While Aspen does not perform interior work, informing customers about the causes and effects of moisture in a roofing system can help costumers with expectations of coverages for warranties. There are plenty of reasons why moisture can occur in your roofing system, but when moisture problems are related to exterior ventilation Aspen can help.
A recent Aspen customer believed he had a leak. Warm air and moisture from his in-home humidifier were gathering in his attic, which began to form condensation on the Oriented Strand Board. To make matters worse the condensation lead to a huge amount of exterior condensation. This condensation started to gather around his vents, eventually leading to a leak. Why did this happen?
Why Moisture Occurs
Moisture problems can lead to devastating effects on an owner’s property especially if leaks start to occur. Moisture in roofing areas are usually linked to high humidity levels inside of a building or home, due to lack of proper ventilation, insulation and/or vapor retarder. Condensation and moisture problems can happen when moisture from inside the building collects inside the attic space. Eventually, the insulation and other features will not able to hold any more moisture, causing it to release water and create leaks for the property. Leaks can also occur from waterproofing deficiencies through inadequate underlayment and inadequate fastening for flashing. To learn more about underlayment click here or to learn more about flashing click here .
Owners should keep an eye out for drips, leaks, and stains. Once owners start to see signs of a leak they should always quickly call in the proper expert to test their property. Water can lead to a wet roof deck or insulation, which can in turn and lead mold or even complete roof failure. This is why owners should always be knowledgeable of moisture problems. Aspen can test for certain causes of leaks that are possible from external problems. Aspen, however, cannot thoroughly check for internal problems, especially if Aspen has not previously worked on the property.
Prevention
One way to avoid and reduce external and the possibility of internal leaks is by installing and maintaining proper ventilation systems for the specific property. Different properties may need different features when it comes to ventilation. Adequate attic ventilation is extremely important because it provides a system of intake and exhaust venting, making sure that the roofing systems get neither too hot nor too cold. This can make a world of difference for an owners heating and cooling bills as well!
IKO is a manufacturer that Aspen uses. IKO has an app available to Aspen employees that allows the employee to check for required exhaust ventilation according to pitch and square footage of a roof. Along with making sure the property has a proper ventilation system an owner can also install a hydrometer to monitor air moisture inside a property. Owners can monitor and change behaviors that cause excess moisture to occur such as, length of hot water usage or excessive indoor plants.
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