When inspecting roofs, poor attic ventilation is one of the most common problems. Even worse, most homeowners don’t know until there’s a vast amount of damage.
Your attic’s ventilation system is vital to the health of your roof and home. Sadly, most attics aren’t accurately ventilated. This means your roof isn’t taking advantage of its full lifespan. The last thing you want is to spend money because your roof is missing a few vents.
What is Roofing Ventilation and Why Is It Important?
Roof ventilation is a system of intake and exhaust vents that delivers air circulation that keeps the inside of your home comfortable and pleasant. Without it, hot air will get trapped in your home, causing a host of issues.
It will be hard to keep your home cool in the hot summer months since warm air usually comes with humidity. The extra moisture can create issues like mildew and mold. This is why it is critical to have enough ventilation on your roof.
Bettering your roof ventilation will help keep your roof and your entire home in peak condition. If you’re not obeying the right roofing ventilation advice, warm air will become stuck in your house, creating problems that can develop into costly repairs.
Maintaining your home’s roofing ventilation is particularly critical in Denver since this region experiences extremely hot and cold weather. Roofing ventilation choices should protect your home from trapping hot air.
Signs of Poor Attic Ventilation
Ice Dams During the Winter
A sign of poor ventilation is leaks due to ice dams constantly forming during the winter.
Ice damming happens when water freezes down by the gutter line, producing an ice blockage (dam). In areas with recurring freezing temperatures, the warm air from the attic melts the ice on the roof just for it to refreeze at the gutter line in an endless cycle. When it begins to warm up, water backs up and gradually drips into your house until it’s warm enough to totally thaw out.
Proper attic ventilation basically keeps a consistent roof temperature to prevent this continuous build-up cycle and helps stop ice dams. While this indicator appears as a leak, icicles dangling around the gutters also is a sign of ice damming.
Metal Rusting, Mildew, and Mold in the Attic
Another sign of poor ventilation is when mildew and mold develop in your attic. This is due to excess moisture from condensation.
The amount of humidity of a poorly ventilated attic is the perfect setting for mildew and mold to flourish. Inspect the bottom of your roof decking, attic insulation, and other wood surfaces for indicators of mold growth. You might also detect a mildewed odor coming from upstairs or when the air conditioner is on.
While additional moisture generates mold, it also leads to the deterioration of metal components like HVAC ducts, nails, fasteners, and more.
Therefore, you probably have a ventilation issue if you see rusting on metal objects in your attic.
Upstairs Rooms are Hot During the Summer Months
If your upstairs rooms are unpleasantly hot, this could mean your attic has poor ventilation. Without correct ventilation, the hot air gets caught with no fresh air being drawn inside.
This heat exudes down into the home to the point where it won’t be cool enough to be inside until the sun sets. You’ll also detect this sign since your AC is on more and longer attempting to keep your home cool.
With your air conditioner working vigorously, you’ll have a larger energy bill. You certainly have an attic ventilation problem if your energy bills are extremely high during the summertime.
Peeling Paint
When excess moisture is trapped in your home, it can make your exterior and interior paint flake or blister. Rooms that generate lots of heat, like bathrooms with hot showers and your kitchen with a hot oven, necessitate more ventilation so the humidity can quickly escape.
Damaged Shingles
Your roofing system can experience significant damage when it isn’t properly ventilated.
If your home is safeguarded with asphalt roofing shingles, you might see your shingles starting to buckle or blister because of excess heat coming from the attic. Additionally, you might see fungus, mold, or algae sprouting on your roofing system from extra humidity, causing your roofing materials to deteriorate.
When your shingles start to decay, they can acquire holes, crevices, or cracks, holes that incite moisture into your attic, producing substantial water damage and leaks in your home.
Discoloration in the Attic
Discoloration can look like mold. However, advanced discoloration can be the difference between paying for a roof replacement or replacing a few wooden boards.
If you see a small spot of dark black staining on the surfaces in your attic, you should schedule a roof inspection. Allowing the discoloration to spread could end up costing you more money in the future.
Sagging Roof
When you inspect your shingles, you may notice instead of straight horizontal lines, some of them form ripples and slump. This is an indication that there is water damage beneath the shingles that must be handled.
This is a problem that could be due to poor ventilation, leaks, or a combination of both. It’s critical to call a professional Colorado roofing company and get a roof inspection performed to discover the reason.
Visible Flashing
Flashing is thin sheets of metal that are supposed to waterproof any saturations in the roof like ventilation or chimneys.
If you can see the flashing, it indicates other materials such as your shingles have fallen off or moved completely. This could be a signal of moisture and must be checked by a roofing contractor.
Unwanted Pests
Critters and small pests could get in and make a home in your vents. If there are gaps where they can crawl in, the odds are they will do so.
If you are discovering a lot of unwanted pests in your house, it’s time to inspect your vents to see if there is an entry point.
It is critical to be aware of the condition of your roof with a roof inspection. You might not be able to spot problems. Not every inspector has experience and knowledge in roofing inspections, therefore, they don’t perform a thorough check of your roof or attic space.
Spotting indications of poor ventilation can help keep your home secure.
Reliable Solutions to Fix Your Roof Ventilation
These steps can help if you detect poor roof ventilation.
Get a Roofing Inspection
Hire a Colorado roofing contractor to perform an inspection to make sure your roof hasn’t endured any substantial damage due to poor ventilation. This professional can arrange to make the necessary repairs. They can also help direct you to the right type and number of vents your house needs.
Check Insulation
Insulation can enhance your home’s energy efficiency and control indoor temperatures. However, it’s vital to make sure your insulation isn’t obscuring any of your vents when installed.
Install Intake Vents
It is critical to know that fixing the problem takes more than just installing exhaust vents. Exhaust vents discharge the humid, hot air from the attic. Equally significant, intake vents permit cool air to breeze into the attic. If intake vents aren’t installed, you will keep having problems. Talk to your roofing contractor to ensure the whole system is serviced.
A Complete Roof Replacement
If you see that the damage has started to produce delimitation of the wood (delimitation of wood means nothing will stick to its slick sides), you may want to consider a complete roof replacement.
Even if more vents are installed, you will still see issues such as loose shingles and sagging, increasing the chances of leaks.
Best Attic Ventilation Method
Now you realize some of the indicators of poor attic ventilation. While there are various signs, you’ll probably have more than one if your attic isn’t correctly ventilated.
Hopefully, you see these signs early to prevent pricey and serious damage. You’ll most likely require additional ventilation to make sure it doesn’t occur again.
That’s why you should reach out to a Colorado roofing contractor as soon as you see the signs that your attic is incorrectly ventilated. If they don’t uncover serious damage, you might just need to add more ventilation.
Based on your roof’s style and the attic space, you might have to replace your entire ventilation system. The good news is you get to pick the system you want and the supplementary roof vents.
Schedule a Free Evaluation
The team at The Roofing Company is enthusiastic about helping Colorado homeowners get the most benefit out of their roofs. Be sure you’re adhering to the right roof ventilation tips by either installing roof vents or arranging a roof inspection or by.
Our professionals will help you with determining the best type of roofing ventilation system for your house. Contact our experts with any questions or schedule your appointment with The Roofing Company today.