Did you know your roof needs to ‘breathe’ in order to work properly? The ventilation in your attic and roof are needed to ensure the roof will last a long time. Not enough ventilation and the attic area may have mold and mildew buildup. Too much ventilation and you can end up making the attic too cold and hurting energy efficiency of the home. Being able to balance the attic ventilation is key to the roof performing as it should and usually requires the assistance of a roofer in Downriver Michigan. Here’s why it is so important to have the proper ventilation of your home.
Key Reasons Why Attic Ventilation in your Downriver Michigan Home is So Important
Your attic ventilation is much more important than you’d probably think. If the ventilation is balanced, then the intake is equal to the exhaust in your attic, making the air quality in your attic and home more efficient and better. An effective system will work wonders on your home, and if you currently don’t have balanced ventilation, getting your system adjusted to be will make all the difference in the world!
Here are just a few reasons why balanced attic ventilation in Downriver Michigan can be important:
- Air Quality – A well ventilated and insulated attic will result in better air quality in your home. If a ventilation system is balanced, then there is sufficient circulation and movement of the air, keeping the air from getting stuffy and also allowing fresh air into your home. With this also comes the improved quality at which your home stays heated or cooled. This makes your home more comfortable and nicer to live in. If your attic wasn’t properly ventilated, then you would often have stuffy air that was warm in summer and cold and damp in the winter.
- Ice Dams – Ice dams form when warm attic air melts snow on the roof then the cool outdoor air refreezes this in large sheets. These can be damaging to your roof and dangerous should they break off and fall down. If your attic is well balance in ventilation, the odds of this happening are greatly reduced, making your roof safer and less susceptible to damage from ice dams.
- Mold and Mildew – An attic with properly balance ventilation won’t trap moisture as easily, reducing the risk of mold and mildew growth. If your attic doesn’t have balanced ventilation, then the warm moist air from your home can rise into the attic and collect, resulting in mold and dry rot, leading to damages and high costs to get your attic back in a safe state.
- Utility Bills – If your attic doesn’t ventilate well, then you are likely paying way more than you should in your energy costs. A poorly ventilated attic will lead to the collection of warmer or cooler air depending on the season which makes your HVAC system work harder to cool or heat your home, raising your energy bill.
- Shingle Deterioration – Heat builds up during the warmer months of the year. Your attic therefore can get really hot during this time and this can lead to shingle damage. If the attic isn’t properly ventilated, the roof sheathing can be de-laminated and could lead to loosened shingles that could even break down and come off easily.
- Roof Warranties – Most modern building codes require a particular level of balance with attic ventilation. If your attic isn’t vented in a balanced way, you risk voiding your roof warranty as unbalanced air can affect the health of your roof. At the very least, damages you incur due to improper attic ventilation likely won’t be covered by insurance or warranties as the ventilation was not balanced like it was supposed to be.
Call a Professional Roofer
Roof and attic ventilation is a needed component in your home and it’s usually determine during the initial build, renovations, and other home improvements. Some roofing materials will also have different ventilation requirements so changing your roof materials can have an impact. It’s always best to consult a professional roofer to determine if your attic and roof ventilation is adequate and properly balanced. Be sure to call the roofing experts at Downriver Roofers today at 734-548-9911 if you need help with your roofing project.
