sensor network for insulated attic
After a recent discussion of insulated attics (originally a skeptic, now coming around to the idea), the big drawback I still see with insulated attics, even when done right, is that roof leaks will be hidden by the insulation. Solutions that were proposed included only use a good roofer (yeah, right), use open cell foam so leaks will (eventually) come through, leave baffles and watch for rusty soffit vents…..
Given the main issue we have to worry about is rot in the rafters, it occured to me that one could (in theory) put a network of moisture meters in the rafters, hooked up to an alarm. Need some way to know which meter has gone off, wire the meters into some central controller or server, but none of it sounds like rocket science. They don’t have to be super duper meters, just cheap POS that go off at some high threshold.
Does any of this sound feasible? Anyone know of any products that do it?
I have a one-year-old roof, so building up a second level of sheathing to cover insulation is not an option this time….
Replies
Try this site http://www.tracetek.com/
The trouble with any moisture detection system is sensitivty vs. humidity levels. In a vented and well insulated attic I could see some wide swings in temp. and humidity levels in certin climates. Could cause big problems for systems designed with narrow and low dectection sensitivity.
We use one of the above system for moisture detections under raised panel floors of our data/computer centers. It works, but we also get a lot of false alarms when we get rapid swings in humidity (low to high) that the HVAC system can't wring out fast enough. The other problems is dirt. Dirty detection cables give false positive too.
Or just do like the rest of us.
Wait till the wife says "there's a spot on the ceiling"......<g>
Dave