Attics are one of the more misunderstood features of a house. However, attics are more than storage space. The reality of attics is that they exist to keep your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. This is accomplished by one of two mechanisms: adding more insulation to the attic or increasing the airflow and ventilation.
Understanding Attic Ventilation in the Summer
Heat tends to rise to the top of a house in the summer. As the attic fills up with hot air, there comes a point when it gets trapped and can hold no more. As a result, hot air is pushed downwards to the interior of the house. If you have air conditioning, it will be forced to work harder to keep the house cool.
In an ideal situation, your attic would act as cooling system – hot air rises up into it and a properly constructed ventilation system exhausts the hot air into the outside. Most homes don’t have a proper ventilation system in their attic. As such, many homeowners experience hot indoor temperatures and increased energy bills in the summer time.
Why Proper Attic Ventilation is Key in the Winter
In the winter, your attic fills up with cold air from the outside. The cozy, warm air inside your house will migrate up to the attic, as hot air tends to rise. The hot air in your attic contains moisture. When it comes in contact with the cold air from the outside, condensation forms and that can lead to rotting of the wood, or popping and buckling of your roof shingles. It can even cause mold and mildew to form.
The cold air in your attic then seeps into your house through poorly sealed openings, such as the attic door or recessed lighting. Proper attic ventilation can prevent condensation and high heating bills by allowing the moist warm air to escape into the environment and even prevent ice dams from forming on your roof when it snows or the outside temperatures get below freezing.
Roof Ventilation Contractor in Tacoma, Washington
There is a science behind the ventilation of your attic that is best left to trusted and experienced roofing professionals. Our team at ACME Roofing can inspect your roof and advise you on your options to properly ventilate your attic, so that you can lower your energy bills. This also prevents roof hazards, such as mold or ice dams, from occurring.
If your energy bills are too high, or you live in an older house in the South Sound that doesn’t have adequate ventilation for the attic, give us a call at (253) 564-2292 or schedule a free roof consultation. One of our qualified roofing experts will visit your home or building and give you a free assessment on the best way to go about having proper ventilation in your attic.