Roof ventilation is when air flows through the areas closest to the top of the house, preventing hot air from building and releasing moisture. It won’t appear to be one of the scarier features of owning a property on the surface. The roof can take care of itself. Right? Wrong. Once the roof ventilation to the region is poor, you’ll begin to see your roof break down as its lifespan reduces. Energy costs and indoor temperatures will be affected, too.
It’s essential to tackle these problems when they occur, but how do you know it’s a problem that needs addressing?
Icicles & Dams
Icicles are commonplace in the winter, which is why most homeowners assume they are insignificant. In reality, it highlights the hot air trapped in the roof. Why? It’s because the snow on the top of the house has to melt to flow down to the guttering. When it’s there, the colder temps take hold again, forcing the water to freeze into icicles and ice dams. They might look pretty, yet they can have serious consequences if you don’t improve the ventilation to your home’s roof.
Dampness and Roof Ventilation
People assume that dampness is a sign of the cold weather making it to the inside of your interiors. However, this isn’t the case. Usually, it’s a result of hot air since it contains all the moisture. Therefore, the hot air trapped in or around your roof meets the cold air and instantly releases water. When it does this, the H2O forms puddles, most of which you can’t see unless you’re in the attic. But, if there are gaps or cracks, it will run down them and land on the walls upstairs. It’s not only damp you should be wary of because the water is breeding ground for mold and mildew too.
A Broken Air Conditioner
If you have an air conditioning unit, it’s important to check on its health regularly. Not only will it save you money, but this trick is good at indicating if your roof ventilation could be better. Although the link seems unlikely, it’s not when you delve under the surface. When the hot air trapped in the house won’t budge, the air conditioner has to work harder to cool the property. The more pressure it has to deal with, the sooner it will start to cough and splutter. Although lots of signs are easier to spot in the fall and winter, this one is typical of the summer.
Pests and Ventilation
While you don’t visit the roof often, it doesn’t mean it’s left unattended. The wintertime is when pests, such as bugs, mice, and birds look for places to shelter from the cold. They love warm air, particularly as it’s full of moisture. So, if they find it, they’ll move in for the long-term. As such, you should be on the lookout for signs of pests. Usually, improving the roof’s ventilation should solve the problem; however, once they are in, they are tough to remove, so it’s safer to keep your home properly ventilated throughout the year.
