I’ve been down the rabbit hole on this one—spent way too many winter nights poking around the attic with a flashlight. For me, decent insulation made the biggest difference, but I did notice less frost up there after adding a couple more vents. Still, if your insulation’s patchy, all the airflow in the world won’t fix the melting and refreezing mess. Midwest winters are brutal for that... my wallet still remembers the year I ignored it.
- Insulation’s always my first check, too. If it’s not even, you get those weird cold spots and ice dams—seen it a hundred times in older houses around here.
- Venting helps, but I’ve noticed if the soffit vents are blocked (sometimes by insulation itself), you’re just moving air around for nothing. Had a duplex where the previous owner stuffed insulation right over the vents... took a while to figure out why the attic was basically a freezer.
- Midwest winters are rough on roofs, no doubt. I’ve had tenants call about leaks that turned out to be condensation dripping from nails—looked like a roof leak but was just warm air meeting cold metal.
- Patchy insulation is a wallet-drainer for sure. One year, I tried to save money by only topping up the “worst” spots. Ended up paying more in heating and repairs than if I’d just done it right the first time.
- Curious if anyone’s tried those attic fans that kick on automatically? I’ve heard mixed things—some say they help with moisture, others say they just suck out your heated air and drive up bills.
- For anyone dealing with older roofs: have you found any tricks for spotting hidden trouble before it gets bad? Sometimes I think I catch issues early, but then spring comes and surprise... water stains.
Just wondering what’s worked (or not) for folks with different roof types. I mostly deal with asphalt shingles, but I’ve got one flat roof that’s a whole different headache.
Flat roofs are a whole different animal, for sure. With pitched roofs (asphalt shingles, in my case), I usually do a walk-around after any big storm—looking for lifted tabs, granule loss, or anything odd near the eaves and valleys. But with flat roofs, I’ve learned the hard way that it’s the little stuff you miss—like ponding water or those tiny splits along seams—that’ll get you. A few years back, I thought everything looked fine from the ladder, but come spring, there was a slow leak right where water always pooled after a thaw.
One thing that’s helped me: I take photos of trouble spots every fall and spring. That way, I can compare and catch changes before they turn into headaches. Also, on flat roofs, I always check around any penetrations—vents, skylights, whatever—since the flashing there is usually the first to go.
About attic fans: I’ve seen mixed results too. In some cases, they seem to pull more conditioned air out than moisture, especially if your attic isn’t sealed up tight. Anyone had luck with humidity sensors on those fans? Or do they just end up running all winter?
That’s interesting about the attic fans—I've wondered the same thing. I had a client who put in a humidity sensor on theirs, hoping it’d only kick on when needed, but it ended up running way more than expected, especially during those damp shoulder seasons. Does anyone else notice that the fans sometimes seem to pull warm air from the house if the attic isn’t sealed tight? I’ve seen that cause more ice damming than it solves. Also, with flat roofs, do you find the seams split more after a harsh winter, or is it just me noticing that uptick in spring?
Does anyone else notice that the fans sometimes seem to pull warm air from the house if the attic isn’t sealed tight? I’ve seen that cause more ice damming than it solves.
I’ve actually seen the opposite in a few homes, but it really comes down to how well the attic floor is sealed. If there’s even a small gap, those fans can suck conditioned air right up, which just makes things worse. But if you get the air sealing right first, the fan can help with moisture without pulling heat from below. On flat roofs, I haven’t noticed a huge uptick in seam splits unless there’s standing water or poor drainage—sometimes it’s just age catching up with the membrane after a rough winter.
