Having ventilation added to your attic during your roof installation can help to regulate temperatures in the space, which provides several advantages. Here are 3 reasons to ventilate your attic.
1) Cooling the space on hot days – While a new roof can receive its harshest treatment from sun, wind and rain, it can also be attacked from the underside if the attic isn’t ventilated. This is due to the extreme levels of heat than can result from direct sun shining on the roof as well as the side walls of the space during the hot days of summer. Even with insulation on the floor and ceiling, temperatures can reach over 160 degrees Fahrenheit, turning the space into a slow-cooking oven. Warmth radiating upward from the attic can then combine with the heat from direct sunlight to bake the components of the roofing system for several hours each afternoon. Granted, roofing materials are designed to withstand continuous heat, but the higher temperatures coming from its underside can speed deterioration rates of adhesives, sealants and shingles substantially. Adding ventilation to the attic can reduce temperatures by about 60 degrees.
2) Adding usable space to the home – Attics can be large enough to serve as usable space in the home, whether it’s a small den, playroom, or reading room. With adequate ventilation bringing temperatures down to the area of 100 degrees, a system of fans and a small air conditioning unit can bring temperatures down to a comfortable level in the space, even on the hottest days of summer. Adding this space provides an additional place for activities and may increase the value of your home.
3) Saving energy – A properly vented attic will have 1 square inch of ventilation for every square foot of floor space, divided evenly between soffit and ridge vents. Depending on the configuration of the home, efficient ventilation may be installed that requires no electricity and instead relies on the properties of rising warm air to be vented out at the ridge. When combined with insulation recommended for the geographic area (the DoE recommends an R-value of 60 for the Atlanta area), a household can reduce heating and cooling bills by almost 50 percent.
Ventilating your attic brings significant advantages. When discussing your new roof installation with your contractor, be sure to ask about the possibilities of regulating temperatures, adding usable space and saving on energy bills by venting your attic.
