We often talk about professionally installed roofing system products that can help protect our home or building from water from the outside. However, we overlook how a proper attic ventilation system can protect our homes from heat and moisture on the inside!
What is attic ventilation? Attic ventilation is a balanced system of intake and exhaust vents that are designed to help our homes breathe. Here is how it works! Intake vents at the bottom of your roof usually the soffit allow outside air into the attic. This air continually flows through the attic and eventually is drawn outside through the exhaust vents at the higher part of the roof.
Why do we need attic ventilation? It helps lower attic temperatures in our attic. An attic that isn’t properly ventilated can result in attic temperatures over 70 degrees Celsius in the summer. This can increase energy costs to cool our home. This build-up of excessive heat in an improperly ventilated attic can cause deterioration of the roofing system components, and wood support over time, and can reduce our roof’s lifespan. Also to keep in mind, a warm attic in the winter increases the risk of damaging ice dams. Ice dams occur when warm air in the attic causes the roof to warm and then makes the snow melt. Then the water runs down the roof and re-freezes causing a back up when it reaches the cooler edges of the roof.
Why do we need attic ventilation again? It helps reduce excess moisture in our attic. The average daily household activities such as cooking, showering, and even breathing produce 12 litres of water into the air per day. Where does this moisture go you ask? Yup, you guessed it, it rises into our attic. When that moist air hits the cooler surface such as the underside of your roof deck condensation can form in your attic if it is not properly ventilated. This can lead to mould, mildew growth and maybe even wood rotting. That condensation can also accumulate in the insulation and make it moist and less effective. As we can see, proper attic ventilation will help get this water vapour out of our home.
In conclusion, a new roof is more than just shingles. An effective attic ventilation system helps reduce damaging moisture in your attic. An effective ventilation system also helps lower high attic temperatures which can increase the load on our air conditioner systems. It also reduces the risk of damaging ice dams in the winter. In conclusion, we recommend that you protect your roof on the outside from the inside!