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Hot roof designs, aka "dense-packed" insulated sloped roofs:
This article describes various cold-climate building solutions for un-vented cathedral ceilings and similar under-roof spaces, offering advice on how to avoid condensation, leaks, attic mold, & structural damage when roof venting is not possible.
This article series about roof and ceiling ventilation describes inspection methods and clues to detect roof venting deficiencies, insulation defects, and attic condensation problems in buildings.
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Design Suggestions for Unvented “Hot” Roof Designs Where Venting is Difficult
In cathedral ceiling configurations where it is difficult to
provide ventilation, some builders have eliminated the
vent space, relying instead on careful sealing of the ceiling
plane to prevent moisture problems. While experts concede
that this should work in theory, most caution that it is
difficult to build a truly airtight ceiling assembly.
Also,
cathedral ceilings are slow to dry out if moisture problems
do occur, whether from condensation or roofing leaks. If a
hot roof is the only option for a section of roof, take the
following precautions:
Install a continuous air and vapor retarder, such as
6-mil poly, carefully sealed at all junctures. See the vapor barrier and air barrier articles listed at VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in buildings.
Do not use recessed lights or other details that penetrate
the ceiling plane.
Carefully seal all penetrations in the ceiling assembly,
including top plates of partitions, with durable
materials. See the air leak articles beginning at AIR BYPASS LEAKS
Use a non fibrous insulation, such as plastic foam,
and install it without voids where moisture could
collect. Insulation choices are listed at INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT.
While fiberglass insulation is an excellent and effective product for insulating most building cavities, in areas where there is extra risk of trapping moisture (and thus rot or mold infections) such as crawl spaces and cathedral ceilings where roof venting may be absent or minimal, we prefer to use closed-cell foam insulation products or spray-in icynene foam insulation: these products can seal the cavity against drafts and they do not as readily pick up moisture nor do they readily form hidden mold reservoirs.
Ice and Water Shield: On roofs that are too difficult to vent, a second-best solution is to remove the shingles (or slates) from the lower 3 feet
of those slopes where leaks and ice dams have been recurrent, install a waterproof but nail-able membrane such as WR Grace's Ice and Water Shield (other product names from other manufacturers) which will prevent any ice dam
backup leaks from entering the building.
This is basically a sticky membrane that is applied to the roof decking and through which shingle or slate nails can be nailed back onto the roof; the membrane seals around the nails so
that those penetrations do not form leaks during a water or ice backup.
While we prefer to avoid ice dam leaks by good building design and good under-roof ventilation, where conditions require stopping ice dam leaks on an existing structure, proper installation of heating cables may be the fastest and cheapest solution.
Eliminate all sources of excess moisture in the home
(wet basements, uncovered crawlspaces, unvented
bathrooms).
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Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.