Some homeowners never venture up into their attics. It’s merely an open space above the living area. Every homeowner should be familiar with their attic, however. The health and energy efficiency of your household depends on a well-ventilated attic. In fact, your roof can also be impacted. Below you will learn all about proper ventilation so that your home performs well under outside temperatures.
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Heat Rises
Arizona has both dry and wet seasons when it comes to heat. For a good portion of the year, the heat within your attic can reach well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Without proper ventilation, this heat remains trapped. It slowly radiates in any direction that it can, including into your structural framework.
During the summer, place your hand on your ceiling or wall that connects directly to the attic space. A poorly ventilated home will have hot ceilings and walls. You can alleviate this problem by looking into rooftop ventilation.
Warmth Escapes
Consider the comfort that you feel in the winter as your household heater warms up space. Although you may only use a heater a few times each winter, the warmth is still important to you and your family. Improper ventilation at the rooftop impacts your energy usage down into the living space. The heat will always rise, and it remains in the attic. As a result, you may not feel very warm on the lower floors. Turning up the heat could be an answer, but this will dramatically raise your energy bill.
The Condensation Factor
Your energy bills aren’t the only things being impacted by improper rooftop ventilation. The attic may have mold and moisture issues, too. As the warm air remains trapped in the attic, a cool night might settle into your Arizona neighborhood. The roof cools down, and the trapped air begins to react with the attic’s cool ceiling. Condensation forms along with the attic’s ceiling, which eats away at your structural wood. Mold and mildew can also grow here as a result.
Roofing’s Role
The trapped air within the attic directly influences your roofing material’s longevity. Over time, the hot air warps the roof’s sheathing, underlayment, and topmost shingles. You can see these effects over time if you observe your roof from the curb. The shingles will slowly have curled edges or a sagging contour with the rest of the rooftop. If you improve the rooftop’s ventilation, the materials are only confronted with the outdoor elements. This can mean a longer life for your roof system if your attic isn’t acting as a heat trap.
Start at the Soffit
You want to properly ventilate the rooftop, but you’re not sure how this process works. There are basic physics that contribute to smart ventilation. Breezes that strike your home’s exterior will move up the wall, across the rooftop and away from your property. Take advantage of this air movement by adding vents along the soffit or roof overhang. Under this overhang is a protected area where professionals can install a vent without compromising the structure’s water resistance. Air enters the attic with ease afterward.
Ventilate the Peak
Allowing the air into the attic is part of the solution. It has to escape, too. Install ridge vents along the rooftop’s peak. These clever vents give enough space for air to move without letting in rain during storms. The resulting ventilation continually moves air from the soffit to the peak. Your roofing materials and attic remain at steady temperatures, which leads to a longer lifespan for the entire rooftop.
Space it Out
Contractors don’t randomly space out the vents at the soffit. They perform precise calculations so that every 150 square feet of the attic’s ceiling has at least one vent. Roofing Contractors take other factors into consideration, such as vapor retarders installed within the attic. After the vent installation, you don’t have to think about ventilation anymore. Unless the attic is remodeled in the future, the vents remain operational because of the ongoing breezes outside.
Reputable roofers can assess any issues that you have, including concerns in the attic space. They’ll walk on the roof and within the attic. Any suggestions should be taken seriously by the homeowners because simple improvements add up to big savings over time.
