How To Stop Condensation In Attic Conversion
The loft spaces above most homes in the uk are designed to be cold insulation is placed above the ceiling and this keeps the home below warm and the loft above cold.
How to stop condensation in attic conversion. As for throwing the stuff away if its been in the roof space more than a couple of years you dont really need it a lot of people stack stuff in there lofts for years on end and dont even know its there. Also attic condensation isn t a problem limited to only older homes. Adding a few vents to the floor of the attic that extend to the ceiling of the story below the attic can help to promote air flow within the attic. And that ultimately will reduce your heating bills.
Condensation and excess moisture can build up at any time of the year although it is most common in the autumn and winter. If you haven t got fans in the kitchen bathroom or laundry room you should invest in them. For proper ventilation lofts and attics require 30 cm 1 foot square of unobstructed ventilation area for each 46 metres 150 feet square of loft area. This air flow can cut down on condensation.
There are however steps you can take to stop condensation in your loft. If you want to stop condensation in your attic you need to control the humidity in your home. Gary if you are absolutely sure there are no leaks and have checked everything that could possibly let water in ridge windows etc then i can only assume the condensation is being caused by a lack of ventilation. Or worse still you can physically see water droplets forming on the underside of your roof cover or water tank.
Most building codes don t address humidity issues and are also pretty lax on the level of insulation required in your attic especially around those previously mentioned attic bypasses. You ll know that you ve got condensation in the attic if you ve gone to get stored items from your roof space only to find them covered in mold. Bathroom and kitchen fans should always be discharged outside. They are prone to building up condensation.
Newer homes can be affected as well. The vapour control barrier also helps to prevent heat loss so as well as avoiding condensation the barrier combines with the insulation to increase the energy conservation in loft conversions. Sometimes attic condensation is the result of an attic being improperly ventilated. They should never be routed into the attic space.
So basically insulate to stop heat going into roof dont forget to insulate loft hatch and ensure a good air flow in roof space. When diagnosing a loft condensation problem one must first understand how condensation works. How to prevent condensation building up in loft conversions by. Condensation in the attic how to stop it.