the importance of attic venitlation

Attic ventilation is key when it comes to home longevity, roof longevity and much more. Its something often overlooked in homes but shouldn’t be. When an attic is not ventilating air, this can lead to costly repairs. From rotting roof deck, mold buildup to leaks, the list goes on and on. When we do an evaluation of whether an attic is ventilating properly, we always follow manufacturer’s specific guidelines so that we know we are abiding by the rules and can walk away from a customer’s home knowing that the above-mentioned problems will never occur.

With ridge vents being the new norm in roof ventilation, roofers need to be careful they are not leaving themselves open to risk by overlooking attic ventilation on the home. One such case, we got called to a roof that was only 5 years old (basically a pretty new roof), where the homeowner’s bedroom ceiling showed signs of moisture. Upon inspection, the roof looked in good shape, with nothing indicating outside water penetration. The roof had a ridge vent and when we examined the size of the gap on the ridge, it was too small. Most manufacturers call for 3 inches total gap on the ridge for adequate ventilation. This customers gap was much too small, which caused moisture buildup. We carefully expanded the gap and re-attached the ridge vent and shingles.

Moral of the story, you need to make sure your attic is getting the ventilation it needs or else there’s some serious consequences. From our experience classic roof vents, while being perhaps less aesthetic on a roof than ridge vents, were more reliable for roofers since they did not leave as much room for error. If your attic circulates air properly and there is no blockage, there is no reason why your roof won’t stand the test of time.