Rusty Nails In Attic

Some of the nails appear rusty.

Rusty nails in attic.

If you ve ever been in a cold attic during the winter you ve probably seen something like this. It s a cape style home with closed cell foam insulation and touted as a tight efficient home. Rust or stains around roofing nails that protrude through the attic sheathing they re supposed to stick through are a clear indication of high attic moisture. Roofing nails are galvanized but add enough moisture and galvanized nails will rust.

The nail was driven into an upper bedroom exterior wall to hang a picture. Hammer a new nail into the roof about 1 inch above the hole from the previous nail. The roof covering is an asphalt shingle and it appeared in good condition with no visible defects. I have seen this condition on roof coverings that were failing but not on shingles that are in good condition.

They bought the home and finished it and moved in two weeks ago. The moisture caused by condensation on the inside of the attic can also rust things like plumbing heating and venting duct straps to rust and break. Less than a week later they pulled it out and found this. A person called me today and asked what could have caused this.

Rusty nails poking through the roof deck dripping with water or even with little snow caps. I hounded the builder and original insulation company the first year. Moisture causes metal components of the roof like nails to rust and potentially break which can lead to shingle loss. Indications that your attic might have a ventilation problem include wet or compressed insulation rusty nails or rust spots that dripped onto your insulation blackened plywood mold or mildew inside your attic curling or cracking shingles uneven snow melt and icicles at the roof edge.

I noticed moisture on the roof sheathing small spots of green and white mold and rusty nails in the attic and musty stagnant smell in the upstairs bedrooms in the summer. The house was built in 2006. All of those things will add to the moisture in the attic and will rust any metal exposed there. During the attic inspection i noted water stains around the roofing nails.

Our photograph above shows roofing nails protruding through plywood roof sheathing visible in an attic where there is no under roof condensation or moisture problem.