Blackstone Exteriors

The amount of ventilation your attic gets is probably something you don’t think about too often, but it actually plays a silent part in many aspects of your everyday life at home. What you need to know is that your attic is more than just extra space to store your stuff in; rather, it is an essential part of your house that, when ventilated properly, can have a profound effect on the comfort and well-being of your family.

How Attic Ventilation Works

Your attic ventilation works by pulling in fresh air from the outside through intake vents while simultaneously allowing heat to escape through exhaust vents. A home with an effective ventilation system usually includes intake vents in low areas, such as along the soffits, and exhaust vents in high areas like the peak or roof ridge. This configuration allows for a continuous flow of air through the space.

Why Is Proper Attic Ventilation Important?

As we all know, excess heat and moisture can wreak havoc on your home. It doesn’t matter what type of climate you live in, poor attic ventilation can negatively affect your home and necessitate a call to your roofing repair contractor.

When the weather is hot, the sun beating down on your roof can significantly increase the temperature inside your attic. This can, in turn, lead to warping on your roof sheathing as well as cause your shingles to distort and age prematurely.

In cold areas where temperatures dip below zero, warm air escaping into the attic can heat up the underside of your roof deck and melt the bottom layer of snow sitting on your roof, causing water to run down the edge of your roof. Once the runoff reaches the cold outer edge, it refreezes. If this happens repeatedly, ice dams can form along the eaves and damage your shingles.

Turn to the experts of Blackstone Exteriors if you want to be sure of a good job. Give us a call at (515) 720-2158 to schedule an appointment, or fill out our contact form to request a free quote today.