Your roof is your home’s first line of defense and protection against the elements. It also plays a major role in determining how energy efficient and cool your home is through the hot summer months. To help your roof do the best job it can for your home, you must have proper roof ventilation. Let’s walk through what roof ventilation is, what happens without it, and four reasons roof ventilation is important.
What is Roof Ventilation?
Roof — or attic — ventilation is how your home “breathes.” The ventilation pulls fresh air into your attic and allows hot air to escape through the roof vents. Roof ventilation moderates the temperature of your roof and home, meaning your central air system does not have to work as hard to keep your home comfortable. This air circulation also prevents the build-up of moisture, reducing the risk of mold or mildew and extending the life of your roof.
What Happens Without Proper Roof Ventilation?
Without proper roof ventilation, hot air and moisture become trapped in your attic, potentially causing temperatures to rise to 150 degrees or more in the summer. These extremely hot and humid temperatures allow mold and mildew to flourish, damaging your roof underlayment and causing wood rot. Poor roof ventilation also traps heat in your home, making your air conditioner work harder and increasing your energy costs.
4 Reasons Why Roof Ventilation is Important
Reduces Indoor Temperature Extremes
If your home experiences dramatic differences in indoor temperatures from upstairs to downstairs, it may be because of poor roof ventilation. This is because hot air is rising to your upstairs but can’t properly escape, leaving your upstairs living spaces significantly warmer than the downstairs ones. Proper roof ventilation allows hot air to escape and cool air to enter, creating a more comfortable and even temperature throughout your home.
Increases the Energy Efficiency of Your Home
Without roof ventilation, heat gets trapped in your home, meaning your air conditioner has to work harder to cool the house. However, proper ventilation allows the hot, moist air to escape, reducing the cost of cooling and operating your home. This increases the energy efficiency of your home and lowers your monthly energy bills, especially in the summer.
Prevents Condensation That Can Lead to Mold and Rot
Between laundry, showers, and cooking, your home produces a lot of warm, damp air. This humid air gravitates up toward your ceiling and eventually your attic. Without proper roof ventilation, this warm air will get trapped against the underside of your roof, eventually turning into condensation — a breeding ground for mold and mildew. Roof ventilation gives this moist air an escape, keeping your insulation dry and preventing condensation from occurring.
Extends the Life of Your Roof
As we mentioned above, without proper roof ventilation, warm air gets trapped against the underside of your roof and turns into condensation and, eventually, mold. This build-up of heat and moisture causes damage to your wood framing, rafters, and underlayment — dramatically reducing the lifespan of your roof. But even ventilation prevents these issues and helps extend the life of your roof.
Contact Us for More Information About Roof Ventilation
Over the last several decades in the roofing industry, Perimeter Roofing has learned all there is to know about roof ventilation and how to give homeowners a long-lasting, energy-efficient roofing system. Now we are ready to bring this expertise to you with roofing services in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama. Our highly trained, friendly team of roofing contractors can provide roof repair, replacement, and maintenance with quality service you can trust. Contact us today to book your free roof inspection!