Homeowners, as well as commercial building owners, are often anxious about the corrosive nature of condensation – especially if they have a metal roof.
Homeowners around Seattle understand that weather in the region is seldom reliable. Snow and rain can contribute to a leaking roof. Surprisingly, particularly during most of the winter months, most house leaks occur from within and not from the roof.
If droplets of water form on your roof walls, or insulation, most likely the issue is related to condensation. A good roofer can help you prevent condensation issues.
Stop Moisture From Accessing Your Property
- Building the house (if possible) in an elevated location with excellent natural drainage
- Putting a steam retarder underneath the floor (either concrete or gravel)
- Ventilating the sealed structure as concrete is poured and cured
- Uinge radiators that are ventilated on the outside.
- Offering enough drainage of groundwater to lead water away from the building.
- Providing an underground pipe to increase the water table
Pushing Moist Air Out By Natural Ventilation
Natural ventilation utilizes local wind and weather variations between the interior and exterior of the house.
Most homeowners rely upon natural ventilation, but it is sometimes underestimated. Any well-designed ventilation system must take into consideration the influences of condensation contained in the house, local winds and temperature patterns during the year.
Such a venting system includes the correct measurement as well as the positioning of the ridge and eave vent. These features are most frequently overlooked, yet they are essential for airflow, especially on the eaves. The number of the openings on the eaves would be equivalent to those on the ridge.
Cheating the System
Even a well-aerated structure can have issues. If this occurs, or if the methods mentioned above could not prevent the situation, then there is a need to somehow “deceive the system.”
Roofers will insulate and seek to prevent temperatures from approaching dew points by installing a pre-installed layer. The pre-installed layer functions to contain and remove condensation.
Give Tedrick’s Roofing a call at (206) 824-3440, or fill out our contact form for an estimate. We serve clients in Federal Way, WA.