Why You Need Attic Ventilation

Want to make your home more comfortable? Maybe it’s time to improve your attic ventilation.

If you know anything about air flow, you know that hot air rises. So when your house heats up in the summer, the warm air rises and settles into your attic. And once it’s there, if it has no way to escape, it can sit there for days with no place to go.

Think of it as if you put a wool stocking cap on and go hiking on a warm, summer day. Not very comfortable, right? Worse, if you do it for very long, you’ll overheat.

Attic ventilation helps keep your home comfortable no matter what the outside temperatures climb to. That also means your home will be more efficient in the long run, because you won’t have to over-compensate for cooling a house that’s overly heated.

If the temperatures outside say it’s 100, the air in your attic can climb substantially higher – 150 or more. Think of it as putting an oven in your upstairs area. And your AC will register the heat trapped in your home, and attempt to correct it. The result is an air conditioner that works harder than it has to try to keep your home at your desired temperature.

Where do you start?

Consider a home energy audit with one of our trained technicians.

The reason you place insulation in your attic is to prevent air movement where it shouldn’t be. Roof vents should also be placed appropriately to stop heat transfer.

In the summer, the sun is constantly beating down on your roof, heating your roof and shingles up. Extra attic ventilation helps dissipate the heat that’s penetrating from both sides, preventing premature wear on your roofing materials too.

In the winter, proper attic ventilation also works to keep heated air and humidity from escaping your home, which in turn prevents frost from impacting your shingles. If your roof heats and refreezes again and again, it can damage your shingles, and cause ice dams that further damage the structure of your home.

Attic ventilation is a fairly straightforward process, ensuring soffits, vents, and ridge caps are properly positioned. When needed, an attic fan can also be used to ensure your attic is at the proper temperature to avoid costly utility bills each month.

Is your attic properly ventilated?