On a cold winter day take a trip to your attic and take a good look around. In particular look at the roof sheathing. If there is frost on the roof sheathing, water dripping from the sheathing and roof rafters, or damp attic insulation, then you've got a serious problem that needs to be taken care of quickly. If you don't resolve these issues promptly you're risking a mold and mildew problem as well as wood rot. The main cause of frost forming in the attic is associated with improper or the complete lack of insulation and ventilation in the attic.

How to eliminate moisture and frost from your attic is not a difficult task. The first step in resolving attic moisture problems is to install the proper amount of insulation in the attic floor area. Visit the Department of Energy's website to learn what the proper insulation R-value is recommended for your attic relative to your geographical area.

Besides installing the appropriate amount of insulation in your attic, it’s critical for the insulation to be installed properly. When installing attic insulation it is imperative that there is a complete tight seal so that warm moist air from the living spaces below doesn't penetrate upwards into the attic.

The best attic insulation is the blown in type. The blown in insulation will seal all the holes where electrical wiring feeds down to the lower levels of the home as well as around vent pipes and the chimney. Typically, the amount of blown in insulation used in attics covers the ceiling joists to insure adequate insulation.

The second major issue to prevent condensation and frost forming in the attic is the attic temperature and ventilation. The temperature of a properly vented attic should be no more ten degrees higher than the outside ambient air temperature during the winter. This is accomplished with both soffit vents along the roof eaves, ridge venting at the roof peak and vents on each of the gable ends. The ridge vent should run nearly the full length of the roof peak. If your attic already has soffit and ridge vents or gable vents make sure that they are not blocked by insulation.

In addition, the bathroom exhaust fans should not be vented into the attic. They should be vented to the outside of the house. Builders often take the easy way out and simply vent bathroom exhaust into the attic. This allows warm moist air from the bathrooms up into the attic.

If you have condensation in your attic, you should eliminate it as soon as possible. Don’t wait until you have wood rot or a health issue from mold forming in the attic.

See related articles:

Heating Cost Savings

Heating System Tune Up

Heating the Basement

Heating With Wood