There’s a lot to keep in mind when it comes to your roof, but an easily overlooked aspect of your roof is proper ventilation. Ventilation for shingle roofs is especially important as unvented roofs can damage your shingles and lead to repairs being necessary sooner rather than later.
The Importance of Ventilation
Ventilation is about more than just ensuring proper airflow in your attic. Without ventilation, your roof and shingles can be severely damaged. In addition, effective ventilation helps your roof stay in good condition for as long as possible, no matter what the climate is where you live.
Here are some of the benefits of proper roof ventilation to further show you its importance:
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Energy Efficiency
A well-ventilated roof makes your home more energy-efficient by letting warm air out instead of trapping it in the attic. During the summer months, trapped hot air will increase your energy bill as you’ll need to run your AC longer. With proper ventilation, your roof will help make your home more energy-efficient and save you money on energy.
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Prevent Mold and Mildew Growth
In the winter, hot air can get trapped in your attic. With nowhere to escape to, the air will condensate and make your attic moist. This moisture encourages the growth of mold and mildew and can also lead to leaks throughout your house. Additionally, mold and mildew cause health issues and damage the structure of your roof, weakening it and making replacements necessary sooner.
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Increase Your Roof’s Lifespan
Ventilation makes things easier on your roof, which in return, increases its lifespan. Without ventilation, your roof is constantly exposed to extreme temperatures and will have to fight both the climate outdoors and in your attic. This wears it down quicker and leads to your roof needing to be replaced sooner than you may have initially planned.
How Is Ventilation Best Handled With a Shingle Roof?
Shingle roofs are very common across the country, but they need good ventilation to remain in good shape and keep up with the demands of protecting your home.
When it comes to ventilating a shingle roof, you should plan on 1 square foot of ventilation per 150 or 300 square feet of attic floor space. It depends on the building code requirements where you live and if other conditions are being met. If you’re able to meet certain ventilation conditions, then you may be allowed to get by with a 1:300 ratio rather than a 1:150 ratio.
For ventilating shingle roofs, you have two main options: passive vents and powered vents.
Passive vents let in cool air from the outdoors while expelling heat and moisture out of your attic. Common passive vents are ridge vents and low-profile vents.
Powered vents are often powered by either solar energy and sunlight or electricity. They work very efficiently, but only if they have a reliable source of power and are installed and sealed correctly. Otherwise, they may expel air-conditioned air from your home.
Both passive and powered vents work well on shingle roofs, but you’ll want to ensure the roofer you hire has installed that type of vent before. In order for vents to be most efficient, they need to be correctly installed and fully sealed, or your attic may not have balanced ventilation.
Whether you choose passive or powered vents, be sure to keep the same system across your roof. Don’t try to mix systems, so if you choose ridge vents for one section, stick to it for your entire roof. This will ensure your ventilation is as efficient as possible.
Hire Gustafson Roofing For Your Roofing Needs
Your roof needs ventilation, even if you live in an area where the weather is often mild, and you don’t have stifling heat or freezing winters. As your roof faces the sun directly, it is exposed to heat every day and needs an efficient way to cool off.
If you want to keep your roof in good condition, contact our professional roofing team today about inspecting your roof’s ventilation system.
Gustafson Roofing is a local, family-owned roofing company that has been serving the Boynton Beach, Florida area since 1948. As one of the most experienced roofing contractors in the region, Gustafson Roofing provides a full range of roofing services, from installation of new roofing systems to repairs and maintenance. They are experts in roof replacements, installing various types of roofs, including asphalt shingle, metal, tile, and flat roofs. In addition to reroofing, the company offers roof leak repairs and inspection services to keep clients’ roofs protected. With over 60 years in business, Gustafson Roofing prides itself on quality craftsmanship and customer satisfaction.