Which Roof Ventilation System Is Right for My Attic?

Just what are the poor ventilation systems in your home? And what can you do to ensure that your attic is properly ventilated?

Think of your ventilation as your home’s ability to breathe through the attic. As fresh air moves into your vent’s soffits, hot air is released to the outside through vents in your ridge. This should keep your attic dry and healthy. But new construction practices have the roof sealed tighter than ever. Plastic house wraps, triple sealed windows, and magnetically sealed doors have added energy efficiency but they also reduce your home’s ability to breathe.

The result?

The attic in today’s home hold on to more heat and moisture than ever before, and such buildup of heat and moisture provides the perfect environment for the growth and spread of mould in your attic. Left unchecked, attic mould can spread quickly, endangering your family’s health, creating the need for drastic remediation, even complete demolition of your home.

In addition, hot moist air trapped in the attic wets down your insulation, and wet insulation can’t simply do its job to inhibit heat transfer. Homes without proper ventilation can have 20 percent to 25 percent moisture content in your insulation, which has the effect on doubling heating and cooling bills.

Have molds started to grow yet? If you are not sure, it is important to get a trained professional to inspect your roof insulation, using the right testing equipment into your attic as soon as possible.

So, is your attic properly ventilated? Is your insulation holding on to too much moisture?

The results of the professional attic inspection may indicate high moisture due to design issues in your home, such as:

• Improper bathroom ventilation
• Holes in the ceiling
• Exposed gable vents

Addressing these issues can make a big difference in the moisture level in your attic. In addition, many homeowners choose high-performance ridge vent, which allows increased air flow through your attic. However, not all ridge vents are created equal. Improperly designed ridge vents actually reverse the flow in your attic; heat and moisture are trapped inside. When remediation and demolition began, tens of thousands of dollars in extensive repairs will be spent.

What you need to do:

1. Have a professional roofer inspect your attic for mold buildup and ventilation failure.
2. Install a high-performance ridge vent.
3. Make sure your roof is applicable to the type of ridge vent you have.

Types of vents

The type of ventilation system in your home dictates the health of your home and the safety of human lives living inside. If you decide on the design of your ventilation, you need to consider your roof’s pitch, as different homes have unique architectural styles. Sometimes, engineers overlooked the discrepancy of the structure and the ventilation system in the attic.

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Soffit vent

The soffit is a roof component that is more commonly known to work in pairs with fascia. Soffit is a Latin term meaning “ceiling,” which makes sense as you can see the soffit just underneath the overhang of the rafter. Its primary function is to keep the heat and moisture at bay by maintaining proper insulation to the attic. Soffit panels usually have small holes to permit circulation of air.

If you need the correct soffit for your home structure, roofers in Birmingham can assist you.

Ridge vent

The one you see at the peak of the roof that looks like an aesthetic cap or covering along the ridgeline is the ridge vent. Unknown to you, the ridge vent is a very essential part of the roofing system as it serves as an air passage for heat to escape coming from the attic. A ridge vent should increase energy efficiency if it is installed properly. A poorly installed ridge vent is when roofers fail to use a good sealant or puncture the ends with wrong nails that results to an unsecured vent. To know the correct ridge vent for your roofing system, our professional roofers will look into your home design. Steeper sloped roofs have better ridge vent efficiency.

Bathroom vent

Improperly installed bathroom vent is a sign of poor workmanship. A vent that doesn’t correctly direct heat and moisture but collects in the attic will do so much worse to the insulation. When heat could not get out, the moisture and heat will condense, leaving the attic wet.

To avoid causing further damage to the attic, allowing the bathroom to vent through the side of the house or through the roof line.

Roof vents or fan

If you see huge fans on top of buildings or roof decks, these are fans, as they are purposely built to release hot air. However, these vents are not suitable for high-pitched roofs.

Final thoughts

For proper venting, you need to ensure that those mentioned above should be able to release and circulate air adequately before any damage will build on your home’s layers and walls. For better roof vent suggestion and to avoid a leak in the future, call our staff and have your attic inspected. Roofers Birmingham will figure out the problem before it gets worse.