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Roof problems, explained. Follow the clues, compare your options, and figure out what to do next.

Winter & attics

Is it the roof, or the attic?

Winter drips can begin with melting snow outside or moisture reaching cold surfaces inside. These guides connect the symptoms to ceiling air leaks, insulation and ventilation so you can ask for the right investigation.

Browse all 59 guides

  1. Attic Condensation or Roof Leak? Read the Winter Clues

    Compare the winter clues before treating every thaw-time drip as a failed roof.

    5 min read

  2. The Attic Hatch Can Be a Large Air Leak

    See how an ordinary attic access opening fits into the ceiling's air and insulation boundary.

    4 min read

  3. Attic Intake, Exhaust and Net Free Vent Area

    Understand the intake path before paying to add more exhaust vents.

    3 min read

59 guides / Winter & atticsShowing 1-18

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Light frost on roofing nails and plywood inside an attic.

Winter & attics5 min read

Attic Condensation or Roof Leak? Read the Winter Clues

A ceiling drip during an Ontario thaw can start inside the attic. Learn which clues suggest condensation, a roof leak or an ice dam.

Roofing documents and shingle samples on a table beside a window.

Winter & attics4 min read

The Attic Hatch Can Be a Large Air Leak

An attic hatch needs a continuous seal, an insulated lid and a usable opening. Learn what to include when fixing drafts at the ceiling.

Water droplets near the edges of skylight glass viewed from indoors

Winter & attics4 min read

Water on the Inside of Skylight Glass

Room-side skylight droplets can form when humid air meets cold glass. Use weather, moisture location and room conditions to guide diagnosis.

Snow gathered on a lower addition roof beside the taller wall of a house.

Winter & attics3 min read

Snow on the Roof: When to Get Urgent Help

Snow depth cannot tell you whether a roof is safe. Learn which changes need urgent attention and what a local structural assessment needs.

Roof panorama with chimney, valley and vents

Winter & attics4 min read

Why Has the Spinning Roof Vent Stopped?

A still roof turbine may simply have little wind. Learn which changes in movement, noise or leaks justify a mechanical and installation assessment.

Moulded baffles beside loose-fill insulation at a low attic eave

Winter & attics4 min read

Not Enough Room for Insulation at the Eaves?

Plan a cramped attic-edge retrofit around insulation depth, ceiling air sealing and a continuous ventilation route before buying a larger top-up.

Brick bungalow with a low shingle roof and sparse autumn vegetation

Winter & attics4 min read

Can Garage Air Reach the House Through the Attic?

Trace garage-to-house air paths through ceilings, walls and attic junctions while preserving the required fire and gas separation.

Pleated blind covering the upper half of a skylight in a sloped bedroom ceiling

Winter & attics4 min read

Can an Opening Skylight Replace a Bathroom Fan?

Separate pleasant fresh air from dependable shower-moisture extraction before removing a bathroom fan or changing the roof exhaust route.

Open ceiling hatch beneath attic timber and loose-fill insulation

Winter & attics4 min read

Why Does the Bathroom Fan Work Better With the Door Open?

A new floor or tight door can restrict replacement air. Learn what the symptom tells an installer and why it does not clear the duct or roof outlet.

Open ceiling hatch beneath attic timber and loose-fill insulation

Winter & attics4 min read

Will a Duct-Free Bathroom Fan Remove Shower Humidity?

A recirculating filter is not an exhaust route. Check what a duct-free fan actually does before relying on it for a damp bathroom.

Detached brick house with a steep shingle roof, front dormer and porch

Winter & attics4 min read

Why Is the Wall Beside the Dormer Window So Cold?

Trace a cold dormer side wall through insulation, air leakage, window connections and adjoining roof spaces before opening the wrong surface.

Solar array on brick bungalow

Winter & attics4 min read

Snow-Covered Solar Panels: Wait or Arrange Service?

Separate low solar output from dangerous snow loading. Check the array manual and access risks before arranging removal or choosing tools.

Snow along a bungalow roof edge above a gutter, downspout and winter garden

Winter & attics4 min read

The Downspout Is Clear, but Its Outlet Is Buried in Snow

A free-flowing downspout still needs an open receiving route. Snow piled over the outlet can redirect meltwater toward the house or across an entrance.

Snow along a bungalow roof edge above a gutter, downspout and winter garden

Winter & attics5 min read

Why Roof Meltwater Can Run Across a Frozen Lawn

A thaw can release roof water before the ground drains as it does in summer. Trace the surface route without assuming all frozen soil is impermeable.

Open ceiling hatch showing loose-fill insulation and attic framing

Winter & attics4 min read

Should Old Attic Insulation Come Out Before Renovation?

Compare retaining, selectively moving and removing attic insulation based on condition, contamination and access to the work beneath it.

Small icicles at a snowy bungalow eave with an entrance path farther to the side

Winter & attics4 min read

The Attic Water Pipe Keeps Freezing: What Fixes It?

Find an attic water pipe relative to the insulation and air barrier, then compare rerouting, enclosure repair and suitable freeze protection.

Narrow attic cavity with a panel-faced knee wall, sloping rafters and an access platform

Winter & attics4 min read

A Sealed Attic Still Needs a Temperature and Moisture Plan

Understand roof ventilation, indoor ventilation and attic conditioning before converting an Ontario attic to an unvented assembly.

Moulded baffles beside loose-fill insulation at a low attic eave

Winter & attics4 min read

Why the Insulation Label Is Not the Whole Roof R-Value

Use a transparent worked example to understand heat flow through framing and insulation, and compare nominal product values with an effective roof assembly.

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