There are a variety of reasons why you may want to replace the roof on your house. Over time, asphalt shingles can become brittle and will deteriorate faster than normal. When this happens, it is time for your roof to be replaced. One of the biggest challenges with replacing a roof is ensuring that the new roof will last if the old one did.
Roof ventilation is a crucial component of any roofing system. It provides an escape route for heat, moisture, and odours trapped in the attic space.
Having a well-designed ventilation system on your roof is very important. If you have a house that is more than 15 years old, the roof has likely deteriorated to some extent, possibly with leaks or mildew growth.
As your roof ages, it becomes more susceptible to damage. And while your roof is an essential part of your home’s insulation and protection from the elements, it’s the venting that protects you against moisture build-up in your attic. Without proper ventilation, moisture can become trapped in the insulation and create a haven for mould spores.
How to Check Whether Your Attic Needs to be Ventilated Better
Good attic ventilation decreases heat accumulation in the summer. It reduces cooling expenses while extending shingle life. Warm, wet air creeps into the attic from the living area below in the winter. Heat and moisture can escape through proper ventilation. They keep your attic dry and help to prevent ice jams.
Here are 4 best indicators of a stagnant or inadequately ventilated attic
- Examine your eaves and roof. If there are no attic vents on the roof or in the eaves, you should install some. Your roof vents may not like the ones depicted in this blog. A ridge vent is a low-profile, continuous roof air vent that runs along the pinnacle of your roof. Gable vents, which are louvred apertures at the tops of roofs, may also be present.
- On a warm, sunny day, reach out and touch your ceiling. A scorching ceiling indicates that your attic operates as a solar oven, increasing your cooling expenditures and frying the shingles.
- In the winter, thick ridges of ice on your eaves indicate a lack of attic ventilation. Warm air escapes from the rooms below and becomes trapped in the attic.
- When the snow melts, the water refreezes on the cool eaves, forming ice dams. The warm air exits from the living room, take moisture, condenses on the rafters or roof sheathing. During the winter, grab a flashlight and investigate your attic. If you notice moisture or frost, you should improve your roof ventilation and install some attic vents.
The Benefit of Roofing Ventilation
Vents keep mould and mildew at bay by preventing moisture build-up in the attic. Vents circulate air in snowy areas, preventing ice dams from developing in the winter. Vents contribute to building energy efficiency by controlling and moderating temperature.
Keep Rusted Fasteners and Sheathing Delamination at Bay
Warm air can hold a lot of moisture. Any moisture that makes its way up to the attic from the basement or living areas of your home (for example, from an improperly routed bathroom vent) can end up in the warm air just beneath the roof. This moisture condenses out onto the roof deck when the air outside the roof is cool, making the roof deck a cooler surface than the attic air.
When there is a lot of condensation on the roof deck, the sheathing (which is usually made of plywood) can start to delaminate and the roof fasteners start to rust.
Prevent Moisture, Which Further Encourages Pests
The moisture that good ventilation helps to disperse could otherwise accumulate in the attic, making all wood components damp. Dampwood termites thrive in this environment, so a poorly ventilated attic can be a perfect target for termites; all they need to do is find a way in.
Proper ventilation can go a long way toward making the area unappealing. Install 20 mesh screens over all attic openings (including vents, though this may necessitate more vents because it may reduce airflow slightly). This measure will aid in the physical exclusion of both damp wood and dry wood termites.
Check Fried Shingles Should Not Fail Early
An under ventilated roof collects a lot of hot air beneath it, in addition to moisture. This hot air cushion then assists in heating the roof from below while the sun heats it from above. As you can see, this can result in a significantly hotter roof surface than would be obtained with proper ventilation.
The hotter the roof surface, the more likely it is to deteriorate prematurely due to heat stress. Ventilating the area aids in preventing this, thereby extending the life of your roof.
Roof Vent Types
Soffit vents, gable vents, turbine vents, and ridge vents are all typical types of vents. Their location determines the function of the various vents. Vents at higher levels function as exhaust vents, whereas vents at lower levels function as intake vents.
Roof vents: How to Install
Before a roofer can begin installing your roof vents, they must first determine what type of vents your home requires (or which you prefer) and how many you require based on the calculations.
You can hire any trusted roofing contractors for new roof vents installation. They are using from various types of roof ventilation. Which will vary depending on your home’s needs and design, your region’s geography and weather patterns, and the structure of your roof.
These are general guidelines, as most manufacturers will provide instructions on how to install roof vents best and what measures are required to meet the limited warranty specifications.
Steps to follow the roof vents installations
Mark Attic Roof Air Vent Locations
Mark the roof venting locations from the attic, where the rafters can be seen, and avoid placing roofing vents over them. Make sure that all the roof vents are on the same side of the roof. If your roof peak runs parallel to the street, place it on the backside, where it will be less visible. Distribute attic vents evenly and mark their locations with nails that were driven up through the shingles. Wear a dust mask when working in the attic, and place planks or plywood across the rafters to avoid stepping through the drywall ceiling below.
Cut soffit vent holes
Plan to install an equal number of soffit vents, evenly spaced along with the soffits, on both sides of the house. Avoid placing vents over framing by looking for nails and seams in the soffit that indicate framing locations. Make a cardboard template one in. smaller than the vent to mark cutting lines on the soffit.
If your attic is well-insulated, the insulation may be filling the gaps between the rafters just above the exterior walls. It prevents air from flowing from the soffit vents to the roof vents. The solution is to install baffles, which allow air to pass through the insulation. Home improvement stores sell baffles. Installing them in a dark, cramped, dusty space can be a gruelling task. In an older home, wood blocking between rafters may also need to be cut, pried, or drilled out to open an air passage.
This Roof Vent Installation Project Will Require the Following Tools
Have all the tools you’ll need for this DIY attic vents project ready before you begin to save time and frustration.
Caulk gun
Dust mask
Stapler
Hammer
3/4-in-spade bit
4-in-1 screwdriver
Drill/driver – cordless
Pry bar
Tape measure
Utility knife
Jigsaw
Conclusion
In this blog, you can get the full information regarding roof ventilation and how a roof ventilation system is designed to provide ventilation for your home or building without allowing hot air, moisture, or pests in. However, the roof ventilation system is exposed to the elements year after year and becomes more vulnerable to damage. As it ages, you might see problems with your roof ventilation resulting in increased energy costs and even mould formation within the structure of your building. To prevent problems with your ventilation system as it ages, here are three things you can do.
