Roof Ventilation is Critical
Roofing by Bruce • June 3, 2023

June 3, 2023

Flashing and weather sealing on vent chimney on a shingle roofIn some ways your house is like a living organism. It kind of needs air to “breathe” and “live.” Okay, that’s not exactly correct, but in general, a house needs ventilation, which is the flow of air through a system of intake and exhaust. So, in other words, your house needs some vents to allow outside air inside and inside air outside. Why is ventilation important? Well, it helps your house in several ways, such as extending the life of the roof, reducing energy costs and reducing indoor temperature extremes.

What Does Ventilation Do for Your Roof?

Imagine if you lived in a house with very high humidity and that “wet air” had no vents to escape. Eventually your house would have a mold problem! Condensation problems often occur when a home’s roof isn’t well-ventilated.

Most homes have an attic, and that attic allows air to flow in and out of the house. That way, if there’s a lot of moist air inside, some of it escapes outside so your house doesn’t get moldy. Air flow is typically natural thanks to the wind outside. Sometimes, though, air is moved mechanically, by using devices like powered fans.

Right now, if things are working properly at your house, hot air can escape through roof vents and cool air can come in from outside. Your roof probably has ridge vents and/or intake vents, and there’s probably a vent associated with your attic.

Your house benefits from roof and attic vents. They can prevent ice dams from forming on the roof/at the gutters in the winter. If the vents work properly, you won’t see icicles! Then, in the warmer months, the vents let hot air escape from inside the home so you’re not too hot. If the attic had trapped hot air in it all summer long, your roof shingles could become damaged– that’s no good. Thanks to vents, your house can stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, reducing the workload on your HVAC system. This helps lower your utility bills. It also regulates the indoor air temperature so it’s never too cold or too hot, which can be extremely uncomfortable.

How are your vents? If you’re like most homeowners, you’re not sure. You probably haven’t checked them in a while, and some might be hard to see from the ground. You can hire Roofing By Bruce to inspect/assess your current ventilation and determine whether some fixes or changes need to be made. For more info about vents, call Roofing by Bruce at 570-424-8891.

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