Moisture Dripping From Ceiling

[U_Stormcrow]

The ridges on the roof run parallel to the rafters and then there’s boards that run perpendicular to them.
View attachment 2461178
and, no, I don’t have any house wrap handy.

Good news, its built right. Suspect your drips are coming where the water running down the metal roofing panels hits the purlins - the thin boards perpendicular to your rafters. Apart from housewrap, I've no good recommends for breathable materials that won't let water droplets pass when they drip from above.

Monitor the situation, cross the fingers. If you start seeing indications of frostbite, you might consider stringing a small tarp over the roosting area, so at least it doesn't drip on them while they sleep, and just leave the rest open for air exchange.

 

[ChickensForEggs2500]

When I went to let the chickens out this morning, there was water dripping from the ceiling. I assume that means I need to add more ventilation to the coop? There’s been a few nights it’s been down in the teens but no frozen combs yet, however, their water did.

Hi!
My coop is doing that as well, but I realized that it was because there was snow on top of the roof, and condensation was just building up.

 

[3KillerBs]

Yeah, it’s a metal roof.

That's the culprit then. Metal is notorious for condensation under exactly those conditions.

Ultimately, you'll need to insulate that roof to prevent the condensation, but @U_Stormcrow 's suggestions are the best quick fix.

 

[RojoMarz]

Our back deck has a metal roof that is similar construction. What I have noticed is that where the roof panels overlap, the snow (we do have lots of snow and wind) melts and runs between the panels then drips onto the deck. In our situation, it's not condensation, but actual snow melt.

 

[hayley3]

With all those gaps between the boards there *ought* to be enough ventilation.

Is it a metal roof?

It's often necessary to insulate a metal roof to prevent condensation even when ventilation is otherwise adequate.

I had a lean to built and noticed it does that...water drips from the ceiling of the metal roof, so it really has nothing to do with ventilation...although I don't much like it. I really don't understand why it does it...my lean to is wide open on 2 sides. It only does it in the mornings.

 

[aart]

I really don't understand why it does it

Cold metal, warmer humid air....creates condensation on cold metal.
Just like your house windows can in winter if it's super humid inside the house.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

I had a lean to built and noticed it does that...water drips from the ceiling of the metal roof, so it really has nothing to do with ventilation...although I don't much like it. I really don't understand why it does it...my lean to is wide open on 2 sides. It only does it in the mornings.

it can vary 100 different ways... if you’re in a bottom area it’s probably gonna be worse than if you’re on a hill top, etc.

but it could be in the mornings the sun is warming the ground and the water vapor condenses on the cold metal as aart describe, or the vapor source could be the chickens breath I guess, but that generally would not be the case for a setup with two open ends.

in beehives for instance, it’s an issue where the bees breath condenses on the underside of the metal hive top and can drip back down on them... so there are a few solutions to fixing that, but generally a slight bit of ventilation does the trick. But that’s a very tight box compared to a open sided lean to.

so if you’ve got a lean to with two open sides it would seem odd to have that happening unless you‘re just in low area or along a creek where fog settles every night or something?

Maybe more details?

 

[hayley3]

it can vary 100 different ways... if you’re in a bottom area it’s probably gonna be worse than if you’re on a hill top, etc.

but it could be in the mornings the sun is warming the ground and the water vapor condenses on the cold metal as aart describe, or the vapor source could be the chickens breath I guess, but that generally would not be the case for a setup with two open ends.

in beehives for instance, it’s an issue where the bees breath condenses on the underside of the metal hive top and can drip back down on them... so there are a few solutions to fixing that, but generally a slight bit of ventilation does the trick. But that’s a very tight box compared to a open sided lean to.

so if you’ve got a lean to with two open sides it would seem odd to have that happening unless you‘re just in low area or along a creek where fog settles every night or something?

Maybe more details?

Now that I think back...it was a frosty morning and the sun was shining. Chickens weren't out yet. We sit up on a hill, and it's really windy sometimes. I do remember my last garage occasionally would drip water but it was minimal but there was insulation in that garage.
So the metal is cold and the sun is warming the metal?

 

[aart]

it can vary 100 different ways...

Yes, for sure, delicate balance between temps of things, humidity, etc.

So the metal is cold and the sun is warming the metal?

but it could be in the mornings the sun is warming the ground and the water vapor condenses on the cold metal as aart describe

 

[OhZark Biddies]

Now that I think back...it was a frosty morning and the sun was shining. Chickens weren't out yet. We sit up on a hill, and it's really windy sometimes. I do remember my last garage occasionally would drip water but it was minimal but there was insulation in that garage.
So the metal is cold and the sun is warming the metal?

it could be that the metal frosts up overnight and as the sun rises it warms the top of the metal and the frost melts and runs down which causes the metal lower down to sorta sweat on the inside or something... or maybe it’s slightly frosted on the underside too which is melting as the sun rises.

I do a lot of archery hunting in October, and have watched the sun warm the top of trees on frosty mornings and make them sorta rain from the top half as it slowly comes up