When you’re ready to install a new roof, you should also consider installing better attic ventilation. While the color, material, and style of your roof are important, this is an even more important consideration because it has to do with how your attic is vented so it can breathe. This consists of intake at the eaves, soffits, or fascias of your roof, as well as exhaust at or near your roof ridge. These things let cool, fresh air into your attic and give hot, moist air room to escape – something that’s especially important throughout hot summer months when the sun is beating down on your roof causing your attic to heat up even more.
How Improper Attic Ventilation Harms Your Home
Improper attic ventilation causes heat and moisture to build up in your attic. This can also increase the temperature in your home. The combination of heat and moisture can damage your shingles, wood framing, ceiling, siding, paint, and wallpaper.
You’ll also spend more energy cooling your home as the heat in your attic will force you to blast your air conditioning and fans so you feel comfortable. The added heat forces these units and appliances to work harder, which typically spikes your summer cooling costs.
Of course, ventilation isn’t just an issue throughout the hot summer months. Throughout the winter, your appliances, showers, baths, cooking, and laundry contribute to extra moisture building up in your attic. Improper ventilation prevents this moisture from escaping so it simply sits and collects on the underside of your roof then condensates and gets soaked into your home’s insulation, which also reduces your home’s energy efficiency. This excess moisture can also damage your home’s structure, causing it to rot and attract wood-eating insects (e.g. termites).
How to Know if Your Attic is Properly Vented
Understanding the importance of proper attic ventilation may leave you questioning whether your own attic is properly vented. Well, if you’ve had high heating and cooling bills in the past, you should definitely look into this issue. A reputable roofing contractor can easily check your attic and roof to determine if you have enough ventilation. They can also look around your home at your windows, doors, and appliances to see if they’re wasting energy due to improper maintenance. Failure to address these issues will make your home uncomfortable.
How to Improve Attic Ventilation
According to the U.S. Federal Housing Administration, you should have at least one square foot of attic ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic floor space in your home. This should be split evenly between the intake and exhaust. While this is the minimum, you can add more as long as you don’t over-ventilate. Having too much ventilation can also be problematic in that too many roof penetrations can cause leaks and other problems throughout hurricane season.
If you need some help with attic ventilation, get in touch with us at Done Rite Roofing Inc. This is something we’re experienced in dealing with and look forward to helping you with soon.