SERIOUS CONDENSATION PROBLEMS!!!!

Repair help for the do-it-yourselfer.
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digitaldreamz
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:05 pm
Location: castle rock,wa.

I do not have sheathing, it has insulation then plastic then sheetrock, I have repaired it, it has no leaks, the condensation builds up, as you can see in the pic, should I put up sheathing and insulation, then the drywall, and put 1 or 2 vents in roof? A lot of ypu seem to think it has a leak, and I have tested it for leaks and there is none.

I want to thank everybody for their input and help!! :)
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flcruising
Posts: 606
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:18 pm
Location: Florida Panhandle

Your problem is the exposed metal in that area, Once you sheath/deck the roof underneath it, you won't have this problem because the warmer moisture-laden air won't be able to get to it. Period.
[color=blue]Aaron[/color]
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digitaldreamz
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Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:05 pm
Location: castle rock,wa.

Thats what I have been thinking, so there is no need for the vents, right? Hopefully I will have this problem solved, I will keep this post updated throughout this project, thanks for the input. and help, any other comments are appreciated.
oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

Digital..how much room do you have above the ceiling drywall and the underside of the roof? This is an "arched" roof and not a peaked roof I assume. The reason I'm asking is I'm wondering if there's a way to put an attic fan on one gable end of your home and a gable vent on the other. I don't think it'll work on an arched roof...not enough room on the gable ends for the fan. Anyways..tell me if this sounds familiar. Take notice if there's frost on the rooftop (NOT inside...outside..) and then when the sun comes up the leaks (condensation) develops. Take another look as far as you can up in the "attic..do you see frost on the underside of the roof before the sun comes up?? In my peaked-roof home when the sun came up and heated up that big expanse of metal I had condensation literally running out of the joints in all my new, primed and painted sheetrock ceiling. I installed a gable end fan and a gable vent on the other end. Turn it on 30min. before sunrise and off at 11a.m. and the problem stopped. Audie..the Oldfart..
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digitaldreamz
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Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:05 pm
Location: castle rock,wa.

Oldfart.. I don't think there is enough room for a fan, it is an arched roof, there is frost on the outside when it gets cold enough , then when it gets warmer the condensation forms (below freezing no cond.-above freezing cond. forms) I just have insulation plastic and OSB board, no sheathing, it never had it originally so I figured I don't need it, I just replicated what was original. and now major problems, the spray in insulation is out of my $$ range right now, there has to be a solution for this, I have gotten a lot of ideas from all the replies in this post, but don.t know which way to go
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digitaldreamz
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:05 pm
Location: castle rock,wa.

Also. the outside area I repaired is still bare galvenized metal, I thought if I were to put roofing paper or spray foam over the area might help. as the original part has the roofing sealant with the aluminum in it, does that act like an insulator and sealer, So I am thinking outside the box now, literally, maybe my solution lies in puting a covering material over the bare galvenized on the roof???
oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

Hmmm...? Well now son I'm afraid I don't have any good news to report. Let me explain what "might" be going on. You're replacing your original ceiling..why? Was the old ceiling bowed down and waterstained? If it was..you had condensation all along. One thing that helped my original ceiling was so much heat went thru the cheap pasteboard ceiling it kept the attic warm enough that there never was much condensation. And there was a plastic vapor barrier above the orig. ceiling stapled to the rafters. In the winter snow never layed on my roof..ever! Because so much heat was lost up thru the ceiling. Now the snow doesn't melt since I added insulation and drywalled the ceiling. The home originally had 1 1/2...yes one and one-half inches of insulation..! I actualy created my problem by making improvements. Anyways I'll ponder this some more my friend. Audie....gone thinkin'...
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digitaldreamz
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:05 pm
Location: castle rock,wa.

Hey Oldfart -- Thanks for the info. I am replacing a fire damaged roof. Basically I am duplicating what was already originally there. There seems to be a one whole piece of plastic for the vapor barrier now I am putting up sections of plastic under the burnt area and maybe that's not getting a good seal. So I wonder if I take the OSB board down and put spray foam on the bare sections of sheet metal if that will help to insulate it better. As I can't afford spray-in insulation at this time. Spring is just around the corner and I shouldn't have any condensation but fall's and winter's can be brutal in this part of the country. The insulation I used is R-13 Owens Corning. I used 5/16" OSB board because I thought that sheetrock would be too heavy as replacing the trusses made it not as sturdy as the original trusses. Peace out :D
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Greg S
Posts: 541
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:13 am
Location: Kingston Ontario Canada

Are you sealing all of the pieces of plastic together (caulking) so that no air can pass through from inside the home into the attic space.

If the plastic vapour barrier is not completely sealed warm moist air from inside the home will pass through into the attic space and condense on the cold metal of the roof. This is most likely to happen directly above the point where warm air is entering the attic.
Ventilation or fans will help to move it out of the attic and help to keep the small attic space cool to prevent condensation and prevent the snow from melting off of the roof.

Completely sealing the vapour barrier is essential, make sure it is sealed to the wall vapour barriers as well.
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Johnny
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Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:27 pm
Location: williamsburg, ohio

digitaldreamz wrote:Also. the outside area I repaired is still bare galvenized metal, I thought if I were to put roofing paper or spray foam over the area might help. as the original part has the roofing sealant with the aluminum in it, does that act like an insulator and sealer, So I am thinking outside the box now, literally, maybe my solution lies in puting a covering material over the bare galvenized on the roof???

If there was no problem before I think if you coat the new part of roof like the old you should have no problems after that.
Johnny
If I can't fix it -- I ask questions
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digitaldreamz
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:05 pm
Location: castle rock,wa.

Gregs and johnny... I think I will seal all the pieces of plastic real good, then get on the roof and coat the new bare metal with a good roof coating like the original, and I think that will solve my problems, I'm hoping!! I should not have to put vents on top, as their never was vents to begin with, right? anyway

I appreciate all the help, thanks!
Feel free to give more helpful input.

So the spray foam is a bad idea, I think if I coat the bare metal on roof first with spray foam, then use a coating, that it would act as an extra insulator, correct? I just want to be sure the problem gets solved, allright I'm outta here for now.

peace out!!
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Johnny
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:27 pm
Location: williamsburg, ohio

digitaldreamz

Let me know how it comes out after you get it done Johnny
If I can't fix it -- I ask questions
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Greg
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OK since this is long, and redundant I'm going to lock it up, feel free to start another thread if needed. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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