The Importance of Proper Roof Ventilation

As a homeowner, you know how important it is to maintain your roof, including insulating under it in the attic or eaves. While insulation goes a long way in saving you energy and lowering your utility bills, it is also important to have proper roof ventilation, something easily overlooked. Let’s discuss the purpose of ventilation for your roof and how it contributes to your overall ‘house health’.

The Purpose of Ventilation

Roof venting allows air to move through the attic space, which prevents your roof from overheating and condensation from building up, which can cause problems ranging from inefficiency to mold growth and water damage caused by water freezing, thawing and freezing in a cycle that can damage your roof, leading to leaks and potentially expensive repairs. 

How a Roof Ventilation System Protects Your Home

Similar to insulation, roof venting adds a layer of protection to your home in multiple ways. Let’s look at the three primary ways properly installed roof ventilation systems benefit you and are a smart investment:

Proper Roof Ventilation Increases Energy Savings

Air is a great insulator, but damp air can not only be inefficient; the moisture it deposits can lead to damage such as mold growth, wood rot and higher energy bills. Installing proper vents allows moisture and excess heat to leave the attic, leading to lower energy bills and more control over your home's climate.

Prevents Damage to Your Roof

A good roof ventilation system that has been properly installed not only helps lower your overall energy bills, but it can also protect your roof from invisible damage caused by excess moisture leading to ice forming and thawing repeatedly during the winter when the sun warms the surface during the day. This protects your eaves and wood in your attic from being weakened by wood rot and mildew. 

Extends The Roof's Lifespan

Just as installing proper vents protects your attic from the inside, the same is true for your roof shingles. Efficient roof venting helps your shingles shed water and prevents condensation building up and freezing in between shingles that can, over time, cause gaps that let rainwater and pests in. This damage can be invisible to the eye unless you’re a roofing expert, such as the experts at Preferred Roofing & Seamless Guttering. 

Signs of Poor Roof Attic Ventilation

Recognizing signs of poor air circulation from roof top vents is essential to correcting the problem before it causes damage. These signs are red flags that your roof ventilation system is not meeting your home's needs: 

• Unbearably hot attic in summer
• Evidence of moisture, mold, or mildew
• Rust on nail heads
• Damp or compressed insulation
• Wood rot
• Granular Loss
  

What to Do if You Suspect You Need Better Roof Ventilation

If you see any of the signs noted above, it’s important to take quick, proactive action by having a roofing professional such as Preferred Roofing & Seamless Guttering do an inspection, interior and exterior, to see if you have an inadequate roof ventilation system or if your current roof vents have been damaged in some way, causing them to not function properly. This inspection will also alert you to any further damage caused by problems with your roof vents and remedies, as well as information on how a professional can help by repairing or installing proper vents to solve the problem. 

Are Roof Vents Necessary?

If you haven’t been convinced already, we want to emphatically state that YES! Roof vents are essential for your home's health, as well as helping your home be more energy efficient and saving you money! If you aren’t sure if your current roof vents are up to the task or have any questions, the experts at Preferred Roofing & Seamless Guttering are just a call away. 

Preferred Roofing and Seamless Guttering - Kansas City's Local Roofing Experts

As a locally owned professional roofing company, Preferred Roofing & Seamless Guttering has been helping businesses and homeowners since 2006. We know the ins and outs of the weather in Lee’s Summit and the greater Kansas City area and how it can impact your roof. Our GAF Master Elite certification allows us to provide the GAF Roofing System Lifetime Guarantee. We start off with a free estimate and will explain the products and processes we recommend thoroughly. We then provide timely and professional services, including tear offs, repairs, the installation of a new roof and cleanup. Contact us today!