Rubber Roof Condensation Problems

Roof condensation occurs when moisture becomes trapped between the roof and the insulation.

Rubber roof condensation problems.

Usually this problem stems from either poor workmanship in installing the roof or insulation insufficient ventilation or excess moisture in the building. In the case of the timber trusses and purlins they will rot and eventually lose their stability. On a 1400 sq ft old adobe house in central new mexico currently 2 3 of the roof is flat vented and covered with foam while 1 3rd has a low slope is unvented and covered with maxitile over ice and water shield. Using the wrong roofer to install a rubber roof can lead to problems down the line due to incorrect installation and can even negate a warranty on the rubber itself.

Picture a cloud of moisture floating overhead between the rafters. That excess moisture ends up as drops of condensation on the roof. This applies to both the timber and steel trusses. The rapid cooling leads to immediate condensation.

Virtually the only negative for a rubber roof is appearance and even that drawback can be overcome with the use of rubber shingles or acrylic paint. If this problem is not caught early it can be a very expensive and possibly dangerous problem to fix. As it cools it can t hold as much moisture. Essentially condensation occurs at night when the temperature inside a building is warmer than outside.

It can also have an effect on thermal insulation materials as the measured thermal performance reduces when increased moisture is present. Roof condensation has a very specific cause. If your roof deck or insulation is developing water droplets chances are your forehead is too. House has condensation problems and roofer plans to install single ply rubber app torch down over 75 base sheet nailed to deck.

But with proper design and maintenance principles you don t have to sweat roof condensation issues. Warm wet air rises and meets the cold roof and cools. Although condensation in roofs may not seem like a serious problem it actually is. Condensation can cause a number of problems within a building particularly interstitial condensation which can occur inside the roof s structure.

These roofs have few inter material condensation problems for two reasons. And second the roof deck and rigid insulation form a reasonable interior vapor barrier. Over time this excess moisture can lead to the unseen decay in roof timbers and fixings. First there is little air movement within the roof system to pump moisture laden air into the roof.

Moisture occurs when heated air inside the home rises up to the roof where it meets the colder temperatures of outside air.