When was the last time you headed up to your attic?
If you’re like most homeowners, you rarely visit the attic.
While there’s been a trend toward transforming attics into functional spaces, we need to keep in mind that they already serve a very important function -- they’re one of the most crucial stops in the natural journey of air through your home.
You already know that warm air rises. Proper attic and roof venting helps to ensure that hot air doesn’t get trapped in your structure and lead to stifling heat. Without proper roof venting, you’ll find yourself spending more to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Luckily, you usually don’t need a whole new roof to improve air circulation and strengthen your home’s natural thermal cycle. A few targeted improvements in roof venting and other areas can give you the performance you want. That makes a difference over time, as an overheated attic can “bake” shingles from below.
Here’s how to improve your roof and attic ventilation fast:
1. Remove Any Boxes and Stored Items from the Attic
In many homes, the attic doubles as a storage unit – often for things you see only once a year, like your holiday decorations. Storing items like this at ground level helps you and your attic. First, it’ll be easier to drag those things out when you need them. Second, air will flow more readily through your attic so that heat can disperse.
2. Replace Your Attic Insulation
Attic insulation deteriorates over the years for a variety of reasons, including moisture intrusion and heat. Adding new insulation means that less heat will be lost as waste. That not only has an immediate effect on heating and cooling bills, but also protects your structure from water vapor and other environmental woes.
3. Soffit Vents
When calculating space for your roof venting, remember that around 50% of the total vent space is provided by soffit vents. An equal number of these vents should be placed on both sides of the house, evenly spaced along your soffits: That is, the exterior underside of your roof.
4. Install New Roof Vents
New roof vents provide best results when they are placed near the peak of the roof. Hot air flows out from the vents after passing through soffit vents, which are located in the roof’s eaves. In general, you benefit most from one square foot of vent opening per each 150 square feet of attic space.
5. Consider New Cool Roof Shingles
“Cool Roof” shingles are made with specialized reflective granules that help deflect some solar radiation away from your roof. An average roof can be 50 to 80 degrees warmer than conditions at ground level, so reducing your roof’s heat absorption makes your roof and attic venting more effective. HIgh-quality roofing companies like GAF, CertainTeed and Owens Corning offer shingles that will help to keep your home cooler.
To get great results from roof venting, all new vents must be positioned for optimal airflow. Ensure the best quality and extend the life of your roof by giving Longhorn Roofing of Austin, Texas a call today.
