Very Bad Condensation in Loft - HELP !!!!!

angela b · 7 Dec 2005

Hi, I wonder if anyone can offer any advice. 3 years ago we had a complete new roof on our bungalow. They are the biggish red tiles and laid on felt (I assume its felt).

We had awful problems with condensation in the loft in the first 12 months of having the roof done so the roofer came back and put 4 large air vents in the roof and the problem seemed to go away. However it has come back with a vengeance this year and the whole loft space has water virtually running down the inside of the felt . Its not only ruining all my stuff but its making the loft smell musty.

Does anyone have any ideas as to why this has suddenly returned to us ? We have not altered anything up there for 2 years and the floor is insulated with the thick pink insulation and then has boards laid loosely on top.

Any help would be really appreciated because I am at the end of my tether with it. Thanks

masona · 8 Dec 2005

Quite common for this time of the year and need more ventilation, ideally a few ridge tiles vent at the top and soffit vents at the bottom for circulation of air flow.

Mr P · 9 Dec 2005

We have just had exactly the same problem. I took a tile off the roof, cut a hole in the felt (making an x, rather than cutting out a hole), then fitted a vent tile. These are about 20 quid from most roofers or screwfix. They are universal tiles and fit most jobs. Only took me about 30 mins.

oilman · 10 Dec 2005

Do you have a header tank in the loft for central heating? If you have, it may be the central heating that's causing the problem, especially if the tank is not covered.

angela b · 10 Dec 2005

Thanks for all the advice. We already have 4 large dome shaped vents in the roof, two at the front and two at the back When I go into the loft I can feel the cold air coming in through these vents but they are at the same height all round, do you think we would need more, maybe at a different height ?.

We have no water tank at all as we have a combi boiler.
Thanks for the advice and please keep it coming

Stoday · 16 Dec 2005

It may be warm air getting into the roof area from below.

Any vents/extractors that discharge into the roof space? Any holes in the ceiling for lights that are not sealed? Does the roof trap have a draught seal?

angela b · 17 Dec 2005

HI, since I read your post I checked the hatch and it wasn't fitting very well, it had dropped down a bit and was quite loose so I have fixed this and its a tight fit now and will see what happens. Could something this small really make such a big difference ?
Kind Regards

Stoday · 18 Dec 2005

Yes it could.

Sounds like you've found the problem and fixed it. Don't forget to let us know in a week or so's time.

masona · 18 Dec 2005

A little tip if you have water tank in loft, open the loft door slightly to allow warm air preventing pipes from freezing in cold climate.

Stoday · 19 Dec 2005

masona said:
A little tip if you have water tank in loft, open the loft door slightly to allow warm air preventing pipes from freezing in cold climate.

This is a really daft idea, because it allows warm air into the loft. The loft's cold and parts of the loft can be so cold that the water condenses on these parts. The last thing you want in the loft is condensation.

You can achieve the same result by leaving the insulation off below the water tank and covering the pipes with insulation.

masona · 19 Dec 2005

Yes, you're right I should've said for a temporary -10 climate solution, fat chance of that happening so another a piece of useless information from me

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Very Bad Condensation in Loft - HELP !!!!!

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