Maintaining Your Roof With a Proper Ventilation System

Homeowners are proud to have a well maintained roof on their home.  These roofs last longer. You don’t stay up worrying at night about a well cared for roof. The most vital part of your home’s protection is your roof. Your roof is also the most exposed part of your home bearing the brunt of damaging weather like winds, snow, hail and sunlight. You must take special care to maintain you roof because of these demands. The ventilation system is arguably the most important part of a roof. Your roof’s life span is greatly determined by its’ ventilation system.   A roof that is well cared for and has a proper ventilation system will last about 25% longer than a roof with poor ventilation.

Your roof’s ventilation system is crucially important.  A well functioning ventilation system allows hot air to escape.   If this doesn’t happen the heat in the attic will build and build. This causes the shingles to actually bake from underneath. This kind of damage will take years off the life span of your roof. This heat can also bake the sheathing of your roof making your roof brittle. Brittle sheathing increases the chances of anything heavy, for example a build up of snow, breaking through your roof.  The breakdown of the adhesive used to hold together a roofing system will weaken multiple layers.

Your ventilation system will be chosen depending on shape and the material used with your roof.  As a rule one a balanced ventilation system requires a square foot of venting for every 250 to 300 cubic foot of air in the attic. Calculate an appropriate number of vents in your roof using this. There are many different types of vents. There are static open units and turbine style all the way up to the more complicated thermostatically operated and electronic vents. Which of these vents should be used in your roof depends on the size of the roof and air space below.

Creating balance between the air coming in and the air going out is the goal of a proper ventilation system. Temperatures can reach as high up to 150 degrees F in attics without the proper ventilation.  If you are storing personal items in an attic that is getting this hot they can easily be destroyed.  Condensation from washers, dryers and showers can cause problems as well.  It is possible they are venting right into your attic space.  This creates a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. A change in air pressure from someone opening an attic door can carry these viruses directly into your home.

Building moisture is also huge problem. Moisture is allowed to escape the attic space with proper ventilation.  This venting stops mold and mildew from developing. Watch your heating and cooling bills. Trapped moisture can lead to an increase in them.  This is because metal air ducts will expand and contract in extreme temperatures, contracting ducts can actually separate causing cold air and heat to be released into your attic. Which means your heat and cold air never reach your living space.

Metal that comes in contact with trapped moisture will rust. This means nail and screw heads will rust off weakening your roof.  Metal air ducts without the proper ventilation system will fall apart.

An expert roofer in Minneapolis, MN can look help you decide on the best ventilation system for you by looking at your structure. The ventilation system and roof should be constructed at the same time. However, over time blockages and other things can make the ventilation system ineffective. At that point your venting system must be checked for re-calibration. Proper air circulation is key for maintaining your roofing structure so make sure vents and hoses are not blocked. A proper ventilation system will increase the life span of your roof and also the building it is protecting.