Understanding the Importance of Roof Ventilation
During the summer, roof cavities can heat up to about 60-70 degrees Celsius. These temperatures can lead to damage in your roof underlayment or cause discomfort in your home. When winter comes about, you might experience leaking in your home due to the melting of ice on your rooftop.
These roofing holes are all caused by poor roof ventilation. Roof ventilators basically allow the roof to breathe and maintain a circulation of fresh air in the roof space and in your home.
There are two main methods of air ventilation:
- Mechanical ventilation: This method uses systems that require a power source such as fans and air ducts.
- Natural ventilation: This method uses wind around the building or buoyancy to ventilate the roof space. Ideally, cool air flows in through lower points in the roof and exits through higher ventilation.
The following are some of the damages to look out for during the winter and summer.
Winter
During the winter, warm, moist air (that has been generated from the rooms below) can build up in the roof space. This air could potentially condense on any cold surfaces in the attic. The damp and humid environment could result in mould, rot and damage.
Dampness could also stop insulation from working properly. In very cold and exposed areas, a build-up of warm, moist air inside the attic can create ice in the guttering and at the bottom of the roof. This happens when warm or ventilated attic air melts any snow that's settled on your roof.
The melted water trickles down to the bottom of the roof and refreezes in the cold outside air. Eventually, this ice can build up enough to cause leaking in your house.
Summer
In warm weather, heat from the sun builds up inside the roof's base throughout the day, and it gradually gets hotter and hotter through a process known as solar gain. Not only can this trapped heat make any bitumen underlayment smell, but it can also damage your underlayment or felt shingles.
There is, of course, another, more familiar effect of heat build-up in the rest of your home. As the heat radiates during the day, your house will become very humid and uncomfortable at night.
To conclude, roof ventilation solves these issues by using the basic principle of creating a gentle and continuous flow of air in the roof space. The goal is to achieve the removal of stale damp air and to cool your roof. Contact roofing specialists to learn more.
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