"Thousands of Satisfied Customers" ™ Ask a friend!
|
|
|
| Roof Ventilation FAQs.Why Ventilation? Newer home construction methods have resulted in better insulation and tighter homes, which save you the homeowner money on energy bills, but makes the need for a well ventilated attic even more important. With older homes many builders did not consider attic ventilation. Attic ventilation is necessary to prevent condensation, moisture problems and heat build-up. The benefits of proper ventilation for the homeowner are a cooler attic in the summer, a dryer attic in the winter and protection of the structural integrity of the home from moisture damage. Without proper ventilation the attic will warm up as heat transfers through your insulation warming the attic, melting snow on the roofs surface. This may cause an ice build up or dam at the eves edge. The melting snow will run down to the colder roof overhang and re-freeze into an ice dam. Subsequently this ice dam continues to build up and hold water that pools behind it that eventually backs up under the shingles causing damage. The results can be soaked insulation, stained ceiling, or peeling paint and shingle damage. Summer Heat In the summer, heat builds up in the attic space, which is dispersed through the ridge vent system or roof vents. The attic will cool down at night if the attic is properly ventilated. However, if the attic is unventilated or ventilated incorrectly, the heat will build up over a period of days and continue to increase the temperature inside the attic. On a 70-degree day with no attic ventilation the heat in the attic and on the roof sheathing, may easily reach up to 170 degrees. Heat radiating from the sheathing down to the attic floor with no fresh air would be like an oven. Without adequate ventilation and with today's heavier insulation, the insulation will absorb and hold more heat built up during the day and make the attic less likely to cool at night. Over heated ceiling insulation conducts the heat through the ceiling down to the residents of the home. This will cause an air conditioning system to operate for longer periods of time, working harder to reduce the heat build up. Furthermore, shingle manufactures will not warranty the failure of the shingles due to improper or inadequate ventilation. Proper ventilation will provide you that extra assurance of a job well done and increased longevity. Winter Moisture Improper or inadequate ventilation causes considerably more problems than just excessive heat. The insulation in an attic will hold the moisture in. During the winter, air inside the home is warm and rises causing the condensation or water vapor from the inside of the home and into the attic. Moister comes from things like cooking, laundry, showers and humidifiers. Bathroom Vents Never exhaust fans directly into the attic. With no ventilation, moisture raises into an attic creates like a rain forest effect during the heat of the day. The moisture will rise and soak in to the decking and at night the water will freeze then in the morning drip back down on to the insulation until it warms back up and the cycle repeats itself. This Results in structure damage insulation damage and mold. Roof Vents Ridge vent is considered the best all around vent. It is installed continuously along the ridge. The decking is cut along the ridge and the vent is installed. It is then shingled over with the ridge cap shingles. It leaves a nice clean look when properly installed. Ridge vent is more expensive then the standard roof vents, but worth the investment. Roof Vents. You see a lot of styles of this type of vent typically placed on the backside of the home. State code calls for one square foot of ventilation per 300 square feet of dead air space. Most attics are improperly ventilated. Soffit Vents Located in the outside overhang and have many looks. The proper amount of ventilation should equal the amount of roof ventilation in place. This achieves the positive airflow from eves to ridge which carries out unwanted heat and moisture. Special consideration should be noted; the attic insulation should be pulled back from the vents so they can properly work. Gable End Vents Should not be used, gable end vents are found to be counter productive and will not allow the soffit vents to properly function. They should be sealed off or closed from the inside, with cardboard, plywood or plastic. This will allow a properly installed ventilation system to work. the roof vent or ridge vent will then have to pull it's air from the soffit.
Proper attic insulation around an R-30 is a good idea, check your local state codes. Proper insulation working with ventilation corrects most ice formation issues. Providing you with a longer lasting roof, savings on heating and cooling costs.
Key Benefits to proper ventilation.
Contact Information
|
|
We always return relating links. NO AUTOMATIC LINK SWAP ON THIS WEBSITE! WE ARE NOT SUPPORTING LINK SPAM NOR ARTIFICIAL RECIPROCAL LINKS. Send mail to: Richard Van Beck
R1vanbeck@aol.com with your
questions or comments.
|
