Your roof has to be able to breathe. Proper roof ventilation not only helps to keep your energy costs down, but it also helps you to avoid costly repercussions in the future as well. Make sure that you always get your roof inspected and maintained every year so these issues are mitigated. If you want to find out more about that then take a look below.
Why Ventilation Matters
One of the main, critical issues when it comes to ventilation is a problem with damp. Condensation occurs when warm or moist air comes into contact with a much colder surface.
For example, when warm air from your living area enters the cooler roof area. This forms water droplets which then drip onto the floor and joints, causing damp.
As you can imagine, the impact of this can be extreme and harmful to your home.
You may find that you have structural damage to your joists, degradation of insulation, rot in your woodwork and even damage to interior décor. Condensation can be a huge problem when you look at the modern family home as well, especially when you look at the way that a property is insulated and the way that energy sources are used.
People are now growing more and more energy conscious, and are trying to save as much energy as possible in the home.
Things like double glazing, insulation in cavities and more will all increase the chances of you having high levels of condensation.
This will easily find its way into your roof area.
Warm air rises, and although it can pass through a lot of building materials, it often ends up escaping upwards. The problem tends to be at its worst during the winter months when temperatures are at their lowest.
You probably have your doors shut way more often and your central heating turned up as well.
The end result?
Air in the home that is considerably warmer when compared to outside. There are fewer opportunities for air to escape and as a result, it goes into the loft.
If you have good roof ventilation, then you can make huge strides towards making sure that condensation doesn’t build up and that you also don’t experience the same issues with damp at a later date.
Ventilation will help you to allow colder air from the outside to be drawn in, equalizing room temperature while also minimizing the chances of condensation from forming.
Consequences of Bad Ventilation
Issues such as mold build-up can easily affect the health of your family. It can cause rot in your attic and it can be costly to repair as well.
Poor ventilation can lead to a build-up of carbon dioxide as the oxygen levels deplete.
The depletion of oxygen and even carbon dioxide build-up can result in shortness of breath and even severe headaches too.
Airborne diseases get transmitted into the air whenever a person talks, sneezes or even coughs. Pathogens that are transmitted through the air find it much easier to move from one person to another in a home that has very poor air quality.
Airborne diseases include chickenpox, anthrax, measles, smallpox, and tuberculosis.
Poor indoor air quality can also lead to stress, discomfort and more. If you are prone to allergies, nausea and sinus problems then you may also find that you end up experiencing stuffiness that is caused by the congestion. This can then lead to even more allergies, as well as sensitivity and nausea.
Another cause for concern is sick building syndrome. This is often categorized as irritation of the eyes, throat, nose, and fatigue. The symptoms often occur when you are indoors but disappear when you leave the building.
If you are able to have a better level of indoor air quality, then this will mean a better environment overall.
Different Types of Vents
There really are so many types of vent available. If you want to make sure that you get the best result out of your ventilation project then you need to make sure that you do everything you can to know the difference between them and that you also do your research. If you want to know more then just take a look below.
Static Vents
Static vents are also called box vents. They have no moving parts and the vent is installed over a hole that is cut into the roof. They use natural convection and this creates an opening for the hot air that rises. This ultimately helps the moisture to escape. These vents are available in different colors and they are also available in both metal and hard plastic. This gives the heat and moisture the chance to escape properly, as well as providing you with a good amount of ventilation. A lot of static vents may be required in some properties.
Wind-Powered Vents
A turbine or wind-powered vent is installed into the top of the roof and it uses wind power to suck hot air out of the attic. A turbine has multiple vanes that spin as the wind picks up. Due to their moving parts, turbines are able to provide more air movement when compared to ridge vents but if you are in an area that doesn’t have too much wind then there may be other options available.
Electronically Powered Vents
Electrically powered vents do not require any wind at all and they rely on an electrical current to take the hot air out of the attic. They are efficient and very easy to install so if you would like to go for this option then it’s certainly a good idea if you do not have a lot of wind in your area or if you want something more powered when compared to a static vent.
Is your Roof Ventilation on Point?
Are you having problems with your roofing ventilation? If so then contact Hometown Roofing ATX to get a quote at (512) 707-9182. When you do, we will give you a roof inspection and we will also help you to know if there is anything that you can do to increase the efficiency of the vents that you have right now.