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View Full Version : Crack in ceiling, wet, attic condensing?


O_Troubles
Jan 23, 2015, 04:40 PM
I found a crack in the ceiling in my room today around the crack the stucco ceiling was peeling . Also it felt wet. When I checked the attic there were no visible leaks and it is winter here so no rain. Today was warm and snow was melting but there were no leaks. I checked the attic and there was a light condensation on the inside of the roof in the attic but there were again no leaks or cracks and the attic was cold. I'm wondering why the attic has moisture if that was normal and if that is what caused the crack in the room .

What do I have to do to repair this do I just fix the drywall or do I need to check anything else in the Attic

hkstroud
Jan 23, 2015, 05:46 PM
I checked the attic and there was a light condensation on the inside of the roof in the attic
There should not be condensation in the attic. Check vents, ridge vents, gable and eve vents. With proper air circulation there will not be condensation in an attic

Today was warm and snow was melting .
Are gutters filled with snow and ice. If gutters are blocked, melting snow on the roof could flow back into the attic.
You should find the source of the moisture first. Then you can do repairs to ceiling.

joypulv
Jan 23, 2015, 05:47 PM
Warm air inside carries moisture with it on it's way out of the coolest places it can find to escape. As soon as warm moist air hits cold air or solid materials, it condenses into water.

In general, either a heavy mil plastic vapor barrier (preferred), or fiberglass insulation with a vapor barrier on it, has to cover the places BEFORE where moisture will condense.
With a cold uninsulated attic, this is generally applied below the attic joists, under the insulation.
I'm not familiar with the newer sprayed foam insulation, which you might look into if your attic floor is open and not insulated.
Kitchens, bathrooms, and humidifiers give out a lot of moisture.

O_Troubles
Jan 23, 2015, 06:09 PM
I have the blow in insulation and if there is vapor barrier under that I do not know and cannot see it .
I have a dehumidifier maybe If I put that on my main floor level do you think it would help? I also saw a post where someone says to just leave the attic hatch open to let more air in.

In the mean time I guess if I get a drywall'r to patch the roof I would still need to figure out the attic situation right?

joypulv
Jan 23, 2015, 07:04 PM
There's old blown in and new. Very different. The new is foam, the old is fibers.
Leave the hatch open, and let out expensive heat? No. A dehumidifier in winter? No.
The hatch, if you mean pull down stairs, is an huge seat sink. You can buy an insulation dome to put over it or make your own out of two cheap tarps and fiberglass. The dome is better because when the stairs are folded up, they take up a lot of space.
A drywaller to patch the attic ceiling, you mean? You said attic roof twice, which implies the underside of the roof.
First solve all your problems.
You don't say yet what kind of venting the attic has! hkstroud mentioned the kinds. THAT'S where moisture gets out.
Also, is there insulation in the rafters, and what kind, and is there a vapor barrier behind the drywall? And what kind in the attic floor?