As the snow melts in Lincoln, watch for water in your attic

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – With temperatures rising and moisture in the air, experts say now is a good time to check your attic for condensation or leaks.

Trevor Neemann, vice president of roofing company Neemann & Sons, said you’ll want to check the decking, which is the plywood inside the attic ceiling.

If you find moisture or water dripping from it, you’ve got a problem.

“When that moisture is created in the attic, it creates frost on the underside of the decking,” Neemann said. “And it’ll stay frost when it’s really cold, and then as soon as it heats up enough, it all starts to drip down and creates kind of a rainforest in your attic.”

He said water can also get in when an ice dam builds up on the roof.

That’s when snow and ice don’t melt evenly and block water from running off.

“Some of the houses, when you drive around, you see that the main part of the house is melted, but then down at the eaves is snow and ice,” he said. “A lot of times those are houses that don’t have enough insulation in the attic.”

If you do notice a buildup of snow on the roof, Neemann said don’t try to climb up on the roof and clear it yourself.

Unless there’s a major leak, he said it’s best to just let it melt and call a roofer to check it out.

Neemann said stopping leaks and condensation in the attic is all about prevention before it even snows.

One thing you’ll want to do is ensure there’s enough ventilation into and out of the attic.

He also advises that you don’t turn up your humidifier too high.

“A lot of people leave it the same all year round,” Neemann said. “I’ve had mine off completely for three weeks, and I still have 30% humidity in my house.”

He said excessive humidity is an even bigger problem in older homes, so you should look into ways to properly ventilate and insulate.