Attic ventilation is one of the most overlooked aspects of home maintenance, but it’s also a vital part of keeping your roof in good condition. Proper attic ventilation moves super-heated air out of your home, protecting roof shingles and reducing moisture problems like mold and mildew. Therefore, attic ventilation is very needed. You can think it carefully when working in your attic.
But before you make any changes to your attic, it’s important to determine how much ventilation your attic needs. Attic ventilation can be determined depending on the season. In the summer, the air will tend to be hot. If your attic is not properly ventilated, hot air will be trapped inside the attic. This will disturb the coolness of your home. Meanwhile, during winter, poor attic ventilation causes snow on the eaves to melt and refreeze, creating ice dams that can damage your roof.
An attic with sufficient ventilation will have equal levels of incoming and outgoing air. Ventilation should be placed in a way that allows air to enter from along the eaves and exit through the roof’s peak. Here are some tips for improving your attic ventilation.
Install Passive Vents
Passive vents are holes or slots in your home’s eaves, soffits and fascia that allow air to escape naturally. They include ridge vents that run along the roof ridge, box-style cap vents, or turbine vents. These systems do not rely on any electricity to move air, and they are easy to install. They are also eco-friendly, because they don’t use fossil fuels to power their operation.
They can be installed in your attic, and should be placed as close to the ridge of your roof as possible. This way, you don’t have to worry about the vents being seen from the street. These vents are effective at removing excess moisture from the attic, and they’re a great addition to any attic ventilation plan. They can also improve your home’s energy efficiency, because they encourage air circulation and keep your attic cool.
- Soffits and fascia
- Ridge vents
- Box-style cap vents
- Turbine vents
Add a Fan
A fan is a great way to keep your attic ventilated throughout the year. They help prevent moisture from building up in the attic and can lower your energy bill in the summer by moving the hot air out. Most attic fans come with a thermostat that turns on and off as needed. This makes it easy to use and saves energy by only running the fan when the temperature in your attic falls below a preset level.
Add a Roof Vent
A well-ventilated attic improves energy efficiency, reduces heating and cooling bills, prevents ice dams in winter, and protects your home from damage caused by moisture. Roof vents are usually installed at the peak of the roof, the four attic air rises naturally. To help you decide which type of vents to install, talk to a roofing expert in your area. They will be able to calculate how much intake ventilation your attic needs and how much exhaust ventilation you need.
Gable Vent
A gable vent is installed at the peak of a roof gable, where two sides of the gable meet. It usually is rectangular and has a screen or louvers to keep animals and pests out. It will help to give a proper ventilation to your attic.