Humidity in the attic: what does it threaten?

Humidity in the attic violates the thermal insulation of the house, worsens the condition of the roof and makes the room uninhabitable. Before you remove high humidity in the attic, you need to find the reasons for its appearance.

According to requirements, the humidity standards in the attic are 65-75%. If this indicator is exceeded, condensation forms on the walls, and building and finishing materials absorb excess moisture from the air and swell. Why is the humidity in the attic rising?

Roof waterproofing failure.

The first and most obvious reason is a leaky roof. The lack of waterproofing or its poor quality performance leads to wetting of the support beams and the heat-insulating layer during rains and snowmelt. Finding problems with roof waterproofing is easy: water will start to drip from the attic ceiling, dampness spots will appear.

Violation of ventilation regulations.

And this reason belongs to the category of the most common. Usually the humidity in the attic rises due to the lack of sufficient air exchange. Warm air from all over the house rises to the attic and accumulates here, and due to the daily temperature difference, condensate settles on the walls. Humidity is constantly growing, the room becomes damp and stuffy. If you find dampness and condensation in the attic, the existing ventilation does not cope with its task.

The consequences of high humidity

The growth of humidity in the attic can lead to many undesirable consequences.

Mold and rot.
High humidity and stale air are the perfect recipe for mold to grow. Colonies are formed everywhere, destroying both the attic itself and the things stored on it. But worst of all, mold can be deadly to humans, causing chronic allergies and acute poisoning.
Decrease in the thermal efficiency of the house.
If the high humidity in the attic is not removed in time, the thermal insulation of the roof will suffer first of all. It will begin to absorb water, which will drastically reduce its efficiency. The house will begin to lose heat and cool, the roof will freeze and ice, more energy will be spent on heating rooms, and heating bills will increase. Long exposure to high humidity on the heat-insulating layer will lead to its premature failure.
Destruction of the supporting structures of the roof.
High humidity causes wood to rot and metal to corrode. The strength of the supporting roof structures begins to decline, and, as a result, the roof may simply collapse under its own weight.

High humidity in the attic also causes many smaller unpleasant consequences. For example, the finish quickly deteriorates, there is a risk of a short circuit, an unpleasant smell appears in the room. Therefore, the owner of the house should think: how to remove high humidity in the attic?

How to get rid of condensation in the attic?

An effective fight against excess humidity consists of two steps: eliminating the causes of its increase and creating good ventilation. If the attic gets wet from moisture due to a leaking roof, you need to strengthen the waterproofing of the roof. Then you can begin to drain the room and protect it from further condensation.
For this, infrared heaters, heat guns, electric dehumidifiers are used. All of them heat the air in the room and dry it. But this is a temporary measure, if there is no debugged forced ventilation system.

Natural ventilation is not enough: the effectiveness of its work depends on weather conditions, so it is not able to provide full-fledged air exchange in the attic. Air handling units solve this problem. But they also have their drawbacks:

Complicated connection.

Often the installation of the installation requires the preparation of complex project documentation, and these are additional costs: financial and time.

high cost.

Modern systems are efficient, but often their cost makes them an unattractive solution.

Consumption of expensive resources.

This is one of the biggest disadvantages of ventilation equipment. They require an electrical connection (and often a separate power line). And during the operation of ventilation, electricity consumption rises sharply, which immediately affects the bills from energy sales companies. Maintaining such ventilation is costly.

How to remove high humidity in the attic at minimal cost? Solar-powered devices are becoming a modern alternative to electrical equipment.

Effective moisture control in the attic

Solar collectors work on the principle of air ventilation: they heat and force air into the rooms, maintaining its constant circulation. During their work, the norms of humidity in the attic are restored, the influx of fresh and removal of stagnant air masses is ensured.
Solar powered devices are attractive for a number of reasons: