When warm air from inside the house escapes traveling up through the bypasses the moisture condenses on the roof boards and rafters where the frost can form.
Frost in attic during winter.
During winter there are usually three sources of humidity in an attic.
The air in the attic has water in it and it condenses on the cold metal.
That s about it pretty simple.
A point often overlooked is that since it s winter the water freezes on the cold nails.
This will freeze if attic temperatures remain below freezing causing frost to build up.
The nails that you see in your attic get as cold as the outdoor temperature.
If you have a roof leak in the winter months and it s not being caused by ice dam there may be another culprit.
You may pay an ice dam removal company to melt the ice dam off your roof only for the leaking to continue.
This is why you see the frost.
1 a leak 2 air infiltration from the living spaces and 3 incorrect venting of kitchen bathroom washer drier or plumbing vents.
Frost accumulates in attics when moisture laden air from the house gets up there when it s cold.
This exact same process is happening in your attic during extreme cold weather.
Sealing your attic access hatch to prevent the movement of indoor air past the edges is the first step.
Attic condensation the conditions that cause ice dams often cause attic condensation too.