January 11, 2018

Frosty Attic?

frosty attic

We have received hundred of calls in the last few days about frost in customers attics and condensation on their ceilings. Customers want to know if they have a bad roof? Why is their roof leaking? What’s going on? This time of year, the simple answer is they have frost in their attic.

 

Once we get sub-zero temperatures, frost will start to accumulate when excess amounts of moisture is in our home. The colder it is outside, the more frost that will accumulate in the attic. It is when the temperatures swing to above zero in a short amount of time that we have a problem.

 

The more humid a house is, the more frost you’ll find in the attic. The houses with the worst frost problems usually have a humidifier running. We recommend turning off your humidifier.

 

When moisture gets into the attic, it condenses on the roof sheathing in the form of frost. Frost doesn’t do much damage to the roofs while it remains frost. It is when it melts that the problems start. When the frost melts, it saturates the insulation, and can leave stains on the ceiling. The continued saturation can lead to the roof decking being compromised and even cause mold issues if left undiscovered for long periods of time.

 

Ultimately, the issue needs to be resolved. This generally calls for insulation being removed and the attic being updated with proper ventilation and air sealing before adding new insulation.

 

You will notice that the lower the outdoor temperature, the lower the indoor humidity should be.

  • If outside temperature is 20 to 40 degrees, humidity indoors should not be more than 40 percent.
  • If outside temperature is 10 to 20 degrees, humidity indoors should not be more than 35 percent.
  • If outside temperature is 0 to 10 degrees, humidity indoors should not be more than 30 percent.
  • If outside temperature is 10-below to 0, humidity indoors should not be more than 25 percent.
  • If outside temperature is 20-below to 10-below, humidity indoors should not be more than 20 percent.
  • If outdoor temperature is lower than 20-below, inside humidity should not be more than 15 percent.

There are rebate options with your energy provider.

 

Xcel Energy offers the following:

Air sealing & weather stripping 30% of installed costs up to $150

  • Attic and bypass sealing insulation 30% of installed costs up to $300
  • Wall insulation 30% of installed costs up to $300

For a total of $750 per calendar year and depending on the number of

qualifying insulation measures installed.

If you have any questions on Xcel Insulation Rebates, call 1-800-895-4999.

 

CenterPoint Energy offers the following:

  • Attic air sealing 30% of installed costs up to $300
  • Attic air sealing & qualifying attic insulation 30% of installed costs up to $500
  • Attic insulation only NO REBATE AVAILABLE
  • Wall insulation 30% of installed costs up to $500

For a total of $1,300 per calendar year and depending on the number of qualifying

insulation measures installed.

If you have any questions on CenterPoint Insulation Rebates, call 1-800-245-2377.

Wondering what to do? Call Stinson Services, 952-933-4510, for your free consultation. With this you will have peace of mind knowing what the problem is and how to fix it.

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Written By Tech

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