"Now I'm wondering if the occasional dripping sound I hear at night could be related to inadequate venting rather than condensation from temperature swings."
You're definitely onto something here. When we first moved into our place, we had a similar issue—random dripping sounds at night that drove me nuts trying to pinpoint. Turned out our soffit vents were partially blocked by insulation, causing moisture buildup in the attic. Once we cleared that up and improved airflow, the dripping stopped completely. So yeah, improper venting can absolutely cause moisture issues like you're describing. Good catch thinking about ventilation first; it might save you some headaches (and money) down the road...
Hmm, could be venting for sure, but have you checked your gutters lately? I spent two weeks convinced my attic was haunted before realizing a clogged gutter was dripping onto the siding... talk about feeling silly. Worth a quick look, maybe?
Had a similar issue last spring, thought it was gutters too but turned out the flashing around the vent was loose. Ever checked if your flashing's secure up there? Could save you some cash and sleep...
"Ever checked if your flashing's secure up there? Could save you some cash and sleep..."
That's solid advice right there. Flashing issues can be sneaky, and they're often overlooked because everyone jumps straight to gutters or shingles first. Had a similar experience myself—spent days chasing a phantom leak only to find out the flashing needed a quick adjustment. Definitely worth checking before you dive into anything pricier or more complicated. Hang in there, you'll nail it eventually... roof problems always feel worse at midnight, don't they?
Good call on the flashing. Have you checked around your roof vents too? Sometimes those seals crack or loosen up over time, especially if you've had some rough weather lately. Had a tenant once who swore the leak was from shingles, but turned out it was just a sneaky vent seal letting water drip in at the weirdest times... usually right when you're finally drifting off to sleep. Why does it always pick midnight to start dripping anyway?
