Ventilation Do’s and Dont’s

Did you know that a proper roof system involves much more than just roof shingles being installed?

Well it does, and this article should help you understand a major component that is needed to make up a successful roof installation. That component is “VENTILATION”.

Ventilation

In colder climates good venting helps keep a COLD attic COLD. It does so, by mixing outside air with attic air to help keep ice and snow from melting too rapidly. This causes ice damming that will cause damage to the roof.

In the warmer regions it’s kind of the opposite. We want the ventilation system to keep air flowing out of the attic, keeping the hot air circulating out through the vents in the top of the roof.

Hot air rises so what happens is that air is brought in through the lower vents and expelled out the top, creating a type of flow that does not allow for moisture building.

Think of it like a glass of water, cold water on the inside of the cup and the warmer air on the outside. What happens? Condensation happens. Well, in a roof system the same thing goes on if it is not properly vented.

Proper attic Ventilation plays a massive role in keeping your valuable roof from costing you even more money down the road from issues occurring inside and outside of the home.

Here at All County Roofing we make sure that we always discuss proper roof ventilation with the homeowners before the start of a project, informing them of two most important factors.

1) Remove moist, hot air from the attic through either Ridge Venting or Box Vents.

2) Allow colder, fresh air, to come into the attic through eave or soffit venting.

It is best to do both if possible. Oftentimes it means drilling 2 inch vent holes into bird blocks or installing some other style of vent in the eave or soffit system. It helps tremendously and is worth the cost in the long run.

Benefits of proper ventilation:

1) Helps limit moisture build up in the attic, potentially damaging the roof system and the homes main structure.

2) Save money and energy. Heat builds up in the attic fast and it can cost a lot of money in electric bills to keep an improperly vented home cool. The air conditioner will have to work almost twice as hard if the attic is improperly vented

3) Prevents damage to the roof shingles. Extreme attic heat can cause the aging of roofing shingles to accelerate.

(Shingle manufacturers strongly recommend proper attic ventilation on asphalt shingle installations.)

An improperly ventilated home can result in mold, wasted energy, ice dams, rotting decks, peeling paint, and ceiling stains.

Remember this, keeping a roof system working well avoids most issues mentioned above. A properly vented roof creates a BALANCED system using upper venting (box vents, ridge vents) and lower intake venting (soffit vents/eave vents). Intake ventilation is super critical in letting the exhaust vents work the way they were designed. Without intake ventilation, most ridge or other exhaust vents can be rendered virtually useless.

Without air coming in, no air will go out!

All County Roofing is here for all your roofing needs please don’t hesitate to call us for a FREE ESTIMATE today!

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Ventilation Do’s and Dont’s

Did you know that a proper roof system involves much more than just roof shingles being installed?

Ventilation

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