What is the importance of good ventilation?

The humid summer months in Florida are right around the corner.

Many homeowners worry about the health of their roof. After all, it keeps our homes intact and our loved ones and our possessions safe. However, few people realize how important roofing ventilation is to a healthy roof and home. The cooler the attic space stays, the longer the life of the roof lasts. You don’t want air flow and humidity to be stagnant up in the roof. In many of our jobs homeowners go with what we call a static vent. As the heat in an attic rises, the hot air is pushed out through the vents. The downside it takes wind to push that hot air out of the top. Unfortunately, we do not have a lot of wind in Florida during the summertime.

Therefore, we like to upgrade to solar attic fans. They come with a 25-year warranty and have a solar panel that runs the fan directly. They also are not tied to your electric. They keep roof structures and materials from deteriorating and keep your attic cool in the summer by reducing extreme heat buildup. Most importantly, it takes hot air out of your attic space instead of relying on the wind to push your hot air out of your attic.

If you ignore the ventilation in your home, your shingles will blister and swell. You can also get discoloration or separation in the shingles. There’s no doubt that ventilation is key. It really prolongs the life of your roof. Even in the winter when it’s not hot, the hot air inside your house and the cold air in your attic space creates a level of moisture. That moisture can turn into mildew or mold. The solar attic fans allow us to get that moisture out of the attic space.

If any homeowners wonders whether he or she has enough ventilation, we don’t mind coming to their homes and checking for them. It’s also important to choose a reputable roofing company. Many roof warranties must meet a certain criteria of roof ventilation. If the installer didn’t put enough ventilation and there’s other warranty issues on the roof, it could void your warranty.