b'STEEP SLOPEif we listen. So, when we go in there, we are looking atSix years ago, Becker had a homeowner client with the roof deck to see what condition it is in. Youre goingsignificant mold on the underside of the roof deck to feel it on top when youre walking the roof. Its goinginside the attic. Upon arrival to the house he noticed to feel very pliable. It doesnt feel rigid and solid likethe homeowner had an attached oxygen hose that was youre used to feeling. Then, from inside the attic, thatswith her everywhere she walked throughout the house. when you start to see the delamination, the glue fallingWhen I went into the attic, there was so much microbial apart, the microbial growth soaking up into the woodgrowth, so much condensation, so much mold and itself. This is contributing to destroying the roof deckmildew up there, that her roof deck was actually shiny, from the inside out. Its destroying the most importantBecker recalls. You could see the water and it was not part of your house, your roof. raining outside.Becker explains its critical to find and fix any deck problems before the new roof is installed otherwise the new roof will be compromised from the start. Is My Roof Leaking?Another consequence of winter moisture that lingers in the attic is rusty nails. But rusty nails do not automatically mean theres a roof leak.We receive a lot of phone calls from homeowners saying, Hey, my roof is leaking everywhere, because they see water droplets dripping from the nails and the nails have turned rusty, says Becker. I explain to the homeowners,Moisture generated by occupants of the house; photo courtesy of its not actually a roof leak. Its condensation building upAir Vent Inc.in your attic attacking all of the metal fasteners in yourBecker says like a perfume or cologne you wear and roof. Its deteriorating the way the fasteners hold thebecome used to, sometimes you become accustomed roofing material onto the deck itself. to the smells inside your house. It takes an outsider Becker goes on to tell homeowners that if they see rustentering your house to recognize the smell. He also on the end of the nails from inside the attic, imaginesays, because you cannot feel the moisture building what it looks like up inside the plywood. Thats whereup inside the attic like you can feel the built-up heat in that water vapor is seeping into it, in time destroying thethe attic that can radiate into the living space, moisture fastener, and then the homeowner has a weakened rooftroubles can go undetected by homeowners for long deck any time there is a storm or strong wind. periods of time.ItsunderstandabletoBeckerwhyhomeownersA year after completely replacing the roof deck and automatically think they have a roof leak if they seeinstalling new shingles and a properly balanced attic wet spots on their ceiling. Its not their job to understandventilationsystem(itwasnotproperlybalanced the roof and how the roof works, but we would likepreviously), the homeowner asked Becker to return to the homeowners to learn about it and to be aware of it, sayshouse. As soon as I entered the house the homeowner Becker. I give props to homeowners who go into theirasked me if I noticed anything different. I did, says attic and try to determine whats going on inside there.Becker. I noticed she was no longer using the oxygen Its our job to properly assess it. You actually do nothose. She told me she no longer needed it. With the have a roof leak, homeowner. You have an abundancemold gone and the source of the mold fixed she was of condensation on your roof deck and its causing theno longer dependent on the oxygen apparatus. She wet spots on your ceiling. explained that her doctors never were able to figure out why she needed the oxygen apparatus in the first place. Before and After Mold But once the mold issue was resolved her health started Built-up moisture inside the attic that is not removed in ato improve. Her attic is noticeably different. It breathes. timely manner through proper attic ventilation can alsoBalanced Airflow is the Keyhelp cause mold. Becker calls it microbial growth. At theWinter moisture inside the attic and the resulting problems minimum, mold is unsightly. No homeowner wants tofrom excessive, built-up moisture long term, are an see mold. But beyond cosmetics, microbial growth canattic ventilation issue. The 2 to 4 gallons of water vapor be potentially harmful.Continued on page 34www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer 33'