What High Humidity Does to Your Roof

High indoor humidity not only makes you feel sweaty and sticky, but it can also damage your roof. What are the roofing issues caused by high indoor humidity?

Diamond Roofing Specialists, Inc., your trusted roofing company, lists them below: 

Mold

Excess moisture creates a damp environment that’s the perfect breeding ground for mold. If there’s a musty smell in your attic, there’s a good chance mold has formed in your roof. Mold is both a serious roofing issue and a health risk because it can damage the wooden beams supporting your roof and cause allergy flare-ups. 

Mold can easily affect the other parts of your home. That’s why roofing components that suffered mold damage need to be replaced as soon as possible. 

Dry Rot

Dry rot is a type of fungus that’s also a bit of a misnomer. It forms on wood with a moisture content of more than 20%. In its early stages, dry rot looks like a skin-like growth that resembles the surface of a mushroom cap with purplish and gray-ish hues. In its later stages, it resembles cotton wool with water droplets on its surface, if it’s particularly humid. 

How does dry rot damage your roof? It breaks down cellulose and hemicellulose—the compounds responsible for giving wood its characteristic rigidity—and, in the process, makes wood brittle. To prevent dry and rot from forming, your roof needs to have adequate ventilation. 

How Much Ventilation Does Your Roof and Attic Need?

As a general, there should be a square foot of net free area (NFA)—the area through which air can pass—every 300 square feet of floor area for attics with a vapor barrier. If you’re not sure if there are enough air vents in your roof or attic, you should have a roofing contractor inspect your roof. 

Looking for experienced roofers near you? 

Diamond Roofing Specialists, Inc. has been offering professional roofing services to local residents since 1970. To get a free estimate, call us at (203) 754-7884 or fill out this form. We serve homeowners in Waterbury, Danbury and Watertown as well as the surrounding CT communities.