On this Week’s Podcast: Mysterious Moisture
When there is moisture where it shouldn’t be in a home, mold and mildew quickly follow.
Homeowner Wade says he’s confused about why moisture is showing up on his new roof. He says he always notices the water during warm weather.
Wade had the roof addition built with an ice and water shield added underneath and he still notices moisture around the soffit area.
After removing a metal soffit, he noticed about an inch of frozen ice.
We tell him a common area for leaks is often at the point where an addition joins the existing part of a home.
However, this may not be a leak at all. It’s most likely a sweating issue — metal roofs tend to sweat because of a lack of airflow.
Wade was right to install an ice and water shield with the roof. He also can eliminate the condensation by adding extra ventilation and possibly some additional insulation.
Ridge vents or gable vents will help eliminate the condensation issue. Adding soffit vents introduces cool, fresh air to your attic as hot air escapes from the top of the attic through ridge vents, attic fans or gable vents. This project is easy to handle and will help bring down your home’s cooling costs.
Additionally, Wade says he has a shallow pitched roof that could worsen the problem with moisture.
Our advice is to add extra ventilation to his brand new metal roof.
Also in this week’s podcast:
• A contractor gives potentially dangerous advice to a homeowner looking to remodel his bathroom. This is why you should always feel comfortable questioning a contractor.
• Need new flooring? We give you some reasons why bamboo’s sustainability and style rivals hardwood and vinyl.
• Joe has a Simple Solution that deals with a diverter valve on a tub faucet. If it seems stuck, this will fix the problem.
Question of the Week
Ray writes, “I have a three-bedroom one-level home. I want to put fire alarms in each room. Bedrooms, den, living room, kitchen, and dining room. Where should I place the fire detectors in these rooms? They are fire-and gas detectors.”
More Inspiration
- How to Declutter and Organize Your Home in 2020
- ‘Will Soffit Vents Eliminate Frost in the Attic?’
- Home Staging 101: How to Attract Buyers to Your Home