There’s nothing worse than a humid, stuffy home. Unfortunately, houses with poor roof ventilation are prone to this frustrating problem and a host of other troublesome issues too.
Poor roof ventilation can significantly impact your home’s well-being and result in costly, time-consuming damage to your roofing system if the issue persists. Keep reading to discover the most common signs of poor attic and roof ventilation—and what to do about this problem.
Costly Problems Caused by Poor Attic and Roof Ventilation
Inadequate ventilation can impact your home from the inside out, so you may notice some issues while hanging out indoors and others while inspecting your exterior. These are the most common signs of poor ventilation:
Uncomfortable Temperatures
If your home is uncomfortably warm, especially upstairs, it may be a sign of poor attic ventilation.
Poor roof ventilation traps heat in your attic, and often, the warm air can flow downstairs into your living spaces, like your family room, kitchen, or bedrooms. When your home has elevated temperatures, your HVAC system is forced to work overtime to combat the uncomfortable environment in your home, resulting in higher energy bills.
Peeling Paint
When too much moisture is trapped in your home, it can cause your interior or exterior paint to peel, blister, or flake. Rooms that produce lots of heat, like bathrooms with steamy showers and your kitchen with cooking appliances, require more ventilation so the humidity can easily escape.
Damaged Shingles
When your attic isn’t properly ventilated, your roofing system can suffer considerable damage.
If your home is protected with asphalt roofing shingles, you may notice your shingles begin cupping, buckling, or blistering if they’re experiencing too much heat from your attic. You may also see mold, algae, or fungus growing on your roofing system from excess humidity, which can cause your roofing materials to decay.
When your shingles begin to deteriorate, they can develop cracks, holes, or crevices that invite moisture into your attic, which can cause leaks and significant water damage to your home.
Ice Dams
Denver homeowners are no strangers to cold, snowy weather—and neither is your roof! However, if you notice ice dams or icicles developing on your roof during the winter, this is almost always a bad sign—despite how beautiful they may be.
Your intake ventilation should keep your attic as close to outdoor temperatures as possible during the winter. Ice dams occur when your attic is much warmer than the outdoor temperatures, and the heat from your attic causes the snow on your roof to melt. Then, as water slides down your roof, it begins to refreeze at the edges, creating an ice dam or icicles. As this process continues, the warm water becomes trapped behind the ice dam, and the moisture may seep beneath your shingles and leak into your attic, causing costly water damage.
You shouldn’t suffer from ice dams if you have adequate attic ventilation, so if you’re experiencing this problem, talk to your local contractor about what types of vents you need to remedy the issue.
Humid Attic
If your attic feels damp or humid, this is usually because warm air is being trapped in your attic and can’t escape through your vents, which is a sign your home has poor ventilation.
Reliable Solutions to Fix Your Roof Ventilation
Follow these steps if you notice one (or more) of the signs of inadequate ventilation listed above.
Get a Roofing Inspection
First, hire a local roofing contractor like Denver’s Refined Exteriors to complete an inspection to ensure your roof hasn’t suffered any significant damage from poor ventilation. If so, they can make the necessary repairs, but they can also help guide you to the correct number and type of vents your home needs.
Check Insulation
Insulation can improve your home’s energy efficiency and regulate indoor temperatures. However, it’s essential to ensure your insulation isn’t covering any of your vents when installed.
Install Exhaust Vents
Exhaust vents allow hot air to escape your home. Ridge vents are the most popular exhaust vents, but box vents, wind turbines, and powered attic vents are all other options for exhaust vents you can select, depending on what works best for your home.
Ridge vents are installed where your roof intersects, typically under the shingles. They’re added to the highest point of your roof, so they’re ideal for releasing hot air. They also run across your entire roofline, allowing for the greatest air release. If you don’t have ridge vents, or if your ridge vents aren’t working correctly, talk to your contractor about incorporating these vents into your roofing system to improve your home’s ventilation.
Install Intake Vents
Intake vents help to keep the air flowing through your attic. While exhaust vents expel hot air, these vents cycle cool air through your home to prevent overheating.
Typically, edge vents are the most popular intake vents, and they’re found under your soffits or drip edge. You can discuss adding additional intake vents to your roofing system with your contractor if you don’t think your home has adequate airflow.
Enjoy the Benefits of Effective Roof Ventilation with Refined Exteriors
Whether your roofing system is suffering damage from poor insulation, leaving you in need of repairs, or your home is insufferably hot, and you need new ventilation—we can help.
Refined Exteriors offers a wide variety of roofing materials, brands, and styles to complement your unique needs for your home. We can also help you identify the steps you need to take to enjoy a well-ventilated home! Learn more about our roofing services to discover why hundreds of Denver homeowners have trusted us to protect their homes with reliable roofing products and expert installation.
