Proper attic ventilation and roof ventilation is important during the summer months for obvious reasons. A properly ventilated attic space and roof system can not only increase the lifespan of your roofing system but can also increase the longevity of other parts of your home. Allowing outside air to enter your home through the roof deck is a way to keep your HVAC system from having to work too hard. The cooler air from the outside keeps the temperature of your home Ventilation works in two ways. First, by allowing hot air in the attic to escape your home during the summer months, the temperature of your attic space is reduced. This reduction in temperature could have a rather positive effect on other areas of your home as well. If you can keep the attic relatively cool in summer, it stands to reason that heat from the sun will not penetrate through roofing materials or insulation and warm up other sections of your house because cold air sinks- so if one part of your home is cooled properly then other parts even further away should also benefit indirectly from this process. Before we continue with todays article check out this article for more great information about your roof and protecting your home.
2. Why do I need to ventilate my attic
Attic ventilation is controlled by a series of vents to allow heated air to escape, and cooler air from outside to enter. The purpose of all the vents in your attic is that they should act as a pump – pushing hot air out of the attic by pulling cooler air in.
Many homeowners believe it’s better to close off their attic than keep it open for ventilation. However, you should avoid this temptation and make sure your attic is properly ventilated
Studies have shown that insulating your attic can actually increase your cooling costs! Some experts with Energy Star even recommend leaving some soffit vents uninsulated if you want to save money on cooling bills. Why? Because when cool outdoor air is able to flow freely into the attic space, heat from inside cannot rise up. The exact number of intake vents, and ridge vents for that matter, depends on several factors. If your attic is insulated with cellulose and has a layer of reflective foil over it, for example, you might be able to get away with fewer vents. In some cases, an uninsulated ridge vent may even be enough.
But if you want to err on the safe side, install one intake vent for every 100 square feet of soffit area. Exhaust vents can be placed at maximum intervals of 300 square feet but should not exceed 150 square feet in total area – about the size of a sheet of plywood.
In most cases, high-quality roofing materials are used and this warrants the use of suitable flashing products to complete the installation.
3. How does proper ventilation work
The amount of ventilation needed to properly keep your home free of heat and moisture is determined by the size of the living space and square feet of the attic. Intake and exhaust attic ventilation vents are placed in the roof so that air passes through them continuously.
Excess moisture and hot air will rise from the living space through the ceiling, into the attic where it is pulled out by exhaust vents and replaced with cooler, drier air from outside.
This continuous exchange of air prevents high humidity levels in your home’s conditioned living area because there is very little potential for temperature and moisture build-up inside your attic. The purpose of ventilation is to cool down attic floor space and eliminate moisture.
The main purpose of insulation is to reduce heat loss in winter and gain in summer, which means you need ventilation in your attic. The situation becomes complicated when most homes have leaky roofs that allow air to escape up through the ceiling into the attic space. This causes a reverse flow of air from the top down instead of out through the bottom up.
As a result, cool fresh air at roof level may be displaced by hot exhaust air rising through an opening or gap like an open chimney chase cover or ridge vent. If this happens, it defeats the object of having proper intake and exhaust vents and a vapor barrier laid flat across your rafters or trusses to prevent warm humid air below from getting into the attic. Proper ventilation can help prevent air-borne pollutants in our homes from becoming trapped and concentrated.
The best way to prevent air leakage into an attic is to prevent problems at the source. For example, if you have a dryer vent that routinely blows smoke out the exhaust opening that means your dryer is not vented to the outside but has nowhere else to go but through the wall and ceiling of your home. If this happens often enough, it may be necessary for you to create a secondary outside vent for your dryer or perhaps even replace your dryer with one that can be properly vented outside of your home.
4. How can I get good ventilation in my home
The best way to increase attic ventilation is to have a roofing contractor install roof vents, intake vents, and ridge vents across the entire attic and roof. The ridge vent should be several inches lower than the chimney to prevent rainwater from entering your roof. Intake vents can be strategically placed in the highest traffic areas of your home such as over bedrooms, kitchens, sewing rooms & laundry rooms. Not allowing heat to escape using blinds and drapes can cause the thermostat to work harder, which will run your air conditioner longer. Make sure you have good-sized floor vents in bathrooms as well. Mold and mildew thrive in dark and damp areas. Nothing can ruin your home faster than a leaky attic, which is why it’s important to check for any signs of water damage. If you have leaks or moisture trapped between the ceiling and roof decking, then you may need an experienced contractor such as Preferred Air Conditioning to dry out these areas so that they don’t lead to bigger problems later on.
If you want more air circulation around the windows, consider extending the window frames with wood moldings by at least 2 inches to create a “sun strip,” which will allow more light through but keep winter cold from entering your rooms when closed. 6. Insulation: Many homeowners have good intentions about renovating their homes but don’t know where to
Improper ventilation, and air flow in general, is quickly becoming a major cause of moisture damage and mold in homes. As anyone living in the South knows, leaves are an important source of heat and comfort for cooling off during long hot summer days. While most homeowners understand this basic principle, they don’t realize that without proper ventilation they could be left with some serious problems on their hands. When air flow is restricted through vents due to clogged filters or poor installation, it can also lead to excessive buildup in hot attics that may not properly ventilate. If air flow isn’t maintained throughout these compartments, the excess humidity from pets or people will be trapped in the attic instead. This leads to mold growth on surfaces such as wood siding and insulation between floors. Proper attic ventilation, and proper roof ventilation, is vital in the home environment and with animal containment. In addition to the expense of having your roof replaced, there are much more expensive repercussions as well. If you have an animal that is producing urine or feces over a period of time inside your home, then you could be facing some serious problem.
Is your attic properly ventilated? If not, it can lead to mold growth which has been noted by many professionals as being very destructive to both human health and animals health. – Are you living in an area where pets are permitted? Find out what kind of restrictions exist before allowing him into your home on a permanent basis. – Do you know how to keep pets out of areas where they aren’t
Proper roof ventilation is critical every 300 square feet, the same goes for proper attic ventilation. If you have more than one story, it’s recommended that you ventilate every 150 sq. ft. Many think by simply cutting a 6″ hole in the roof and installing a fan will work. Completely false! I hear this all the time from people who don’t understand how important attic ventilation is.
Roof ventilation is important for several reasons:
It helps control the ambient temperature inside your house during the warm months saving energy and money.
Attic ventilation is important for many reasons as well:
It helps prevent moisture and condensation build-up inside your attic. If you don’t have proper ventilation, the water vapor in the air will cause the wood structure to decay faster than it normally would. This can be very costly to repair or replace.
Low oxygen in the attic causes areas of high humidity which supports mold growth. Proper ventilation allows for good drying conditions, preventing mold from establishing itself in your home’s attic space.
Proper ventilation in the attic also prevents excess moisture in attics, which causes streaks on ceilings, peeling paint, mildew odors, and damage to insulation and wood framing members due to excessive moisture saturation; a low-cost way of inspecting for leaks is by looking for telltale signs of too much moisture.
Attic and roof ventilation achieved with high-quality roof vents, and ridge vents can greatly reduce mold and mildew.
In this post, we covered tons of information on roof ventilation, roof vents, your roof, how to keep the heat down in your home during summer, how to keep the heat down in the summer, energy conservation, warm air, cool air, the roof on your home, and so much more.
If you have questions or feel you need a professional roofing contractor to help you properly ventilate your home call us right away or visit us here https://localqualityroofing.com/ to set up your free no-pressure estimate.
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