Today we’re going to talk about attic ventilation and why it matters for your home. When most homeowners think about their roof, they picture shingles, leaks, or storm damage. But one of the most important parts of your roofing system is something you can’t even see. Proper attic
ventilation protects your home, extends the life of your roof, and can lower energy bills. Improper attic ventilation can reduce shingle life by 24% (Survey of residential roofing pros).
What Is Attic Ventilation? Attic ventilation is a system that allows fresh air to enter and exit your attic space. It works off a balance of a couple of key things.
The first is your intake vents, which usually consists of soffit vents along your eaves. The second is your exhaust vents, which can include a few different options like ridge vents, box vents, gable vents, or turbines. It is very important to have proper intake, so you have proper exhaust. If you don’t have one or the other, your attic will not ventilate properly. This can lead to premature shingle failure from blistering, moisture buildup, wood decay, and ice dam formation.
When looking at re-roofing your home, make sure you talk to a contractor about a proper ventilation system for your specific home. One of the most important aspects of choosing exhaust vents is you never want to mix different types of exhaust vents on the same roof. For example, having a ridge vent and box vents together can lead to improper ventilation by pulling air from the wrong areas of the attic instead of creating consistent airflow. This can lead to stagnant air throughout your attic.
Moving on to one of the most common issues we see in the Midwest, especially with our harsh winters, is Ice Damming. These form when heat gets trapped in your attic, warming the roof and melting snow unevenly because of the improper ventilation. When that water freezes at the eaves, it creates a dam that can force water underneath your shingles. This problem can happen from something as simple as leaving your attic door cracked open, allowing heat from your home to rise into the attic or be as complicated as not having anything properly vented. You want your attic to be about the same temperature as the outside temperature.
A couple things you can look for yourself to see if you have improper venting is if there is mold or mildew in the attic, rusty nails or rotting on the decking, signs of condensation in the attic, not enough insulation and lastly buckled roof decking.
If you’re seeing any of this in your attic it’s worth having it checked out. A quick inspection can catch issues early before they turn into bigger, more expensive problems down the road.
Written by Colin McManus, Service Representative for Renner Roofing Inc.
