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Jan 02, 2024
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Frost in Your Attic? Common Causes, Fixes & Frost Prevention

We’ve noticed a significant uptick in homeowners reaching out to us because they’re experiencing significant amounts of frost in their attics during the winter months.  Their biggest questions are why this is happening and what, if anything, can be done.  Here’s what you need to know about this problematic issue showing up in attics all over the Twin Cities and Western Wisconsin.

What Causes Frost In Attics?

Frost begins to compile when moist air travels to a home’s attic.  Once this occurs, it compresses to form frost.  Simply put, humidity can cause moisture in your attic.  There are a variety of ways this can happen, but one of the easiest is a bath exhaust fan that vents to the attic instead of outdoors.  Even with this in place, it’s important for bathroom vent fans to run for a minimum of thirty minutes after a member of your family takes a bath or shower.  This is the very least amount of time it takes for the moisture level in a home to return to their regular state.  Another way a home’s humidity levels can climb dangerously high is through the use of a whole home humidity system.  When cooking, run your exhaust fan to cut back on humidity levels.  Basements and crawl spaces built sans vapor barrier prove problematic as well.  Learn more about what causes frost in attics.

attic frost

Moisture In Your Attic In The Winter Causes Damage When It Thaws

The real threat of frost in attics begins when it thaws.  As it thaws, it saturates the area around it causing damage.  Some examples include wet insulation, mold & mildew formation, and water-stained ceilings.

How To Fix Frost In Attics With Attic Bypass Sealing

To tackle this problem, attic air sealing is needed.  Areas that should be targeted are attic bypasses.  If you’re unfamiliar with this term, it refers to the parts of your home that permit warm air to filter into your attic because they skip contact with your insulation.  Examples include recessed lighting, electrical outlets and switch plates, and vents.  These bypasses can allow substantial amounts of moist, warm air into the attic.

Learn more fast facts about air sealing your attic.

Frost Home Inspection + How A Home Performance Test Can Help

A blower door is a robust fan that is mounted in the frame of one of your front door. The fan is used to pull air out of your home and lower interior air pressure.  When this is done, exterior air can flow through any unsealed cracks and openings that exist in the home. A smoke pencil helps identify areas that need to be addressed.  The utilization of a FLIR Infrared Imager allows for thermographic scans of your home to be taken.  These scans can measure surface temperatures by using infrared video.  This test in tandem with a blower door test, identifies air leaks by displaying them as black streaks on the infrared imager.  An infrared imager can also help detect roof leaks because wet insulation conducts heat faster than dry insulation.

See How Our Team Completes A Home Performance Test:

Check Out Some of Our Insulation Projects:

See What Homeowners Think Of Our Insulation Work:

"Brian came out to check the attic insulation in our home that we recently purchased. His opinion was we were up to par and code, but we could always use more. The consensus was we would go through our first winter and see how the heat bills were. Thanks to Brian and Lindus for your free analysis of our home."

Keith J.
Hudson, WI
November 14, 2024

"My house is 30 years old, and I've never had my attic insulation evaluated. I felt I was overdue to get an inspection and I contacted Lindus Construction via their website. I received a call in a matter of minutes to schedule an inspection. A few days later, Kevin came out and conducted a thorough inspection. The good news was that I had adequate insulation and there was no need to add any more. The bad news was that he identified some mouse activity that I will need to address. Highly recommended contractor!"

Dave R.
Maple Grove, MN
October 12, 2024

"Excellent service with thorough explanation of the process & timeline. I had 3rd floor insulation installed post renovation with the estimate done without access to the area. There was access to a similar area. Estimate was accurate, timeline was accurate and work was done as promised."

Sheryl L.
Minneapolis, MN
July 23, 2024

"Lindus Construction has lived up to its promises and more. We had the Insulation in our roof replaced. They showed up on time, completed their work in two days, cleaned up so that you would never believe they had been there. Randall, the Supervisor came often to check on the progress and helped as well.  We would highly recommend this company to anyone considering some type of home remodeling. Grading AAA+."

Gary G.
North Branch, MN
June 12, 2024

"We did a major re-insulation which included vacuuming out old insulation, spraying a layer of foam, and blowing in additional insulation. A different crew performed each operation. All did an excellent job. We'd use Lindus again for insulation work, though we hope never to need it again."

Bob J.
White Bear Lake, MN
May 25, 2024

"Everything went fine and was done in a timely manner." 

Art F.
Hudson, WI
April 4, 2024
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