Is My Attic Supposed To Be Warm In The Winter

Even though the old adage claims that heat rises it can still seem chilly whether the space is finished or not.

Is my attic supposed to be warm in the winter.

Your attic should ideally be the same temperature as the outside air at least at the roof deck. A check the temperature an hour before sunrise. If your home or business relies on the use of an attic or other second or third floor space it might be hard to keep warm during those frigid winter months. Within the attic insulation is a must.

A thick insulation between 14 to 18 inches will help reduce heat from entering your home. Not the overabundance but the lack of insulation in the attic. During the winter the heat is constantly running inside your house. What should the attic temperature be relative to the outside and house temperatures assuming a new supposedly well insulated house.

Even if your attic is too cold in the winter it s likely that the temperature inside your attic will still be higher than the temperature outside during summer months. The ice damming is caused by heat at the ridge melting the snow and having it freeze when it gets to the lower part of the roof which prevents it from draining. Roof shingles absorb a great deal of the sun s heat especially if they re dark in color. The cold temperatures outside make the underside of your roof cold which makes conditions in the attic even more moist.

Since heat rises it can get trapped in your attic and that hot air is moist. However more often than not. If your roof isn t warming up too much during the cold snowy weather then the snow that lands on your roof won t melt immediately only to refreeze on the edges where it can form ice dams.