Why is Ventilation So Important in Roofing?
Venting is the most underrated part of roofing. Without proper airflow caused by good venting attics can experience:
- Mold
- Mildew
- Rot
The best solution is to install a proper ridge vent over all ridges, as well as intake venting to all soffits.
How Do You Tell if Your Roof is Properly Vented?
Proper roof ventilation is a critical part of keeping your home comfortable and healthy. So how can you tell whether you have a potential ventilation problem? Look for these signs it's time to call a roofer:
- Your home gets very hot in the summer. Attic temperatures can soar to around 150-degrees in the summer when your attic is not properly ventilated, which can in turn heat up the rest of your home. If your energy bills are very high but your home still isn't comfortable, you may have inadequate roof ventilation.
- Ice dams form on your roof in the winter. Those cascades of ice that form on the edge of your roof are a sign of poor ventilation and can lead to damage to your insulation, ceiling, and walls.
- Your attic feels damp and/or smells like mildew. Moisture condensation in your attic spells potential mold growth and rot, which can be hazardous to your health and bad for your structure. The air in your attic should be clean and dry.
What Is The Best Type of Roof Ventilation?
Pro Roofing NW prefers a baffled ridge vent such as a Single Vent 2 from Airvent. Baffled ridge vents have a lip on the outside edge. This is significant because as air blows over the vent it creates suction from below. Without a baffle on the ridge vent, the vent sometimes becomes an intake vent rather than an outtake vent. This will circumvent the entire ventilation system. It is paramount that every attic has not only the proper amount of air but the proper flow of air as well.
In the eaves of each roof or the soffits, most every home has intake vents or soffit vents. These vents are often referred to as bird blocks because birds think these to be a very nice place to make a home. The intake must equal the outtake. Said another way, the amount of air entering into the soffits (or the lowest place of the attic cavity) must equal the amount of air exiting the highest place of the attic such as a ridgeline.
Hot air and moisture need to exit every attic as it rises. Proper airflow will force air up and out of an attic cavity as new cool air enters in below through the soffits.
Call ProRoofing NW today at (888) 599-8591 or contact us online if you have any questions about roof ventilation!