Toller wrote:
I have a one room seasonal cottage in Rochester NY. The walls and
ceiling are cedar. The ceiling is attached directly to the roof;
there is insulation and a vapor barrier, but no air space. It is
about 15' high at the peak.
I have been in there a few times, but it hasn't been used since last
fall.
Today I got a ladder out to change the smoke detector battery, and
noticed it got very warm and humid as I went up. The smoke detector
actually had water on it, and the top couple feet of the wall (up
near the peak) was wet.

It is right next to the chimney, so the first thing I thought of was
that the flashing was leaking, but I would think that the water would
have come further down the wall and I don't see why the smoke
detector would have water on it.

Instead I figured that there were a few warm humid days followed by
some cold weather. The warm humid air got trapped near the ceiling
and condensed when the roof cooled off.

Does this make any sense, or should I get a roofer out? Any other
ideas? There was a major roof leak before I bought the place, but it
was reroofed and seems to have been fine since.
Thanks.

I would want to check out any exhaust fans or chimneys or exhaust gas
vents in the area to make sure you don't have a leak or that someone did not
terminate a bath or kitchen vent to an enclosed area.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit