Condensation in the loft

Over the last 25 years, issues with condensation in loft and roof spaces have become increasing common. Whilst this is not usually particularly harmful, excessive condensation can lead to more serious problems taking root in your loft such as wet rot, dry rot and black spot mould.

The one thing we will say is that if you are concerned that the condensation in your loft may be escalating into a problem then it does no harm to have a damp specialist such as ourselves at Peter Cox to take a look. You can give us a call on 0800 633 5712 or click the button below to book a survey.

Whilst insulation is great for making top floor rooms warmer, it comes at the cost of making your loft or roof space cooler. Condensation in lofts occurs when humid air makes its way through insulation or other gaps into the loft space and hits a cooler surface leading to beads of moisture on timbers, lintels and on the underside of the roof.

As a quick tip, if you are looking to re-insulate the loft space to improve the energy efficiency of your property, use thermal insulation with a vapour barrier a vapour barrier fitted on the “warm” side of the insulating material.

As with other rooms in the house, condensation in the loft is caused by excess moisture in the air and a lack of adequate air ventilation. Have a look at our top reasons this may occur in the loft:

• Additional insulation has been laid down in the loft restricting the natural air circulation in the property, meaning lofts stay much colder than the rest of the house, so humid air is more likely to deposit its moisture on surfaces in the loft.
• Roof vents have been covered or blocked by storage boxes or other items stockpiled in the loft.
• Hot water tanks releasing steam and moist air into the loft or roof space.
• Steam from activities such as bathing and cooking combining with a lack of general ventilation to create excessive moisture rising into the loft.

Stopping condensation in the loft is a two step process. Principally you must ensure that the loft is effectively ventilated in order to improve air flow and to allow damp air to disperse outside rather than settle on loft surfaces. In an attempt to do his you may want to:

• Ensure ventilation slots in the roof space are unobstructed.
• If possible remove storage or boxes from the space in order to improve air flow.
• You may have to install additional roof vents.

Secondly, you should attempt to address the amount of humid and damp air you release into the property. Warm air always rises so it is natural that excess condensation will make its way up to the loft space where it will condense in the cold atmosphere. Our page on how to stop condensation outlines some effective tips and hints about how to reduce your output of damp humid air around the home. If you are currently a tenant in the property and these DIY solutions have not worked for you then we would suggest that you contact your landlord or housing association and inform them that you need a professional condensation solution for the issue in your loft.

If you own the property and have attempted the measures listed above and the condensation issues in the loft remain, or perhaps are even getting worse, then you should consider contacting one of our fully trained and accredited surveyors to fully investigate and diagnose the cause of your condensation problems.

Our surveyors will always conduct a full and thorough investigation of the property before advising on any treatment, and our years of experience and wealth of industry accreditations means that you can be certain that your property is in safe hands with Peter Cox.

If you have condensation problems in your loft or roof the first thing to do is try our recommended DIY Solutions.

Our team of fully qualified condensation experts at Peter Cox have unmatched expertise in solving condensation problems in loft spaces and around the home so contact us on 0800 633 5712  or book a survey online by clicking the button below and a condensation expert operating From a local branch near you will get back in touch to discuss conducting a property survey and potentially installing professional ventilation solutions to solve your condensation problems.

If you are currently renting or otherwise do not own the property you live in then you should contact your landlord or local housing authority to inform them of your situation