Do I have condensation in my loft or is my roof leaking???

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Essex
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last week I discovered that the roofing felt in my loft had droplets of water all over it and the water was dripping down onto my stored belongings. The water was basically all over the felt across the roof and not in one confined area. At first I thought my roof was leaking but someone told me it was most likely condensation due to inadequate ventilation in the loft area. Since then, I have gone around with old towels trying to soak up the water and have been leaving the loft door open with a large fan running for several hours in the loft.
Today, exactly a week after I first noticed this I am finding that the felt is still very wet to the touch and once again droplets of water are forming, I am a complete novice but when I feel the flt it does feel saturated with water and Im now wondering if this is condensation at all or do I have a leak??? Surely, the the roofing felt is lined with bitumen which is impervious to water and accordingly would not allow any water sitting roof side to penetrate down????
Can anyone give me some sdvice on this as I am bginning to get worried that I need a new roof or something. My house is around 25 year old with a pitched,tiled roof.

Many Thanks
 
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Definitely don't leave the loft hatch open, that will just let the moist air into the loft and the fan will just blow it around - it's not a dehumidifier.
 
Ok, so I should let the fan run but close the loft hatch door whilst its running??
After reading other posts about similar problems I have found that I had 3 downlights loosely fitted into the bathroom which I guess could have caused steam to rise into the loftspace, so I have sealed these. My loft insulation is very old and thin, would replacing this be an answer?
 
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I had 3 downlights loosely fitted into the bathroom which I guess could have caused steam to rise into the loftspace

You should have had either proper intumescent fittings or an intumescent hood on the back of these to maintain the fire rating of the ceiling. And the added benefit is that no humid air passes through either
 
Dont know if they were or not......they were in the house when I moved in a year ago I think the guy here before me fitted them. If I got hold of them in the bathroom I could easily push them up into the loft so there was no seal.
I have an extractor fitted in the bathroom but we have not really used it until this happened.
Im just still concerned that after mopping up all the water on the felt a few days ago it is now coming back....I cant recall this happening last year either..
 
look at the edges of your loft. There should be a ventilation gap at the eaves. If it is blocked with insulation, pull the insulation back a few inches and cut it so it cannot flop back.

You will mostly prevent future moisture by blocking all holes in the ceiling which allow warm damp air to rise into the loft. The downlighters will be a bad source, there may also be holes round water pipes. The loft hatch must be closed tight. Using the bathroom extractor until the room is dry will put steam outside where it belongs.

If anyone in your house is in the habit of draping wet washing about the house or over radiators, this is a dreadful source of damp. Cut them up and bury them under the patio.

The condensation will not dry until the loft gets warmer (a few sunny days) and the water vapour can then escape through the ventilation gaps you have created.

If there are no ventilation gaps, describe the shape of your loft and we will tell you what to do.
 
When you say there should be a ventilation gap at the eaves do you mean in the soffits?
I know that the previous owner has fitted round vents at 1 ft intervals in the soffits on either side of the house, I do not believe they are blocked but I will check.
This is what I cannot understand the loft feels cold and I can feel a draught when Im up there so there must be some ventilation but it would seem not enough??
I have temporarily sealed around the downlights with sealant and we are now using the extractor for baths & showers....
Yes you are right, my other half has been drying the washing on airers in the house for several weeks as it wont dry outside....so have to sort that one.
Would it be a good idea to get some draught excluder for the trap door to try and seal that better??
Am I right in thinking that this is far more likely to be condensation than a leak?....Im guessing the fact the water is appearing all over the roof felt indicates this....
Thanks
 
my other half has been drying the washing on airers in the house for several weeks
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Yeah thats really good especially for the less informed like myself!!!

Thanks for all your advice on this subject
 
But I think you need the Gardening forum for advice on digging up the patio
 

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