When the outside temperature rises again the frost thaws water collects and can leak into.
Frost in attic north side.
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.
We have a 20 year old two story house with a full basement.
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.
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.
That s about it pretty simple.
Obviously the frost is caused by moisture in the attic air.
What causes this type of moisture problem in the attic.
During winter conditions attic frost is a problem associated with attic bypasses.
How does condensation get in the attic.
The insulation wasn t great.
When the weather warms up the frost will become water droplets and evaporate harmlessly.
Water or drip marks scattered on the attic floor.
Frost accumulates in attics when moisture laden air from the house gets up there when it s cold.
Moisture or frost on the roofs sheathing.
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.
The worst frost was on the other side though.
As to the frost there are a few things you can check.
Frost in attic north side.
Our dryer vents up through the attic to the roof.
Why is there ice in my roof.
There is no snow on the roof.
In cool months the north side of the roof boards in the attic would be covered with water frost or even ice.
Moist or wet insulation.
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.
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.
Left unchecked frost in an attic can lead to serious mold and decay.
We discovered that the two underpowered bathroom fans were venting on top of the soffit that had perforations.
When the moisture gets into the attic it condenses on the roof.
You can t fully eliminate that moisture but you can try to limit it.