Chances are if your roof doesn’t leak, you may assume that your residential or commercial property is protected from moisture damage. But the truth of the matter is that condensation can be one of the biggest types of moisture damage within roofing systems.
What is Condensation?
The air around us contains water in its gas phase. The Temperature determines the amount of water vapor air can hold. When temperature decreases enough, the water vapor condenses into its liquid phase. The temperature at which vapor condenses is the “dew point.”
Let’s say it’s winter in Florida. Imagine the outside temperature is 45 degrees (yes, it can get cold in Florida) and inside your home is 70 degrees. There will be a dew point between those two temperatures, which means that at some point between the inside and outside of your home, water vapor condenses as hot travels to cold.
Because air rises, attics and roofs are significantly impacted. Without adequate insulation, seals, and air barriers encompassing your home, warm air with vapor can come in contact with a cold surface and condense.
What Causes Roof Condensation?
The best direction when determining the cause of roof condensation is ventilation, or lack thereof. There are two different roofing criteria when it comes to the issues of roof ventilation and condensation: one is for steep-slope roofs and one for low-slopes.
The physics of each remains the same, however, the concerns and practices for prevention differ between the two. In steep-slope roofs with attic space, ventilation is a reasonable tool to counter the risk of condensation. But in low slope roofs with no attic space, ventilation is typically inadequate.
How to Prevent Roof Condensation?
For steep-slope roofs, the strategy for reducing the risk of condensation is by ensuring the attic is properly ventilated. The attic’s temperature needs to be close to the outside temperature as much as possible. If it is not, there is likely to be a dew point in the attic which is often found on the underside of nails that hold down shingles. This can result in a roof deteriorating before the roofing shingles go bad.
With sufficient attic ventilation, the risk of condensation on the roof’s lower surface can be considerably reduced. Regardless, there is still a dew point present somewhere between the living space and the attic. With a decent vapor barrier surrounding the living space and enough proper insulation in the attic, the amount of vapor that gets into the attic causing condensation, can be minimal.
With over 60 years of roofing experience, you can trust that Centennial Roofing will take care of all of your residential roofing, commercial roofing, roofing repairs, and roof inspection needs!
Whether you own a home, office building, business, warehouse, or any other structure, your roof plays a vital role in your investment. Neglecting routine service of your roof could lead to thousands of dollars worth of damage, or worse, over the long term. At Centennial Roofing, our team is made up of highly trained professionals who are trusted to perform work for many of Florida’s leading property managers, developers, and building owners.
Contact Centennial Roofing today at (850) 215-7663 to request a quote!
