Humidity and Your Roof

August 8, 2021 by GLSA Mobley

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It’s that time of year when we walk outside and feel like we’re in a sauna. The heat and humidity are oppressive. We have shared several times on our blog how the heat slowly degrades your roof, mostly in the form of UV rays. However, humidity also can impact your roof, but not from the outside air, instead it’s attic humidity caused by improper insulation and ventilation.

Where Does Attic Humidity Come From?

Humidity is essentially water vapor. You can end up with water vapor in your attic from several sources depending on your home’s configuration. The most common is from the shower. The steam, like heat, rises. Often it ends up rising into an attic. This is where proper attic insulation can help. It can block the steam from reaching your attic space. Turning on your bathroom fan every time you shower or opening a window also helps.

There are three other sources of humidity in your attic. Two come from inside your home:

1. In your kitchen the dishwasher as well as cooking and hand washing create steam.
2. Your laundry room can be another big source of humidity with your washer and dryer.

The third starts outside your home. Attic humidity can also come a roof leak. When a small amount of water gets in the attic and the temperatures rise, it turns the water into water vapor increasing the humidity levels of your attic.

What Can Be Done

As we mentioned, turning on a bathroom fan and opening the window can help. However, the best solution is to have your roofing contractor check your attic for proper insulation and ventilation. Also have them check for a roof leak and any other problem that could lead to the need for future roof repair.

Mobley Brothers Roofing and Renovation offers roofing inspections, repair and can advise you as to whether you have proper insulation and ventilation in your attic. We have two offices in Tennessee – one in Lebanon and one in Knoxville, both of which are A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau. Call us today at (615) 645-4500 or (865) 248-2772 or fill out our contact form.

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