It’s been said that your house is only as safe as your roof, so keeping it in good condition enhances the security of your home. A roof keeps your home safe from the elements, but it also significantly impacts your home’s energy efficiency and indoor temperature.
A well-insulated house is vitally important, but your roof will experience costly problems without adequate attic ventilation.
An attic and roofing system which is properly ventilated is a simple solution to keep your home more comfortable while ensuring your roof will perform as well as possible and last as long as possible.
What Is Attic Ventilation?
In the simplest of terms, attic ventilation is a system that ensures your house can breathe. It brings fresh air into the attic and allows the warm air to escape.
Roofs are exposed to the sun, so they heat up significantly in the hot summer months in Greensboro, NC. Attics that are well ventilated provide a way for the heat to escape while allowing fresh air inside.
However, it’s not just important to have good attic ventilation in the warm months. During the colder months, the cold attic air that isn’t able to escape through adequate ventilation will condense the moisture in the air and deposit it on rafters, joints, the bottom of the roof deck, and your insulation.
Your local roofing company can provide you with professional attic ventilation installation in Greensboro, NC.
Why Is Attic Ventilation Important?
The two main functions of attic ventilation installation are lowering the attic’s temperature and removing excess moisture. Without good attic ventilation, this cannot occur.
If an attic is sealed and has no ventilation or inadequate ventilation, it will trap excessive heat and moisture. Proper ventilation serves the following important functions:
- Prevents Condensation
Without proper ventilation, the heat and moisture will build up in your attic and cause damage to your roofing system, wood framing, and siding. When the attic heats up, the shingles and roof decks curl, warp, buckle, and split.
The interior of your home can also be damaged. The ceiling, paint, and wallpaper become damp and start to peel and eventually rot. The moisture causes mold, which is a significant health hazard.
- Controls Ice Dams
Greensboro, NC, experiences ice and snow in winter. Warm air from the house reaches the roof deck and causes the snow on the roof to melt. This may sound like a good thing, but it’s not.
The snow and ice only melt on the roof, but once it hits the gutters and eaves, or night falls and the temperature drops, the melted ice refreezes and causes damaging ice dams. The weight of ice dams leads to roof damage and potential internal leaks.
- Reduces Extremes for Indoor Temperature
You can avoid indoor temperature extremes with proper attic ventilation as it allows the hot air to leave while bringing in the fresh air.
- Increase the Lifespan of Your Roof
Even a quality roof will be negatively impacted by poor attic ventilation. Excess heat, moisture, and ice dams will reduce the lifespan of your roofing system and cost you money in repairs, and eventually, will require a replacement.
- Reduced Energy Costs
When an attic has adequate ventilation, it forces your HVAC system to run efficiently in both summer and winter. Overheated attics increase your home’s heating and cooling costs and put extra pressure on your HVAC system.
An HVAC system uses roughly 43% of a home’s energy, and when it is overworked, the percentage increases significantly.
Attic ventilation is necessary to preserve the life of your roof and your home, and the cost of quality attic ventilation installation is far less than constant repairs, increased energy bills, and roof replacement.
Attic Ventilation Installation
Attic ventilation installation comes in two forms — passive ventilation and active/mechanical ventilation. The differences between the two are quite simple:
Passive Ventilation
Also known as natural ventilation, this method uses natural forces to circulate air in and out of your attic. It uses thermal buoyancy, wind, doors, windows, vents, louvers, and other openings to bring fresh air into the attic and push stale and hot air out.
This regulates the internal temperature and controls the common weather extremes in Greensboro, NC.
There must be intake and exhaust vents to bring in the fresh air and remove the warm or stale air. The system is cost-effective as it requires no electricity and requires little maintenance, but it cannot be controlled and limits the amount of air that can come in and out. It’s also dependent on the climate of the area.
Active/Mechanical Ventilation
As the name suggests, active ventilation consists of electric fans built into the gable or the roof and installed by your local roofing company. Electric roof and gable fans use the electricity from the home’s electricity supply to operate.
The benefit of mechanical ventilation is that it provides constant airflow that is not affected by the temperature or wind, and it moves a higher volume of air through the attic.
Mechanical ventilation systems are very effective, but as they run constantly, they need occasional repairs and ongoing maintenance to keep them functioning smoothly.
Intake vents are generally installed at the bottom of the roof, in the overhangs, while the exhaust fans are placed at the top of the roof. The combination of vents generates continuous airflow throughout the attic all year round.
A dependable roofer will provide you with the information you need to decide on the best attic ventilation for your home.
Benefits of Attic Ventilation Installation
Once you have had quality attic ventilation installation by your local roofing company, the benefits include:
- The roof deck is in good condition
- Shingles remain flat
- Mold free roof
- AC performing at normal capacity
- Lower energy bills
- Dry and condensation free attic
- Clean insulation in the attic
- Reduced amount of pests
- Reduction in ice dams
Installing adequate attic ventilation is a priority to keep your roof and property in good condition. Your dependable roofer can provide you with excellent advice and installation to resolve the problems associated with inadequate attic ventilation.
Ask the Dependable Roofers
If you’re unsure which attic ventilation system is best for your property, call the dependable roofers at Carolina Home Specialists in Greensboro, NC, for a thorough inspection and estimate. They will work with you to provide you with an affordable and effective solution.
As a general rule, there should be one square foot of vent installed for every 300 square feet of your attic floor. Building codes require attics to be ventilated and specify the requirements.
Over-ventilation is also a problem as an excessive number of vents or penetrations can encourage leaks and other problems when the weather is extreme in Greensboro, NC.
Your local roofing company is up to date with the ventilation codes and will ensure your ventilation is done to standard. Don’t risk getting it wrong and causing further ventilation or roof leakage problems; call the experts in attic ventilation installation.
Carolina Home Specialists — Your Local Roofing Company
The professionals at Carolina Home Specialists will calculate the ventilation your attic requires and recommend the ideal ventilation system for your home.
Our experienced technicians will install a ventilation system for your home to resolve any problems with inadequate airflow. As we are a full-service company, we can provide both insulation and ventilation.
Our years of experience in the industry have given us a wealth of knowledge and the ability to provide you with sound roofing solutions in Greensboro, NC. Call Carolina Home Specialists today for all of your roofing needs — we can do it all.