet attic is to stop air movement or leaks from the house. Water is insulation s enemy.

The two most common types of insulation fiberglass batts and blown in cellulose loose fill are vulnerable to attic water damage in two specific ways. Though attics are typically hot and dry a leaky roof or pipe condensation or severe weather can cause water to enter your attic. Once this is done the existing ventilation is usually more than enough to keep the attic dry. Insulation sits just below the roof s membrane.

Wet insulation increases the burden on the building itself and over time can lead to warping and other structural damage. Rainy weather causes the first type of leak to be discovered. This is done with powerful specialized vacuums for blown in insulation or by rolling up batting insulation and placing it into specialized bags for contaminated material. Loss of insulating value.

A home energy company has proposed a solution that involves sealing air leaks in the bedroom ceilings attic floor sealing around the chimney weatherizing the attic hatch insulating a few roof areas that the builders missed and adding cellulose to the rest of the attic to bring it up to r 60. Look for water stains on the roof sheathing or damp or moldy spots on attic joists and existing insulation as a clue to where leaks might be. While in your attic look for areas where the insulation is darkened see photo a result of filtering dusty air from the house. Both a house and chimney are containers of warm air surrounded by cold air.

Not getting insulation out to the edges when you re prepping the attic use a broom handle or stick to push the existing insulation out to the edges. It is important to stop air leaks because a heated house is much like a chimney. In cold weather you may see frosty areas in the insulation caused by warm moist air condensing and freezing as it hits the cold attic air. Water leaks occur through roof failure ice dams and water condensation or frost build up inside an attic.

When a leak allows water to seep in through the outer membrane and saturate the insulation below that moisture can deteriorate the roof on multiple fronts. Water in your attic can damage wood beams insulation and even. At the very least shingles.