Why is Attic Ventilation Essential in the Winter?

If you have an attic fan, you probably use it mostly during the hot summers. Doing so can help reduce summer humidity in the attic and reduce temperatures, making your home more cool and comfortable.

But what if I told you that it’s important to use your attic fan all year long, especially in the winter? Below, we’ll explain how proper attic ventilation during the winter can save you from costly repairs.

Attic Ventilation in the Winter
Attic fans are best known for making the home more comfortable in the heat. If you use an air conditioner, running an attic fan can significantly reduce your cooling costs. This is because your air conditioner will have to fight against high temperatures leaking down from the attic when your attic isn’t ventilated. But if you run your attic fan, temperatures will quickly drop, reducing energy bills and resulting in a more comfortable home.

Humidity and Moisture
Another reason to use an attic fan is to reduce humidity levels in the attic. During the summer, especially when there’s high humidity, warm moist air can wreak havoc in your attic. But the same is true in the winter. Many people don’t think too much about winter humidity, especially if they live in a dry climate, but humidity is inescapable in the home.

Hot showers, cooking, indoor plants, and our own bodies generate moisture which can rise into the attic of your home. When your windows are closed during the winter, this humidity has nowhere to escape and will accumulate in your attic. Then, as the warmer humid air touches the cold surfaces of your attic ceiling and walls, it can condense, forming droplets of water on the ceiling, walls, and floor of your attic. This can result in rot, mold, and mildew, and costly subsequent repairs.

Ice Dams
The structural damage doesn’t end with humidity and moisture, either. Winter poses a unique problem for attics and roofs without proper ventilation. As you heat your home during the winter, some of it is bound to rise and escape into your attic.

If you live in an area that gets any snow during the winter, the combination of snow on the roof and warm attic temperatures can result in ice dams. Ice dams are caused by warm attic air warming up pockets of the roof that melt snow and refreeze overnight. Ice dams can cause serious damage to your shingles and roof and can easily be avoided with proper attic ventilation.

If your attic isn’t properly ventilated, browse our attic fans at WholeHouseFan.com  and find the perfect one for your home.