When choosing your roofing material, you may think about waterproofing and weatherization properties and aesthetics but not so much on ventilation. However, ventilation is one of the most important considerations when adding a new roof. Why? When properly installed in the attic of your home, ventilation systems will circulate freely through all seasons. Without that free-flow ventilation, you could experience anything from mold and mildew buildup to carbon monoxide buildup and energy loss. Not to mention reducing the service life of your roof.

Benefits of Proper Roofing Ventilation

When air can freely circulate throughout the attic area, your home will have an ideal balance between the heat harnessed by your insulation with the outdoor temperature. You’ll save energy, too, because your air conditioning and heating ventilation systems won’t be stressed.

Roofing systems that fail to gain the proper ventilation will become a breeding ground for mildew, mold and fungus. Those dangerous pathogens can get into your HVAC system and spread through your home, causing health problems. They can also rot the wood in your roof supports and attic.

Proper ventilation will also guard against ice dams this winter, which occur when the roof is warmer than the edges. Snow accumulates there and refreezes along the gutters. A balanced system of intake and exhaust vents can go a long way toward minimize ice damming.

Regulating your attic climate is made easier with the right ventilation too. In intense heat, your shingles are being fried from the inside. Getting some of that hot air out of the attic will result in optimal roof health. It also keeps moisture from forming condensation in your attic as it comes from below rooms.

What You Can Do

If you aren’t in the market yet for a new roof, there are things you can do to increase ventilation, mostly through the use of passive vents or roof-mounted fans that can better circulate clean air through the attic. Such ridge vents and passive roof vents can easily fit below the roof deck.

To make sure clean air is circulating through your soffits, add baffles or rafter vents between the space where the roof meets the walls and the rafters. If you’re ready for a new roof, your professional roofers can advise on the best roofing and ventilation system for you.

 

Contact Hi-Tech Windows & Siding

To learn more about our roofing service or to get a free quote on repair and installation, call us today at 800-851-0900. We have a wide service area for your convenience, built on a foundation of exceptional roof repair, replacement and installation.